• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

After "Into The Lungs Of Hell" I was more or less of the opinion that God Dethroned had shot their wad, and I was sure this new album was going to suck balls, but I am pleasantly surprised that "Lair Of The White Worm" is both better than their last album, and better than I expected it to be.

Now GD have long since jettisoned any Black Metal trappings and are firmly in the Death Metal camp, where they have really been ever since the superlative "Ravenous". While "Lungs Of Hell" was a step way back, this one gets some of that old GD magic back. After a killer opener in "Nihilism" they kick out another cool tune with the oddly-named "Arch Enemy Spain". "Sigma Enigma" has an enormously retarded chorus that really gets on my nerves, but the title cut more than makes up for it with a wall of seething fury like this band has not produced in years. "Rusty Nails" is a departure for this band, being a slower, more melodic song with some impressive guitar work. There is still a bit of Gothenburg creeping in here and there, but overall this CD is much more angry and fierce than its often weepy predecessor.

So "Lair Of The White Worm" is a huge relief, as I was afraid this band was heading for an N'FLAMEZ-sized sellout. But instead they have pulled back from the edge and produced a worthy follow-up to "Ravenous". It sounds like God Dethroned have the bit back between their teeth and their aggression sounds real again rather than fake. No one is happier than me to be able to say that God Dethroned have not given up the ghost quite yet.