God Dethroned - Passiondale
Metal Blade, 2009
9/10
Hailing from The Netherlands, God Dethroned are back with their 9th album, and what a monster it is. This long-running death metal outfit has put me off in the past, but reports of creeping variety and progressive elements into their sound had me intrigued enough to give Passiondale a chance. Lyrically, Passiondale is concept record based upon the Belgian village of Passiondale, and the surrounding area which was the site of massive slaughter during World War I. Musically, the album blasts through enough traditional-sounding death metal to keep the purists happy, but bouts of melody and keyboards are thrown in to make things interesting. The production is crystal clear yet massive, giving the record a clean, heavy sound that enables the sonic nuances to be heard. “Under A Darkening Sky” and “No Man’s Land” open the album with tight, brutal death metal. Things take an interesting turn with “Poison Fog”, a six minute opus that breaks down into two keyboard-drenched mid-sections with clean vocals. This is followed by “Drowning In Mud” and the title track, both of which incorporate slower, groovier structures that stand well beside their faster sections. The accelerator is pushed to the floor again for “No Survivors”, which unexpectedly includes a slow, passionately sung interlude mid-song. Keyboards accentuate the somber, pounding introduction of “Behind Enemy Lines” before exploding into chaotic riffage. “Fallen Empires” breathes like a final, desperate gasp before the album closes with the epic instrumental “Artifacts Of The Great War”. Passiondale exceeds the expectations of what a death metal album should be, and God Dethroned have delivered a punishing and thought-provoking album. This will easily rank as one of the top albums of the year and should be immediately added to the collection of diehard and casual death metal fans alike.
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