. . . we have a new song from God Forbid. It’s really not all that new, because if you had been paying attention, you would have noticed that the Victory Records Labor Day sampler we spot-lighted on Labor Day included a demo track from God Forbid’s next album, which happens to be this same song. I don’t exactly blame you for overlooking this, because the sampler was a very mixed bag, and I’m well aware that many readers of this site run for the hills at the mention of Victory Records.
Now, here’s where I get brutally honest, which of course is the only kind of honest we know how to be here at NCS, at least when we choose to be honest, which is always an elective, not a mandatory, in our course catalogue: I didn’t listen to that God Forbid song when the Victory Records sampler first came out, even though I wrote about the sampler. I didn’t even listen to it when other metal blogs said it was the main reason to load-down the sampler. In fact, I didn’t listen to it until yesterday, when the band plugged that song onto their Facebook page.
But I’ve heard it now, and it reminded me of a few things: It reminded me that metalcore played a big role in reviving and broadening interest in metal in the U.S., and it reminded me why. By combining elements of hardcore, thrash, and Scandinavian style melodeath riffage, metalcore introduced legions of new fans to music that was both heavy and melodic, aggressive and yet catchy and memorable. It reminded me how much I used to like metalcore before it became saturated with jillions of generic copycat acts. And it reminded me that I still get something out of the music when it’s done right.
God Forbid, of course, is no copycat. With a particularly thrash-heavy attack, they helped lay the foundations for the genre. The new song — “Where We Come From” — is nothing ground-breaking, of course. But it’s God Forbid in their own groove, and it sounds just fine to me. It’s been two years since the band’s last album came out, but they’re promising a new one by 2012. You can listen to the new song after the jump . . .
7 Responses to “AND IN CASE YOU FORGOT WHY METALCORE WAS/IS STILL WORTH A SHIT…”
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Hell Yeah! God Forbid is truly my favorite metal band. I downloaded the sampler the moment I heard about it specifically for the new God Forbid track (in fact I haven’t listened to any other song in the damned thing.)
I always disliked the fact that God Forbid is labelled as metalcore because nowadays the term is so misleading; it lumps em in with kids shit like suicide scilence or bring me the horizon and it disuades people who haven’t heard them from giving them a chance. Besides, based on the “hardcore, thrash, and Scandinavian style melodeath riffage” influences, the term Metalcore really doesnt describe the style effectively.
Oh, and its not my intent to hate those other bands I mentioned. But they straight up for children. There’s absolutley nothing wrong with that though; they getting that money and making the kids mosh. Livin the dream. But Im a grown ass man, and I prefer music by other grown peope talking about grown problems using technical and lyrical maturiy. In my eyes, no other modern metal band encompases that idea more than God Forbid.
I know what you mean about lumping God Forbid along with 10,000 other bands under the label “metalcore”. I felt odd doing it in the post. I am definitely looking forward to their 2012 release. Been WAY too long . . .
God Forbid has always been one of the kings. This song makes me pretty pumped.
Fuck these scensters!!!! They’re just a bunch of newbies bandwagon jumping onto the latest trend!!!
In 1996.
😛
Seriously though, this is the first time I think I’ve listened to God Forbid. Totally not bad at all. Not something I think I’d put on heavy rotation, but I do like it.
Just a question though: was this song recorded with or without the guy who quit? Because that guy’s column on MetalSucks really bugs me. But not nearly as much as the column by the guy from Cynic.
Nah, it’s with the new guitarist Matt Wicklund who used to be in Himsa. There older material was naturally hard as fuck, though Dallas (the guy who left) did a lot of the clean singing on the last two records so I was curious to hear what they would do with out him. Seems like his brother Doc is doing a good job with the melody but from all indications it seems like there keeping it simple.
Thats another thing that I love about this band. When they do the clean singing stuff you can tell its a brother, not some whiny ass emo white boy. (…sorry if that sounds mean, but ive elbowed one two many skinny white scene kids in the pit so Im naturally biased…..you guys are cool though…)
No worries, I kinda hate whiny ass emo white boys. And by “kinda”, I mean alot.
By “brother”, I thought you meant his brother (like they’re siblings), the first time I read it, so I was kinda confused at first. Then, I was like, “Oh, I’m a goddamn idiot.” So, ummm…yah… I didn’t realize their new guitarist was from Himsa… I saw Himsa YEAAAAAAAARS ago with…oh, this is gonna be embarassing…Cradle of Filth. They had a solid set, from what I remember. (I do remember overhearing the singer from Himsa bitching about CoF being assholes and having a two hour set while everyone else only got 30 minutes. Which I found both humorous, legitimate, and probably not the best thing to say in front of
an audience member.)
I think I’d like God Forbids newer stuff though, if there’s a distinct lack of clean singing. Though now that I know they don’t sound like whiny emo kids (like so much metalcore), I might check out their older stuff as well.
Himsa fucking ruled. I miss that band, but it’s cool to see Matt Wicklund hooking up with God Forbid.