The Dutch quartet is fronted by the founder guitarist-vocalist Henri Sattler with lead guitarist Dave Meester, bassist Jeroen Pomper and drummer Frank Schilperoort in the lineup. The grand elements in the opening track ‘The Judas Paradox’ employ sinister growls cloaked in darkness. While these brutal standards are widely utilized on several songs, this somehow has improved the composition. The lead guitars are incredibly catchy, adding a lot of atmosphere to the mid-range drums. This is what gives them a very distinctive quality.

The drums unleash powerful blast beats in the next song ‘Rat Kingdom’ and keep the tempo at the full blistering pace. The intensity varies from one track to another. Another highlight of the song is the use of occasional clean vocals that are then carried by relentless riffs and ripping brutality.

With songs like ‘The Hanged Man’ built into a bludgeoning death metal style, the melodies are somehow restrained. Henri Sattler’s raspy vocals are fierce as they sculpt a blackened vibe, and the song features blazing solos.

The ferocity of the guitars and the blasting drums are at the forefront, but the orchestral elements in ‘Black Heart’ then segues into a ferocious sonic assault in ‘Asmodeus’. The tremolos and the blast beats are perfectly mixed and create a bombastic sound leading into a catchy melodic section. This formula is wrought to perfection when they blend the scathing guitar lines with the blackened growls.

The aggressive flare of the Dutch quartet dominates throughout the album with a tempo structure that is fully employed by harmonized lead guitars, thus giving it a unique flavor. Without the use of symphonic orchestration, God Dethroned is known for its hybrid mixture of death metal melodies and tremolos that carefully imbues a tapestry of haunting effects. However, their sound has become similar to Ex-Deo, Amon Amarth, and Malevolent Creation.

While songs like ‘Kashmir Princess’ present a more mid-tempo and darker melodic direction, the song structure is stuffed with slow and evil riffs injecting catchy melodic hooks. The pace of the drums allows for the lead guitars to provide some compelling melodies. The aggressive and brutal pace keeps things more dynamic on ‘Hubris Anorexia’. The riffs are packed with brutal chugs and blackened riffage and the ambient orchestral section in the song is well-placed.

Suffice it to say that ‘The Judas Paradox’ emphasizes aggression and the diversity of the songs serves as a quality of the Dutch veterans. The drumming artillery wields enough power and fills on ‘The Eye of Providence’ which unleashes ravenous fury. The overall performance of the drum ranges from fast blast beats to energetic groove sections.

God Dethroned pushes its pummeling brutality in ‘Hailing Death’. The sinister growls serve as a perfect texture to the sweltering riffs and seamlessly the melodic guitars play a role in creating a dark atmosphere. The modern quality of the riffing provides depth to the music. ‘Broken Bloodlines’ and the closing track ‘War Machine’ combine excellent guitar work showcasing technicalities, guitar patterns and brutality.

Countless tempo changes shift to straightforward drumming and during these moments the dual guitars inject enough ferocity and death metal brutality. This is exactly what you should expect from these veterans on their newest album.

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