There’s great buzz around a new Volbeat record… Because no one is quite sure what they will do next.
For the uninitiated: Volbeat began 20+ years ago as a metal band that successfully fused 1950’s rockabilly aesthetics with powerful riff-based songwriting. Since then, they’ve managed to blend and fold genre conventions with such fluency that no-one else sounds quite like them. They are fronted by vocalist/guitarist Michael Paulson who has a background (and side-project) in death metal, but Volbeat is a unique beast. They can easily be counted among the most versatile acts in modern heavy music.
However, for God of Angels Trust, Volbeat deliberately leaned into the heavier aspects of their music. The idea was to turn back the clock and have some good old-fashioned fun without getting too elaborate with arrangements or producing a bloated product. There are 10 tracks instead of the usual 15+ this time, and the adage of ‘quality over quantity’ rings true.
In an effort to capture the energy and urgency of their younger selves, the band spent only 13 days in the studio to create this album. This becomes apparent very quickly when “Devils Are Awake” kicks things off. All the influences are on display here – there are huge Black Sabbath-style riffs and the precision of early-90s Bay Area thrash. But this is just the start.
“You can say that what we’re doing with this record is pretty much going full circle…” – Vocalist/Guitarist Michael Paulson
The lead single “By a Monster’s Hand” encapsulates the tone of the album. Big stadium-rock guitar gallops and a couple of soaring chorus hooks ring out before everything suddenly speeds up for a bridge that sounds like something from Sodom’s “Agent Orange”. Volbeat are writing the music that made them want to play music in the first place, and the execution is spot-on.
While there are a couple of softer moments, the God of Angels Trust is more focused on the darker, faster and heavier aspects. The band also managed to sneak in a surf-rock snare drum pattern into the otherwise thrash-forward “Better Be Fueled Than Tamed”. It’s these sleek and inventive touches that sets Volbeat apart from their contemporaries. They still have a great knack for fresh ideas and the experience to tie it all together coherently.
Guitars are soaked in distortion for most of the album, but effects are used to brighten up some sections, and there are some absolutely ripping solos to be found. Paulson’s vocal delivery is exceptionally warm and powerful. Not only does he have the ability to elevate a song just like the rock ‘n’ roll icons of decades gone, but he does it consistently in a genre-nebulous musical context.
God of Angels Trust is the product of a band at the top of their game, writing music they love. The album feels very organic and lively. While it’s not quite as diverse as some of their previous releases, hearing Volbeat lock into a particularly groove-heavy metal sound is not to be missed.
Recommended tracks:
– By A Monster’s Hand
– In The Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan’s Son In A Dying World Of Doom
– Lonely Fields
Volbeat: Facebook
Release Year: 2025
Label: Vertigo/Republic/Universal
Category: Album
Country: Denmark
Reviewed by Snare
