Godless Truth – Godless Truth
Release Date: 4th March 2022
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Technical Death Metal
FFO: Decapitated, Pyscroptic, Aborted, Death, Obscura.
Review By: Rick Farley
It’s been several years since we’ve had a new full length from Czech Republic’s Godless Truth. For anyone that’s new to the band, they’re a Technical Death Metal band that’s been around since the early 90’s. They’ve had a few hiatuses in their career, and at one point they were even a completely different line-up. Although their albums vary in style to some degree, they are very much in the vein of Death and other similar old school style bands of that time. Godless Truth are deeply embedded in a sound that they helped create, but with a more modern approach to songwriting and recording. They like their Death Metal extremely technical, infectious and a little bit proggy. First and foremost, the musicianship on this album is fantastic. Each member skilfully crafts their mark in these intelligently written, raging and complex chunks of savagery. Although this is a mix of modern and old school, this does not sound like the typical Tech band of today. It’s more focused on memorable hooks than being technical just because. Fleshed out riffs with infectious melodies are the driving force behind these tunes. This is five gifted musicians re-establishing themselves in a scene that often forgets about its roots.
I must comment on the short runtime. It’s become a bit of a sore spot for me, with more bands releasing shorter records nowadays. At a runtime of just thirty-three minutes. Ten songs, two of which are short instrumentals, it’s kind of a drag to have it end so fast. Is the general attention span of the public really that bad? I know not everyone feels this way, but I’m always going to mention it.
Moving on to the good stuff, Godless Truth rips through like a sharpened blade. These songs are tight and surgically concise. Battering like a club with blasting and snappy machine gun double bass, fast and precise razor-sharp riffs. Vicious lows and high-pitched screams spitting out furiously over the brutal grooves and fast tempos. Byzantine style riffing cranks up the intensity tenfold. Aside from two oddly placed interludes that stop the momentum, this little beast is truly relentless. Pummelling at every turn, it keeps a frantic pace that just keeps punching. The drums are emphasized in the mix, which lets the record smack harder. They’re not reinventing the wheel here, but it’s a satisfying shot of ruthlessness firmly planted in the 90’s mixed with some newer vibes more akin to today’s Tech Death.
A few tracks here will be extremely pleasing to most Death fans, as the melodies, song structures and vocals are very reminiscent. Parts of Scissors, Breath Fire and Fortune Time sounds like it could have been on Human or Symbolic. And I’m perfectly OK with this, simply because the earliest days of Tech Death for me are the most satisfying and truly legendary, and at least Godless Truth was around then. Seriously, the songs are fucking killer and those bits and pieces of Death homage bring back fond memories. Extremely well written and dripping in old school goodness, one of these three songs could easily be my favourite.
Brutal and technical but also aware of melody and being memorable with catchy songs, Godless Truth are just on the cusp of those glory days mixed effortlessly with the modern, proving once again that the veteran guys can often do it better. The Eyechain stomps and blasts its way through seething thrashy riffs and blackened tremolo picking to catchy grooves hitting all the headbanging spots. Rip Cage has some more modern tech sound with a kick-ass patterned syncopated fast riff over a cool keyboard melody. Guttural lows moving in a fast pattern overtop this section give this an otherworldly atmosphere. Album closer Wake up to Obey brings the furiously fast chaotic riffs, sweep picking leads and blasting drums, culminating in the albums most ferocious track. The vocals go from brutal growls to high-pitched blackened screams, matching the intensity of the music.
In the end, Godless Truth puts out a refreshing take on a saturated genre. This self-titled release should be at the forefront of doing old school and modern the right way. This album is mesmerizing and catchy with killer solos, chaotic riffing, insanely fast drumming, sick ass growls and screams that are packed into memorable well written songs. Can’t ask for much more. Horns up! 
(4 / 5)
