HeavyHardMetalmania: God Forbid

God Forbid members (Click to see larger picture)

God Forbid
Genre(s)
Melodic Thrash Metal/Metalcore
Lyrical theme(s)
Inner Struggles, Politics, Life
Origin Formed in Current label Status
United States of America (New Brunswick, New Jersey) 1998 Century Media Active
Current line-up
Byron Davis - Vocals
Doc Coyle - Guitar
John Outcalt - Bass
Corey Pierce - Drums
Matt Wicklund - Guitar (Live) (Himsa, Sol Negro, Warrel Dane)
Former/past member(s)
Dallas Coyle - Guitar (1998-2009) (Trivium)
Kris Norris - Guitar (Live) (Darkest Hour, The Kris Norris Projekt, Disinterment, Locus Factor, Narsilion, Runelore, Fierce Allegiance, Variant Qualities)
Additional notes
God Forbid started off as a metalcore type band but progressively became more of a melodic thrash band in the vein of Nevermore.

Michael Pinnella of Symphony X and Jeff Loomis of Nevermore contributed to the making of the 2004 release of "Gone Forever."

Not to be confused with God Forbid from Ohio.

Discography
Out of Misery EP, 1998
Reject the Sickness Full-length, 2000
Determination Full-length, 2001
Gone Forever Full-length, 2004
Better Days EP, 2004
God Forbid / Manntis / The Haunted Split, 2005
IV: Constitution of Treason Full-length, 2005
To The Fallen Hero Single, 2006
Sickness And Misery Best of/Compilation, 2007
Beneath the Scars of Glory and Progression DVD, 2008
Earthsblood Full-length, 2009

The grandiose musical landscape of the new GOD FORBID album proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this group has paved a new path from the stagnant metalcore scene, and the future looks to be a very bright one. The stunning new effort, Earthsblood, blends together the perfect amount of brutality, melodies and utter catchiness against a wall of sonic excess and pummeling groove-laden riffs. This mighty New Jersey-based quintet have now stretched their musical boundaries to the very limit.

Frontman Byron Davis steps up his game to new heights and delivers his most aggressive and angst-ridden performance yet, while the dynamic guitar tandem composed of Dallas and Doc Coyle shred with precision and tenacity to deliver captivating harmonies that scream to the heavens. The backbone of the band, bassist John Outcalt and drummer Corey Piece, lock in a rhythm section that beats the listener into submission, giving room for the remaining members to show off their remarkable musical prowess.

Earthsblood was produced by Eric Rachel (Atreyu) with Christian Olde Wolbers (Fear Factory, Threat Signal) handling all vocal production and Jens Bogren (Opeth) on mixing duties. This is an entirely new GOD FORBID that have matured beyond their years and are now more focused than ever before. The depth and diversity showcased on this new album is easily going to position them as of one the most innovative bands within the genre.

Doc Coyle further comments on the meaning behind the album: “The title Earthsblood came to me after watching the film ‘There Will Be Blood.' What is the price of ambition? Is the blood of our bodies and the blood of the earth one and the same? With the current energy crisis, and its relation to many of the military conflicts worldwide, there has been a global, collective consciousness that has emerged in regards to the interdependence between humankind and the planet in which we inhabit. Coincidentally, the lyrics that Byron and Dallas had written meshed with these revelations perfectly. This isn't a preachy, trendy, ‘hip to be green' album nor is it a concept album. It's just an abstract observation.” Soon after the group's inception in 1996, The Out of Misery EP and debut full-length Reject The Sickness were released on the small indie label 9 Volt Records, helping GOD FORBID develop an underground and strong regional following. This buzz attracted the attention of Century Media Records, who quickly signed the band. In 2001, the band unleashed Determination – an Americanized form of thrash metal so unrelenting that it brought listeners to their knees. Their undying road dog mentality helped them to expand their devoted fanbase, while the challenge of playing numerous shows with artists ranging from Cradle of Filth and Opeth to Mushroomhead and Thursday forced their live performances to grow stronger and more devastating.

After a tour with Atreyu and a series of shows with Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God on the inaugural Headbangers Ball tour, GOD FORBID emerged from the studio in early 2004 with the blistering, Gone Forever, which put the band on the international map. The critically acclaimed album successfully bridged the gap between thrash, hardcore and traditional metal. They soon embarked on a few dates on a massive Jagermeister-sponsored tour with Slipknot, Fear Factory and Chimaira, leading immediately into a highly successful nationwide U.S. run with Machine Head. However, the group's biggest break would come that summer on Ozzfest, where their highly captivating and energetic performances helped them garner legions of new fans.

IV: Constitution Of Treason, produced by Jason Suecof (Trivium) at Audiohammer Studios and Rachel at Trax East, was a huge step forward for the band in regards to songwriting, as they emphasize developing the melodies and arrangements of each individual track. This was the group's most universally praised offering and they toured the world relentlessly with such major players as Children of Bodom, Meshuggah, Trivium and the legendary Death Angel, among many others. In 2008, GOD FORBID delivered their first ever DVD, Beneath the Scars of Glory and Progression. This package featured a sold-out performance shot with multi camera angles at the Starland Ballroom in the group's hometown, all of their promotional videos and an hour long documentary composed of historical insight, introspection into each member's personalities, and some hysterical social commentary.

In 2009, GOD FORBID are back in black and it won't be long until New Jersey's finest become household names.