Death Metal Gets "Toxic" in God Dethroned's New Album

Being able to produce consistently better material is a difficult task, no matter what genre of music one produces. When it comes to the heavy metal realm, death metal and black metal most specifically, lack of growth is synonymous with death. Not being able to continually produce songs that not only kick ass, but contain insightful lyrics is a virtual death sentence.

God Dethroned is one of the few death metal bands out there that is able to produce fresh material in a familiar sound that doesn't alienate long-time fans, but is forward-thinking enough to also appeal to fans of bands in outlying genres. Their latest album, "The Toxic Touch" is just as brutal as previous albums such as "Ravenous," but shows musical development outside the typical grinding dual guitars. The use of intricate guitar solos is enough to appeal to just about any hardcore heavy metal fan.

The song "Away From Emptiness" features a more delicate intro, indicating a softer, dare I say "emotionally" driven core to the group. It cuts into a killer guitar solo, rivaling anything put out by soloists of today and certainly the "buzzing bee" soloists of the '80s. By no means is this an '80s influenced album, but the drama and overall epic nature of "Away From Emptiness" makes one wonder how much members of God Dethroned head-banged to bands like Def Leppard.

"Macabre World" expresses lyrics of desperation and a frustration with the darkness of our reality, citing Judas Iscariot as a root of emotional haunting. Combine this with squealing guitars, and it's almost reminiscent of Slayer's "Angel of Death." Come to think of it, most of the solo riffs seem heavily influenced by the early thrash movement.

It's hard to dismiss God Dethroned as another death metal band because of their bravery in incorporating styles almost relegated to other genres. While they're not "just another death metal band," God Dethroned embraces that ethos through and through with lyrics such as: "Typhoid Mary / Bringer of disease. Good riddance of the weak - Typhoid Mary / Everyone's deceased. Angel of disease - Typhoid Mary / Bringer of disease. Typhoid Mary feeds on the weak."

With the incredible musical ability present with "The Toxic Touch," it's a wonder mainstream music media hasn't picked up more on bands such as God Dethroned. But, then again, most mainstream media is based on pop, and it's highly unlikely God Dethroned or any other death metal group will become pop any time soon. It's just too hard for them to bury their heads in the sand.