God Forbid

God Forbid musters some of the most anthemic riffs and choruses in metalcore, injecting its music with megadoses of classic thrash without ever succumbing to necrophiliac retro impulses. The act's most recent album, IV: Constitution of Treason, is nearly operatic at times. One of the best metal discs of 2005, it crushes the listener under its boot, but in a much nobler and more ambitious manner than the thick-necked chant-alongs of, say, Hatebreed. God Forbid has majesty about it, particularly in its vocals. Byron Davis is a convincing screamer: Listeners believe that he's about to completely lose his shit over societal mendacity. (Too many post-hardcore ranters sound like kids throwing tantrums at Toys "R" Us.) And live, drummer Corey Pierce slams the kit hard enough to cave the stage in, while fraternal guitar team Doc and Dallas Coyle crank out fist-pumping riffs. It's a pure metal show, one not to be missed.