2026 marks Forbidden’s big comeback.
Active since 1985 but with a checkered history, the band led since then by Craig Locicero (guitar, The Boneless Ones) and rounded out by Matt Camacho (bass), Chris Kontos (drums, The Boneless Ones, ex-Attitude Adjustment, ex-Machine Head, ex-Testament…), Norman Skinner (vocals, Hellscream, Skinner), and Jeremy Von Epp (guitar, The Venting Machine, The Watchers), had officially reunited in 2023, signing with BLKIIBLK this year for the release of their sixth album, Forbidden.
Single Point Failure is the first track to hit, immediately plunging us back into the heart of the band’s thrash storm, first with a fairly progressive intro, then with biting, effective riffs that herald the arrival of the powerful vocals, which can also be much calmer and more melodic, as heard in the choruses. Lead parts also develop very naturally, just as on Burning The Lungs of Earth, which starts off fairly gently but quickly picks up the pace, sweeping us along in its momentum, and doesn’t hesitate to make liberal use of sharp harmonics to complement its lively rhythm section. Next up is the jerky yet high-energy Divided By Zero, where the musicians unleash some of the album’s most furious riffs and some of the most unsettling ones, especially when the backing vocals kick in, but DCLXVI offers a moment of respite with its dreamy intro. Once again, the sound draws on Prog and Heavy influences to build a solid and at times even quite majestic sound, but Psyclops creates a striking contrast by introducing a rather dry, metallic groove, particularly in the bass and drums, while the guitars handle the aggressive side. The vocalist naturally fits right in, even offering some stranger and more mysterious parts before taking another break with Jisei, a track that features a female voice delivering a brief introduction in Japanese, followed by calm yet unsettling tones, before returning to distortion and intensity with Mutually Assured Dysfunction. Flirting between Thrash and Heavy Metal, the band delights in incorporating dissonant harmonics or letting Norman hit the high notes to rival the long solos, before returning to mysterious tones on Sycophantasy, a track featuring Brann Dailor (Mastodon) where the vocal parts diversify to call and respond to one another. The song remains fairly short and generally gets straight to the point, propelling us into The Burden and its energetic foundation, which allows for a few slowdowns to make us bang our heads, but knows exactly how to pick up the pace again afterward, leading into the unsettling introduction of Sol Grave, which, though initially quite minimalist, quickly shatters and lets the band ignite with a very jerky and catchy approach. This track showcases everything that makes the band so powerful, from its aggressive side to its more ethereal passages and melodies, but it’s with Flower of Life (Chaos By Design), their final composition, that the band surprises us the most, using its nine-minute runtime to further accentuate the contrast between all its elements while tying them together in a very natural way, even allowing themselves a few breaks – such as the central piano interlude joined by vocals that guide us toward the song’s final section and then to its conclusion.
Forbidden is a cult band for many, and their return was eagerly anticipated by their fanbase. Although they couldn’t afford to make any mistakes after such a long hiatus, they’ve made a huge splash with Forbidden, a rich and polished album that commands respect!
80/100