GOD FORBID - Gone Forever
February 12, 2004, 20 years ago
(Century Media)
Three years since their incredible Determination album, New Jersey's God Forbid are finally back with a new full-length. First thing one wonders is with the drastic changes in the whole melodic metal/hardcore crossover scene the past few years, how does the band hold up? And their recently released EP had me a bit worried about the answer, but this nine song riff-fest takes care of any worries. Plain and simple, this shit is great; a solid mixture of melodic thrash riffing, hook-filled songs, a good mixture of singing and screaming, and some great drum fills, all brought to life excellently by Eric Rachel's solid production job. I still can't help but feel that this album just ain't as special as the last one, due to context and the surprise attack effect Determination had. But still, man, you want solid, mature, thoughtful tunes that thrash as hard as they 'core (huh?), look no further.
