GOD FORBID: Not Djent Yet

Guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle of New Brunswick, New Jersey's melodic, thrash-metal warriors GOD FORBID has responded to online criticism that his band has "gone djent" on its new album, "Equilbrium", after the CD's first single, "Don't Tell Me What To Dream", was made available as an online stream last week.

Djent is a heavy metal music subgenre that emerged as a spin-off from progressive metal. Coined by Swedish experimental extreme metallers MESHUGGAH in the early 2000s, the term was popularized through the Internet by the American band PERIPHERY, specifically guitarist Misha Mansoor.

The word "djent" is an onomatopoeia for the distinctive high-gain, distorted palm-muted guitar sound employed by MESHUGGAH. Typically, the word is used to refer to music that makes use of this sound, to the sound itself, or to the scene that revolves around it.

In a series of messages on his Twitter profile, Coyle said, "I'm gonna rant for a minute so bear with me. I think it's hilarious some people think GOD FORBID went 'djent' on the new album, and that we are trying to cash in on a new style of music. Here's why this isn't true 1.) We aren't that smart. 2.) We actually do a little thing called writing different kinds of songs. Did you know bands could could do that? Have a ballad and a thrasher on the same album? Not have a formula. So for the cheap seats, the new GOD FORBID album is quite diverse. Please don't make your mind up yet. For your information, we started using seven-strings on our last album, 'Earthsblood'. And 'Don't Tell Me What To Dream' was inspired by a song my brother wrote called 'Bat The Angels', which has a doomy section at the end which is tuned to G. I never even thought of djent, but I love a lot of those bands. Just hate when people try to head shrink your songwriting. Sometimes something is just groovy and heavy. No need for labels. Last I looked, GOD FORBID has been that for years. . . I bet if A LIFE ONCE LOST came out today, they would be called a derivative djent band, but they were way ahead of the curve. Get no credit. If every staccato palm mute chunky part that's tuned low is now considered djent, I fucking quit. Can't own stuff after the fact. I don't mind if people call it djent. Just don't say we're plotting some scheme to stay relevant. Ala 'Diabolus In Musica' SLAYER."

"Equilibrium" will be released on March 27 via Victory Records. The bulk of the CD was recorded by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM),with Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER) stepping in during the the vocal-tracking stage. The effort was mixed by acclaimed Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with such acts as KATATONIA, OPETH, PARADISE LOST and AMON AMARTH.

The official release/listening party for "Equilibrium" will be held on Friday, March 16 at Duff's Brooklyn in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The address is:

Duff's Brooklyn
168 Marcy Avenue (between S 5th & Broadway)
Williamsburg, New York

For more information, visit www.duffsbrooklyn.com.

"With the new album, we focused on writing tight, hooky metal songs," commented Doc Coyle on the creative process for "Equilibrium", "There are some really fast, super heavy, groovy songs – some of the catchiest, most melodic songs we've ever written. We wanted a modern, but organic-sounding album that was tight but still captured the intensity of the band. The album sounds huge!"

Coyle went on to speak about the overall theme of the album, "The title of the album says it all — it's about finding your way when you're lost. The lyrics come from a very personal, very real place. The recurring lyrical theme is about the everyday struggles of life and what it takes to persevere and follow your dreams."

GOD FORBID's solidified line-up, newly managed under World Entertainment's Alexander Ford and Gunter Ford, includes lead vocalist Byron Davis, guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle, bassist John "Beeker" Outcalt, Corey Pierce on drums and newest member Matt Wicklund on guitar.

"Don't Tell Me What To Dream" (new song) audio stream: