I dunno about you, but I love the defiant underdog. There’s just something super compelling about someone or something staring in the face of inevitable defeat and devastation, and flipping it the double-birds because “go fuck yourself that’s why.” I admire the hell out of that spirit.

To that end, one of history’s most chronicled and bedeviled figures, the demon Lilith, is certainly held in high regard in this reviewer’s mind. Pretty much the character that sparked eons of institutional misogyny after her banishment from Eden for refusing to obey Adam’s command, Lilith has long been held, depending on your world view, as a gauge in the eye of God and nature, or a symbol of necessary resistance against an established patriarchy. Or, perhaps, both. Either way, I’m rooting for her.

And I’ll tell you another thing – I’m definitely rooting for this new Danish Melodic Death Metal band who’ve chosen Lilith, one of history’s greatest icons and whipping posts, as their collective muse. A band that, seemingly out of nowhere, have come screaming out of the pits of hell with a debut album already backed by of one of the biggest labels in the business (Napalm Records). Led by the seething, snarling voice of Sandie “The Lilith” Gjørtz, and backed by guitarists Signar Petersen and Christian Nielsen, bassist Rasmus “Kalke” Nielsen and drummer Michael Olsson – Defacing God are pulling no punches, putting their intent and influences front and center in an unholy display. As a band with a general Melodeath backbone that happens to have a woman on vocals, of course the Arch Enemy comparisons are going to be inevitable – and they’re not completely unwarranted. “The Resurrection,” “The End of Times” and other sections of The Resurrection of Lilith certainly carry the sort of anthemic, muscularly riffed vibe that has become synonymous with Michael Amott and his work – but Defacing God takes a much more dramatic approach, leaning very heavily on a more Grecian/Mediterranean core. The trio of “The Invocation” parts 1, 2 and 3 (which also introduce such demonic female icons as Jezebel and Abyzou into this unholy mix) simply would not exist had this band not clearly spent a lot of time listening to Rotting Christ and Septicflesh. We’re talking riffs that could have been co-written with Sakis Tolis himself, backed with the kind of bombastic orchestration and and ritualistic, chanting backing vocals that would leave the most stoic of Italian men or women draped dramatically over a chaise lounge in emotional despair. And the influence certainly doesn’t stop there – “The End of Times” and “In the Land of Rain and Sorrow” could easily make you double-take and think you accidentally put on Rituals or The Heretics instead.

There are even moments like in the blasting of “Rise of the Trinity” or the epic final stanza of “Into the Mist of Memories” where you can’t help but think of the Mediterranean kings of drama and Death Metal, Fleshgod Apocalypse – though perhaps more accurately, they channel a good dose of Carach Angren‘s sense of Pantomime and story telling. It all makes for a very engaging listening experience that manages to walk a fine line between one-off, single-track-at-a-time listenability, and being a full-album, track-by-track session that can hold your attention for the entire duration. Though not an official member of the band, the orchestral work put together by Danish guitarist and composer Lars Vinther is as much an important and defining characteristic of The Resurrection of Lilith as the excellent guitar work of Petersen and Nielsen, or even Gjørtz’s commanding vocal performance for that matter. They elevate the level of grandeur to greater heights and make it sound absolutely massive without becoming the overall focal point of the record.

This is a fantastic start for a young band that, with the power of Napalm Records, will be getting thrown straight into the pretty massive audience out the gate, and every part of the product presented here on The Resurrection of Lillith suggests they’re ready for the limelight. And it all comes at a perfect time with it’s heavy imagery of witchcraft and occultism, as we get ready to get spooky season into full swing. Look for Defacing God to blow up quite a bit and make a big impact on the world of metal in the coming year.

[Visit the band's website]

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