Reviews list for God Forbid - Gone Forever (2004)

Before I've even heard of this band God Forbid, the only song I knew with the title "Gone Forever" is a song by one of my alt-rock/post-grunge-loving brother's favorite bands Three Days Grace, and when I heard that song when I was much younger, long before I started listening to actual metal, I thought, "Mm, good song." Little did I know, over 5 years later, I would be listening to another song and album titled by "Gone Forever" that I think it's way better!

First off, that cover artwork by the legendary Travis Smith is really impressive, showing an eagle in apocalyptic background ruins. 3 years after the melodeath-metalcore Determination, God Forbid came back with their third album Gone Forever with a higher style range of classic thrash influences added to their hardcore.

"Force-Fed" opens the album with thrashy melodeath riffs until the destructive screaming from vocalist Byron Davis comes in. This track shows God Forbid's melodic sense inspired by Killswitch Engage, while the heavier mosh-like parts with more of Byron's screaming really kicks a**. There's also some hymn-like clean singing. And in the end, there's a true heavy metal guitar solo! The second track "Antihero" is one of my favorite songs from this band. Melodic guitar leads cuts through my eardrums to the point of breaking them until it makes way for shattering mid-tempo moshing riffs with sweet angry vocals. Then it's back to the Arch Enemy-like melodeath/thrash mayhem! The clean singing is more prominent in the chorus of "Better Days", taken from its eponymous EP released a year earlier. That song has such an upbeat riff.

"Precious Lie" also has a somber clean chorus surrounding heavier verses, but that makes the song a little too predictable. At least the short solo is nicely unique. "Washed-Our-World" has more predictable clean vocals, but once again there's good riffs and a well-done solo. That song can be a bit draggy due to its length, but it still has some good stuff. "Living Nightmare" starts with a Trivium-like opening riff. The song goes on decently until an awful breakdown at the end of the second third of the song which gets wiped away by awesome solos and an amazing melodic thrash ending.

"Soul Engraved" is a killer song with catchy riffs. What really helps it stand out is the clean chorus by guest member Thomas Cummings, later known as Bad Wolves vocalist Tommy Vext, and Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis performing an awesome shredding solo which unfortunately fades out when it's still great. The title track is another awesome song with a good soloing. "Judge The Blood" has a great piano intro, good riffs, melodic solos, clean vocals, and invading breakdowns, all in a decent dish.

HOLY COW!! What an outstanding album! Gone Forever is an aggressive mix of thrash, melodeath, and hardcore you just gotta get. And it's a nice pump-up before the even better IV: Constitution of Treason. GO GET IT!

Favorites: "Antihero", "Better Days", "Living Nightmare", "Soul Engraved", "Gone Forever"