(Death Metal / Black Metal / Thrash Metal) God Dethroned - Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross - 2010, APE (image+.cue+scans) lossless

"Under the Sign of the Iron Cross is the second concept album about World War One. The idea of doing concept albums is an old idea for which I somehow couldn't find the right topics until a young lad named Isaac Delahaye joined our band in 2004. He happened to live in a town called Ypres in Belgium and this town once was one of the centers of war activities in World War One. Being confronted with its history and being a history freak at the same time, it all became clear to me, this was the concept I was going to use for one of our albums. "Passiondale" turned out to be quite a success and my concept was picked up and appreciated by a lot of people. I felt I had to tell more about this war. It's such an unknown event to may people yet it had a major impact on life as we know it now.
Under the Sign of the Iron Cross tells about different happenings of the war; the battle of Verdun, the Schlieffen Plan and one of histories most well known fighter pilots, The Red Baron. Musically this album can again be classified a soundtrack to a war movie, but this time around the music is even more grim than on "Passiondale", but also includes some over the top hymnic and bombastic tunes that will stick in your brain forever." - Henri Sattler
GOD DETHRONED was formed by main man Henri Sattler in 1990. After one demo they released their debut album 'The Christhunt' in 1992 on a tiny German label. Due to problems with the other band members and the record company, Henri decided to split the band. He then formed Ministry Of Terror, a Thrash Metal band, and released the 'Fall Of Life' album with them in 1994. After a European tour Henri left the band and re-formed GOD DETHRONED. With new band members and better songs in his back, Henri and the new GOD DETHRONED recorded 'The Grand Grimoire' and inked a deal with Metal Blade. Many successful tours followed in Europe, the U.S. and Japan with great Death and Black Metal acts like Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Immortal and Marduk, just to name a few.
In the meantime most of the renowned festivals were played: Dynamo Open Air, Wacken, Graspop and Summer Breeze. However, not everything went smooth. Drummer Roel Sanders left the band after the US tour promoting 'Bloody Blasphemy'. Nile's Tony Laureano played on the 'Ravenous' album, but couldn't stay for obvious reasons. Janne from The Crown played on the tour and finally new drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek came in, whose first recording experience with the band was 'Into the Lungs of Hell'. This album was received very well by the press around the globe and again the band toured around Europe and played more festivals like Party San and Summer Breeze.
The time following the release of 'Into the Lungs of Hell' was one of the most difficult periods in the band's history. The band had been together so long that the individual band members had developed new views on life and the band. Somehow the challenge was gone. At a certain point Beef and Jens decided to leave. The remaining band members Henri and Arien wrote a new album, 'The Lair of the White Worm', based on a novel by Bram Stoker. New band members Isaac Delahaye and Henk Zinger joined the band right before the recordings. After the release the band played numerous shows and festivals like the Summer Breeze and With Full Force, headlining tours in Europe and the U.S. as well as support slots for bands such as The Haunted and Bolt Thrower.
In between tours the band worked on a new album and went straight into the studio after the European tour with Bolt Thrower. Two months later 'The Toxic Touch' was completed. After the release of the album the band toured Europe as main support for Vader. Then the band played a number of festivals like Earthshaker and New England Metal & Hardcore fest a.o. and a number of headliner shows across Europe. 'Passiondale' was released after a couple of relatively quite years for the band. The band saw the return of Roel Sanders on drums who also played on previous albums 'The Grand Grimoire' and 'Bloody Blasphemy'. After the recordings guitar player Susan Gerl was added to the band. A tour on the Balkans was set up and based around the historic fact that Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.
The band played the same city on the same date exactly 95 years later. Then a massive touring schedule followed which led the band to South America for the first time in its career, followed by a U.S. and Canadian headliner tour, a European tour and then another U.S. and Canadian tour supporting Overkill. The line-up didn't hold through all the tours and Roel was replaced by Michiel vd Plicht on drums and Susan was replaced by Ian Jekelis on session guitars until the band found a permanent replacement in Danny Tunker.
Being happy about the quality and professionalism of Joerg Uken and his Soundlodge Studio, the band went there for the third time to record Under the Sign of the Iron Cross during the summer of 2010. The album turned out to be one of our most extreme records to date, but nevertheless has the typical God Dethroned trademark of catchy riffs and melodies at the same time.

Тем, кто уже читал мою полную восторга рецензию на предыдущий релиз "Passiondale", пожалуй, достаточно будет лишь взглянуть на оценку, и все станет понятно. Степень восторга от свежайшего творения голландских сталеваров будет абсолютно той же, равно как и все те фишки, от которых в этот восторг и приходишь при прослушивании "Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross". Военно-историческая тематика оказалась по зубам God Dethroned и отлично подошла к их зубодробительной смеси дэта и блэка, украшенной отличными мелодиями. На сей раз парни добавили жару – на альбоме доминируют скоростные композиции, переполненные гитарным жужжанием под лихие бласты, однако степень пафосности мелодий осталась на прежнем уровне (ну куда ж без этого – война ведь). Мелодии в основной своей массе пусть и банальны, но они настолько приятны и ненавязчивы, настолько идеально ложатся и на риффы, и на слух, что запомнить основные темы релиза не составит никакого труда после первого же прослушивания. И как в старые добрые времена, есть пара продолжительных эпических композиций: одноименная "Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross" с вкраплениями чистого вокала и масштабная "On Fields Of Death & Desolation", в которой слушатель найдет и грусть-печаль, и лихую круговерть активных боевых действий. Ну что еще добавить? Смело приобретаем релиз и радуемся – God Dethroned воистину родились заново!
I never got around to reviewing Passiondale in the end. It was comfortably inside my top 5 albums of last year, and before it has even left my regular playlist or the front of my mind the followup is out and looks to attain almost the same glorious placement by December.
God Dethroned stick with the WWI theme that drove the 2009 opus, and it seems to be the thing that's behind their unprecedented acceleration into a top contender for the position of most exciting black/ death metal group on the market. The blasting drums and raging twin guitar frenzy perfectly paint the harrowing, quickly turning battles the lyrics describe. Henri Sattler's recent preoccupation with these grim subjects has encouraged him to create the only songs merciless enough to put the listener in the path of these battles - fast, unrelenting, anthemic extreme metal.
With that in mind this will be one of those occasional reviews where the lyrics seriously impact my impression of a black/ death metal record."Fight for your country - die for the glory" spits Sattler on the grimly entitled 'The Killing is Faceless'. While the killing might be impersonal, the lyrics insist that the soldiers themselves are not faceless, and that in their deaths they attained a moment of glory beyond the agenda of the rulers and politicans who put them in trenches and on blood-sodden fields. This is part of the ideological appeal of God Dethroned for me. While Hail of Bullets are heavy artillery and Marduk are a self-proclaimed panzer division, these guys are more like a band of veteran squaddies. Translating that into war metal terms gives you mostly short, intense songs with little room for breathers.
It gets going even faster than Passiondale. Violent headbanging commences as soon as the intro leads into 'Storm of Steel'. The riffs are sharp as fire-hardened spears, the drums are tighter than the British coalition government's public spending budget, and Henri Sattler ignites it all in vocal ruin and flame. The bulk of the brief album plays like a furious blend of Immortal and Vader. The band's previous outings seem distilled and fortified here: it accelerates the more melodic and expansive aesthetic of The Lair of the White Worm - a LOT - and gives the blackened death metal of Bloody Blasphemy the solid production carapace of that album.
The album barely lets up at all throughout the vicious first eight tracks, breaking only for some well-written guitar solos and a single clean vocal appearance on the title track. The latter goes for more of an 'epic' feel in keeping with the previous album, and I do wish that the soaring clean vocals had been used more often, seeing as they worked so well during last year's campaign. The closer is a 7:30 piece, more propulsive drumming and fierce riffs coupled with slower breaks; some martial and some melodic. Playing out mournfully the track allows for all the reflectiveness the preceding seven didn't make time for, and although it's fairly conventionally structured it makes for a grand closer.
Under the Sign of the Iron Cross is truly angry and unstoppable, maintaining hysterical paces and technically amazing musicianship throughout - without stopping off to let you actually notice much beyond the relentless onslaught of neck-snapping black/ death metal. It's minimalist and very focused. It's far more straightforward, it doesn't evolve the sound the band is going for but rather concentrates it. Credit to them for not repeating their formula here.
In terms of riff composition and instrumental execution it's perfect, the only very minor complaint being that there are a few less standout moments that floor me. But very few bands have recorded two albums as good as Passiondale within two years. This is still top notch stuff and probably an equal second best with Bloody Blasphemy. I'd recommend it among the top ten of the year and consider it mandatory listening.
Review written by joncheetham88 for www.baileysmmcreamy.blogspot.com
God Dethroned‘s last album, Passiondale, was an amazing concept album. The stories as told through the album were very clear and painted a very vivid picture. Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross is no different in that retrospect. This time around the theme of the concept is again World War 1.
Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross seems to fly by. While extremely heavy, Henri Sattler and company lay down the melody pretty thick. The song titles say it all. Storm Of Steel, Red Baron, Chaos Reigns At Dawn, On Fields Of Death And Desolation, these song titles ooze of War themes. The music and composition build off of it. At times, God Dethroned still show their black metal styling.
Some of the stand out tracks are Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross, Red Baron and the 7+ minute On Fields Of Death And Desolation. Under The Sign’ is a very catchy tune with a clean sung part in the middle that really gives it a nice hook. Red Baron is obviously a song about the legendary Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the Red Baron, the famed German fighter pilot. On Fields’ pummels you one minute and winds you back down the next.
Pros: Everything about this album is solid.
Cons: None that I can find besides that it feels too short.
On guitars this time around Henri Sattler employed the services of Danny Tunker (Prostitute Disfigurement, Detonation), who is replacing Susan Gerl as the permanent lead guitar player. He does a fantastic job along side Henri’s rhythm work. Henk Zinger’s Bass work doesn’t really stand out, but it does the job of filling the bottom end. This isn’t one of those albums that exactly showcases technicality. Michiel Van Der Plicht’s does superbly behind the kit, hammering out blast-beats like a machine. Henri still does his thing on the vocals, sounding very brutal yet very audible as usual. Lyrically the album is obviously well written. The album is a simple concept to understand with easily understandable vocals and lyrics.
Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross is a great follow up to 2009′s Passiondale, continuing a cool concept while being very informative and intelligent. You can’t learn about WW1 by listening to hip hop or country, but metal can often be an educating experience. God Dethroned step it up a bit from Passiondale and I’m eager to see what they come up with next, but I’m not trying to rush them. That’s how tragedies like St. Anger happen. Under the Sign Of The Iron Cross earns an easy 9/10.
Look for Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross on November 23rd on Metal Blade Records.
http://hookinmouth.net/index/2010/11/review-god-dethroned-sign-iron-cross/

Henri "T.S.K." Sattler – vocals and lead guitars
Henk "Henke" Zinger – bass
Michiel "Mike" vd Plicht – drums
Danny Tunker – guitars