REVIEW: Vomit Forth – Terrified of God [2024]

Artist: Vomit Forth
Album: Terrified of God

It’s that time of year where dark, gloomy and grotesque things get their fifteen minutes in the limelight. Bookended with Summer on one end and the impending onslaught of Christmas Carols and holiday celebrations in the winter months to come, October is a special time of year where those thematically darker things get their time to shine. Not that Vomit Forth needed an excuse—but it does make the release of their sophomore full length record Terrified of God that much more striking. A colossal and grisly slab of dissonant and pulverizing death metal with a flair for hardcore, Terrified of God is every bit the grime-soaked testament to putridity and horror the name might suggest. Riddled with ruthless riffs and salvos of chugs and crushing percussion that stomps the listener into a six foot ditch without second thought.

Terrified of God stands tall as Vomit Forth’s second full length release, building on the intensity and chaos cast forth by Seething Malevolence. It would be misleading to call Terrified of God more refined—even if, at its core, it is—simply because that wouldn’t paint an accurate picture of how insanely unsettling and primal Terrified of God is. Vomit Forth take the raw, abrasive and -core tinted death metal from their debut and amplify the elements that made it a unique and aggressive listen. Songs like “Victim Impact Statement” see the band unleash break-neck percussion as a foundation for scathing riffs that devolve into an primal, immolating fury. Other songs—like the lead single “Blood Soaked Death Dream”—stride the line between furiously-fretted, riff-heavy brutality and groovy, catchier elements, guiding the listener through intensity and intelligently crafted, razor-sharp metal all in one song. Terrified of God, while a brief listen, covers a great many bases within the metal sphere in large part due to the dynamism abundant in Vomit Forth’s musicianship. “Blood Lead Index” and “Non Responsive” are ass-beaters through and through, crafted to bring out the listener’s inner spin-kicking, stage-diving adolescent mosh warrior. Other songs, like “Rotting Wool,” while still violent, play more to the band’s metallic roots, giving the listener variety while still being a dark and thoroughly horrifying experience.

In crafting Terrified of God, frontman Kane Gelaznik speaks of creating a record that taps into the innate fear of death and the unknown thereafter that exists at one point in every living being’s mind. He—and the rest of Vomit Forth—create that atmosphere flawlessly on Terrified of God. Every song concludes feeling like a breath-drawing cliffhanger leading the listener into the next carnival of horror, with Gelaznik’s voice as, arguably, the biggest single draw. Gelaznik dominates with a ruthless yell that dives into a gritty guttural bellow or sharp shriek without warning, covering just about any range the listener could reasonably want or expect. His skill is not solely in his range, however, but how he uses it. Once more, songs like “Victim Impact Statement” or personal favorite “Fixation on the Narrative” highlight Gelaznik’s vocal range and how fluidly he is able to adapt his voice to the atmosphere of the song surrounding him (more often than not, the atmosphere is…well, malevolence). Its no mystery in hearing Terrified of God why Gelaznik’s name has been increasingly tossed in the ring whenever outstanding vocalists are discussed, as his already strong performance on Seething Malevolence is practically perfected on Terrified of God.

The increasing trend in popularity of highly-moshable death metal bands has definitely made the genre more accessible, even at the risk of watering down some of what made the genre unique—but if you’re worried about Vomit Forth being a culprit, you’re sorely mistaken. Terrified of God is undistilled, unfiltered, straight-from-the-source misanthropy, a record that taps into the innate horrors and disgust of the human condition with each note played and syllable screamed. Vomit Forth do an outstanding job of bringing the vision behind their sophomore full length to life, giving it conceptual depth and impact while still, at the end of the day, crafting a release that kicks heads in. While not for the faint of heart, Terrified of God is a testament to the impact Vomit Forth are sure to have on the scene now and in years to come.

9/10
For Fans Of: Dying Fetus, Corpse Pile, Undeath, 200 Stab Wounds, Bashed In
By: Connor Welsh