Review GOD DETHRONED “The Judas Paradox”

Despite being a rather small country, The Netherlands has a pretty dynamic metal scene with some great death metal bands coming from there. Asphyx and Gorefest are Dutch flagship bands and the same goes for God Dethroned.

The biography of the band is a story of inconsistency, at least when it comes to the line-up, and an on/off status didn’t exactly help either. What has been consistent though is the quality of their releases and there have been quite a few.

After the debut album “The Christhunt” was released in 1992, the band added ten more albums to the rather long list of records and the latest album “The Judas Paradox” is the next musical strike of the Dutch quartet.

“The Judas Paradox” contains eleven songs, of which “Black Heart” is more of a dramatic interlude that prepares the listener for the following song called “Asmodeus”. But let’s start from the beginning.
It is the title track that kicks off the album. It’s a vicious mid-tempo groover with a blackened heart. Henri Sattler’s vicious vocals are very present on the title track, a song that will send shivers down your spine.

The following “Rat Kingdom” is kept shorter than the opulent opener and comes with a great chorus part. After an epic introduction the song develops into a nasty track with a higher tempo and by the time the chorus part of “Rat Kingdom” kicks in it is clear that this song will work great in a live environment.

“The Hanged Man” comes with a bulldozer approach before the aforementioned interlude gives the listener a moment of ease and tension at once.

One great thing about this album is the variety that comes with it. God Dethroned uses different tempos and adds twists to the overall sound, leading to sinister songs like the pounding “Kashmir Princess”. Placing a raging song like “Hubis Anorrexia” right after “Kashmir Princess” shows their approach in a good way. Held together by the grim vibe that runs through the entire release, listeners can be constantly curious as to what comes next. The album is 100% God Dethroned and yet unpredictable in the best meaning of the word.

One of the best songs on the album is called “Hailing Death” because it is the most versatile one. Sattler and his bandmates created a kind of summary, as most of the ingredients of “The Judas Paradox” are tied together into one song.

“The Judas Paradox” is a very strong and ferocious release. It lives up to expectations and is perhaps the band’s most mature album to date. This release shows the wide range of extreme metal that is much more than just a one-dimensional blast. This album spreads its evil spirit and creates a special fascination.