GOD DETHRONED
The World Ablaze
Metal Blade (2017)
Rating: 7.5/10
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The World Ablaze is God Dethroned’s tenth full-length studio album overall, and third and final instalment in a trilogy of records dealing with World War I. Passiondale debuted in 2009, with Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross dropping in 2010, and now, seven years later, they release the aptly titled The World Ablaze. Absent are the notions of romance and jingoism. Instead, the Dutch band explores the brutality that comprised World War I. Topics such as trench warfare, hand to hand combat, as well as the anonymous act of dying on a battlefield where a soldier wasn’t remembered by name, instead, by number of men killed in skirmish.
There’s going to be obvious comparisons to Bolt Thrower with The World Ablaze for a number of reasons. First, there’s the obvious theme of war which Bolt Thrower spoke of extensively in their lyrics. Second, the vocals on this record; singer Henri Sattler’s voice has a deepness and texture to it that explodes with anger and frustration, bringing the imagery of The World Ablaze to life. There’s a genuine inflection to his singing that adds to the realism of the record’s lyrical content. War is ugly, war is treacherous. Those statements are driven home with every guttural note that Sattler belts out.
It’s difficult to think of another record in the God Dethroned discography that finds the band reaching as deep into the creative well as they do here. The World Ablaze is the perfect finale to end this trilogy. Passiondale was the call to arms, Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross was the warning shot over the bow, and The World Ablaze is the band’s musical declaration of war. This is God Dethroned reminding the metal community that they are the best at what they do.
The World Ablaze is quite possibly the best record God Dethroned has released to date. The depth and progression of both music and lyrics throughout this album is a testament to a band that’s been perfecting death metal since the early 90s. The band hasn’t sounded heavier or tighter than they do here, and God Dethroned plays with an inner fire and fury that becomes the soundtrack to apocalypse and destruction; the perfect handshake between heavy and metal.
2017 has been a great year for metal so far with releases by Warbringer (Woe To The Vanquished), Horrid (Beyond The Dark Border), and now God Dethroned. It’s good to see bands such as these taking risks and avoiding cookie cutter music that takes the genre past the point of over saturation and caricature. The World Ablaze is a juggernaut of a record, heavy in both sound and scope. If you haven’t heard it yet, I highly recommend you do.
Theron Moore
