God Dethroned - The Toxic Touch
In terms of melody-to-brutality ratio, Dutch death metallers God Dethroned always struck me as kind of like Arch Enemy without the charisma. Their back catalogue was well-played and enjoyable enough, but nothing ever really grabbed me. However, The Toxic Touch
The press for this album makes much out of the fact it hardly has any blastbeats. By no means has the band let up, though. In fact, the songs are heavier than ever. By slowing down a touch and rotating through thrashy and midpaced grooves, the songs breathe nicely. A short, moody instrumental in the middle also helps break things up. Thus, the album hits hard yet never gets tedious or tiring. Most importantly, the riffs rule. They’re melodic and catchy, giving each song a distinct identity. The vocals still don’t do much for me, but the riffs are so strong, I don’t care.
2014
The Day You Died
This album has very Andy Sneap-like production (heavy, clear, compressed). For better or for worse, this sound is taking over metal, but it’s perfect for this material. Sealing the deal is the most beautiful album cover I’ve seen in ages. This album is a big step up for the band; you can pick it up
