got dethroned under the sign of the iron cross

Released: 23 November 2010 Label: Metal Blade

On first appearances it would be easy to just dismiss Under The Sign... as Passiondale Part II as this album not only follows up its illustrious predecessor’s World War I theme but also features clean vocals, albeit only on the album’s title track this time, courtesy of The Wounded’s Marco Van Der Velde amongst the onslaught of blackened death riffs.

After the obligatory intro track the aptly named opening salvo of the album, Storm of Steel, is a breathless opener with new drummer Mike Plicht (of Prostitute Disfigurement fame) blasting away as if his very life depended on it and new guitarist Danny Tunker, also of Prostitute Disfigurement, slotting seamlessly into the second guitarist position. The chorus does slow down slightly to a more headbangable rhythm but that’s the only let up in the first three songs with Firestorm being as aptly named as the preceeding song and The Killing is Faceless continuing the trend with its lightning quick riffs though the latter song boast a surprisingly catchy refrain of “Fight for Your Country! Die for the Glory!” which I can practically guarantee will get stuck in your head long after the album finishes playing.

It’s not until the title track that there’s a chance to catch your breath, not that the song is particularly slow but the epic edge that a lot of the Passiondalematerial had returns here with just a bit more melody mixed in with the sheer speed. As previously mentioned the title track itself features clean vocals and initially I thought they were somewhat out of place and certainly nowhere near as effective as when they were employed in the previous album’s standout song Poison Fog but after a few listens I can’t imagine the song without them now and they form an integral part of not only the song but the album as a whole.

The second part of the album following on from the title track is a little more melodic than the opening three songs with some superb guitar melodies, notably the mid-section of The Red Baron which Iron Maiden would have been proud of in their pomp and the truly epic album closer On Fields of Death & Desolation. That’s not to say there’s any let up in the intensity, the riffs are still utterly chaotic, the blasts devastating and Henri Sattler’s vocals still sound as though he’s been gargling battery acid.

God Dethroned took a risk following up such a well received album as Passiondale by releasing an album with a similar theme and following a similar musical path so quickly and while in truth it never quite matches its predecessor it’s still a damn fine album in its own right and it’s great to hear a band twenty years into their career sounding so vital. Any fan of God Dethroned’s previous works or, indeed, speedy extreme metal in general would be well advised to check Under The Sign of the Iron Cross out.

by Neil Woodfin