Dutch blackened death metal battalion God Dethroned are once again ready to crusade across Europe as they embark on a tour cycle for their new release, Illuminati which drops February 7th via Metal Blade Records.
Illuminati sees the band alter their sound slightly, on this record they wanted to present a fuller, deeper arrangement of tracks and the end result is really quite something. Sounding like a cross between Behemoth, Rotting Christ and Kreator all rolled into one metal machine, God Dethroned have delivered a full-bodied, blasphemous and enjoyable metal experience. The moment you finish the nine tracked record you immediately want to give it another spin, followed by another, so infectious are its charred riffs and delectable solos.
The frantic, all-out assault of previous releases has been ever so slightly stripped back and while this album still hits like a derailing freight train carrying a cargo of breezeblocks and anvils, but it’s a different level of heavy, there are more layers here with the band has taken a few more risks to deliver something different. There is also the movement away from themes of warfare, with the imagery of occult secret societies and the outright dismissal of organised religion taking centre stage here.
Illuminati will serve both veteran fans and newer listeners, a great starting point for one looking to explore God Dethroned and their back catalogue, much like the aforementioned Behemoth have done in recent years. Expect this band to be putting Europe to the torch over the coming months and making one hell of a name for themselves for here on it, Illuminati is about to go global.
You can get a flavour of what to expect with the video for ‘Spirit Of Beelzebub’ below.
