Looking back while approaching the dusk of 2021, the year has witnessed some awe-inspiring metal releases from both India and overseas. But it’s Hyderabad-based metallers Godless, who have quite recently put out their debut LP ‘States of Chaos’, proving yet again why they’re still considered as the country’s one of the finest metal proponents.
Intense. Consistent. Relentless. These are some of the words that featured on my mind while going through the latest album of Godless. ‘States of Chaos’, the Hyderabad-based quintet’s full-length debut is a death metal treat for both its longtime admirers as well as fans of its modern iteration. Full of pummeling blast and skank beats, decorated by gritty churning riffs in conjunction with Kaushal’s guttural delivery making this whole album full of angst and malice.
As the name already suggests, the album funnels chaos and aggression in a densely packed, controlled set of 9 punishing tracks in a full-gear assault. For example, the album opener ‘Malevolent’ is a fast-paced machine gun-esque start to the album which almost foreshows what to anticipate in the remainder of the record. Similarly, tracks like ‘Netherworld’, ‘Cormorant’, ‘Replicant’ and ‘Orbits of Decay’ exhibit no-nonsensical sheer brute force, with Nidamarthy (Ravi) and Mustafa’s (Moiz) uncompromising riffage evocative of early death metal titans of the likes of Bolt Thrower, Pestilence, and Malevolent Creation.
But to be dead honest with Godless’ credibility, even amidst this chasm of all this, they’ve skillfully maintained their own signature sound with remnants of thrash sprinkled all over the album. Much like their previous releases, ‘Centuries of Decadence’ (2016) and ‘Swarm’ (2018), both of which are equally commendable EPs in their own right, ‘States of Chaos’ presents death metal with a cleaner riff tone, crispier production quality than most of its peers. And this works as an evil charm as it doesn’t compromise at all but only adds to its razor-sharp intensity.
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The band recorded the entire album during the pandemic when two of their members also contracted the Covid virus. Despite all these obstacles, they finished their recording and then sent it to Hertz Studio in Poland, best known for working with Behemoth, Vader, Decapitated, and the like, for mixing and mastering the LP. Lyrically, the upcoming album is based on psychology revolving around trepidation and terror. All of this syncs seamlessly with the overall tonality of the album, as Godless delivers yet another scintillating record that ticks nearly all the boxes.
Listen to ‘States of Chaos’ here: LINK
