“You will be purged in the purest flame.”
One of the UK’s most visceral yet largely underappreciated metalcore acts, God Complex initially caught my attention in 2018 with their debut EP Created Sick, one of the strongest releases of its calendar year; one that was as dark, gritty and unnerving as it was crushing. The band would impress me further with the release of 2021’s To Decay in a Deathless World, God Complex’s first full-length album, which saw the group further refine their sound with a more raw, organic production, while also improving cohesion and song flow to create an album experience that was worth many repeat listens.
Sadly, the release of this album of the year contender came with the announcement that it would indeed be the first and last of its kind from God Complex, forcing me to say goodbye to who were now one of my most cherished acts in the UK underground scene. After several years of mourning this loss, I was caught off guard by the surprise release of “Salt And Ash” during the holiday season—a short yet powerful track that picks up exactly where To Decay in a Deathless World left off thematically, chimed in by the haunting guitar strums. Although there have been plenty of comeback stories in recent years, none have impressed me quite as much as this one.
Shortly after, it only took a few more weeks for God Complex to announce their return in earnest with their brand new EP He Watches In Silence—their first release in over three years. Accompanying this announcement was sophomore single “Depraved Idol”, conveniently taking place right after “Salt And Ash” in the final track list. The sequencing here is brilliant, as “Depraved Idol” provides a striking contrast to the rapid, explosive energy of “Salt And Ash” by incorporating a mix of groove and death metal elements. God Complex have always excelled at incorporating a range of tempos to bring diversity to their intense sound, and He Watches In Silence is their best example of this to date.
“Ba’al’s Trick” is the first of three entirely new cuts, and it is here that founding frontman Harry Rule steals the spotlight. While he has proven himself as a more than competent vocalist in the past, the growth on display here in this track is nothing short of remarkable, as he unleashes an incredible range of harsh vocal styles, from deathcore gutturals to banshee-like squeals synonymous with genres such as black metal and grindcore. Similar to “Depraved Idol,” “Ba’al’s Trick” upholds the diversity quota with a substantial mix of riffing styles. The guitar parts in the intro resemble something you might find on a classic Slipknot record, while the mid-range tremolo section leading into the final explosive breakdown is another nod to more extreme styles like deathcore. The track’s closing sample flows smoothly into “The Judge,” a brief yet brutal piece just under a minute long, created with one goal—to annihilate. In short, “The Judge” is probably God Complex‘s heaviest work to date, even surpassing the 48-second onslaught of “Sudden Panic” from their LP.
By extension, this sentiment is echoed by He Watches In Silence as a whole, as even the closer “Flooded Lungs” features one of the heaviest yet grooviest compositions I’ve heard. The first two minutes are packed with deep, djent-style chugs and creatively infectious drum fills, while its epic final moments almost have a doom metal vibe. While “Flooded Lungs” might be familiar to those who have keenly followed God Complex, here it’s been revitalized and serves as a brilliant conclusion to an already outstanding experience.
He Watches In Silence is arguably the perfect comeback for God Complex. While it may not flow as seamlessly as some of the band’s earlier work, it more than compensates by taking their already strong foundation and pushing it to new heights, especially in the vocal department. I can only hope that God Complex and Sharptone Records continue to strengthen their partnership, leading to a sophomore LP from the band sooner rather than later, and when it does, I’ve no doubt we’ll have a serious album of the year contender on our hands.
9/10
He Watches In Silence will release February via Sharptone Records, and can be pre-ordered here.