Anthony Morgan at Metal Forces Magazine recently caught up with GOD FORBID frontman Byron Davis to discuss the band's new album, Equilibrium. An excerpt is available below:

Davis: “We just tried to keep things moving forward. The whole idea of the band just kept growing. It’s an extension of where we left off with Earthsblood, keeping it melodic, thrashy, groovy, with singing parts, with heavy parts, and intense with something to say. It’s just a growth between individuals, and the unit as a whole.

“Since the last album we got a new rhythm guitar player, Matt Wicklund. Matt was very enthusiastic about being in a new project, playing with us, writing music, and wanting to continue doing music. He wrote half of the material for the record. He brought excitement and youth… I guess not youth, but he brought back the feeling of why we started doing music in the beginning. He brought a more at peace vibe than what the vibe had later became, a vibe of having fun, enjoying each other’s company, and playing live music together again.

“The atmosphere recording Equilibrium was really laid-back, man. Every time you record a record it’s a different vibe when you go in there, and fortunately for me each vibe when it comes to recording has gotten better. I was very comfortable in the studio working with the people I was working with; there wasn’t really any negativity growing in the studio this time, as opposed to previous times where it would turn into arguments over certain things while we were recording. That didn’t happen this time around, It was like a new day, a new vibe. A renewal of remembering why we do it, and loving why we’re there.

“Matt writes like Doc (Coyle) writes, and they both share the same types of influences. Matt writes a lot of catchy riffs, and knows how to assemble them in a manner that makes it possible for people to hear and understand so to speak. I just feel that the music that Matt wrote was progressive in the sense that it was forward thinking. He wrote some really great songs as well as Doc. He loves to write music, so he brought that passion to the table when he came and joined the band. Some of the stuff that he wrote you might think Doc wrote, but Tricky actually wrote them. That’s what I call Matt: I call Matt Tricky. He’s just infused with us though if you will. It’s like an updated version of God Forbid, version 2.0 so to speak.

“The album is amazing; I really can’t say enough about this album because the album is by far the best album we’ve written to date. We say that with every record, but it’s always true. We always try to one-up ourselves, and we’re fortunate enough to be able to do that. I’m very proud of this record and the people involved in the making of this record. I also look forward to getting out and playing songs off of this record, having people hear it, and seeing what they think.”

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God Forbid recently posted their new video, 'Where We Come From', featuring live footage filmed in Clifton, NJ at Dingbatz. Guitarist Matt Wicklund comments on the clip:

"'Where We Come From' is a really cool video for us because it gives an honest glimpse into a real day in the life of all of us and takes you through the entire journey from the daily grind to doing what we love on stage!"

Guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle says of the concept, “The idea really came from me thinking about the recurring lyrical themes of the album, and wanting to find a way to tap into that truth.” He goes on to say, “Pretending that we are rich rock stars who drink champagne and fly on private jets would not be effective. This isn't a revelation, but I wanted to show the whole picture, and that it's nothing to be ashamed of. We work, we jam, we hang out, we have fun together, and the payoff is we get to play amazing shows in front of amazing fans and engage with them on a very personal level.”

Drummer Corey Pierce added, “The fact that we are normal guys who do what we need to do in order to go out, play shows and make music, is literally 'Where We Come From'.”

The video was directed by Eric Richter in three different states within 48 hours documenting the everyday life of God Forbid.

Catch God Forbid on tour across the US this spring with OVERKILL, supporting will be DIAMOND PLATE and SUDIKARA. See the full list of dates below:

April

20 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero Theater
21 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
22 - Syracuse, NY - Lost Horizon
23 - Columbus, OH - Screamin WIllie's
24 - Detroit, MI - Blondie's
25 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
26 - Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club
27 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
28 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
30 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon

May

1 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
2 - San Francisco, CA - The Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center
3 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia
5 - Austin, TX - Emo's East
6 - Dallas, TX - Trees
8 - Orlando, FL - The Club at Firestone
9 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
10 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
11 - West Springfield, VA - Jaxx Nightclub
12 - New York, NY - Best Buy Theater