GODS FORSAKEN is a Swedish / Norwegian Death Metal band with Doom influences. Just formed in 2016, by present / former band members of other Death Metal bands such as AMON AMARTH, HENRY KANE, ASPHYX, they release their 2^nd full length "Smells of Death" this month and it sounds promising.

The album starts with a fierce ear piercing song in "Smells of Death". It starts with trainwreck speed and continues that way all the way through. The gang vocals are good and the lyrics are audible clearly, unlike most modern Death Metal vocals. It has a good Death Thrash feel to it, not the Doom influences that I was promised or looking for. Not complaining either ways. "They Crawl" has a good free flowing feel to it, with the rhythmic drum blast beats steering the song structure, which for the most part is sadly unidimensional here. But the old school Death Metal riffs are reminiscent of legends such as AUTOPSY and OBITUARY.

The eerily titled "From the Inside They Came" has lots of cool melodic parts infused amidst the chaotic and loud sound. The horror influenced lyrics definitely add the unique dimension to the head banging riffs, both the melodic headbangable as well as the fast paced chaotic ones. "In the Pit We Shall Gather" is a classic anthemic song that has influences of IRON MAIDEN, WOLF, AMON AMARTH. "The Process of Death" starts off in a very cool innovative guitar riffage, but ends up turning into another fast paced chaotic song, with very little difference to other songs here. The lyrics surely drive a story or a narrative here, but it's difficult to decipherable completely as to what it is. "Dead And Buried" has that nice mid-tempo anthemic feel to it, with the usual rhythmic headbanging riffage going through the middle.

"The Dead Laughed" is a much fast paced Thrashier song, with Death vocals, but offers very little in terms of innovativeness and uniqueness. "Birth Of Insanity" has some interesting pig squeals and growls, but as is the case for the entire album, the sound or volume of the vocals feel trimmed down in production, which does negatively impact the vocals impact in this record. But the song itself is impressive, especially thanks to some cool solos and melodic guitar work. The album ends with a 3 min instrumental in "The Curse Of Matul", which sounds like a pre-battle anthem, just much more melodic and slower than what you would expect with this kind of a song. Nothing great here, but a fine song.

"Smells Of Death" felt like a great promising album, with great parts through the middle, turns into one of those generic albums that lacks anything unique or even doesn't do the Death Metal genre completely right. It's the lack of flavour or variety between the songs that hurt this album more than anything else, otherwise its worth a listen or two.