History & Biography The band started as God Forbid circa 1997 although the members played together under other names previously. This New Jersey speedcore act is mostly black and actively marketed itself as such.
The band had an EP on 9 Volt Records. W.O.M.B. featured Pillard the old singer of Incantation.
In 2002 the band pulled out of a proposed tour with Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engine to work on its next album.
In an effort to dispel the rumors floating around for most of the winter of 2003, God Forbid announced that Byron Davis was still the lead singer of the band. Rumours had spread after the band's members had a number of differences of opinion recently. The band began composing new material. To kick of 2004, Century Media issued a five-song EP called Better Days by the band. It featured a new song, a demo version and several older songs. The band's full-length, called Gone Forever, soon followed. The band soon completed a live video for the title track to the album Gone Forever with director Zach Merck. Before issuing IV: Constitution Of Treason the band toured with Himsa and Full Blown Chaos. The group was slated to embark on a week-long Canadian trek as direct support to Protest The Hero in late 2006, which would have been the former band’s most extensive run of Canada yet. The opening act for the tour was cancelled however as the two bands could not reach an agreement on the details surrounding God Forbid’s own tour and its announcement. The band, which was expected to issue a new album in September, had a DVD called Beneath The Scars Of Glory And Progression in June of 2008. The group picked Earthsblood as the title for its next album, which was now due in February of 2009 through Century Media Records. The album was produced by Eric Rachel (Atreyu) and Christian Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory, with the latter handling the vocals. Guitarist Dallas Coyle left God Forbid in early 2009. The band confirmed the departure and cited personal disagreements and a dislike for touring for the dparture. The Americans were touring as a four-piece. Kris Norris (ex-Darkest Hour) would join the group for the Lamb Of God and Children Of Bodom tour. In 2011, God Forbid signed with Victory Records. The band was working on a new album with new guitarist Matt Wicklund formerly of Himsa. The band was “forced” to cancel its show at the Heavy MTL festival, in August, 2012 at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Canada. God Forbid Guitarist Doc Coyle and singer Ravi of Phyllotaxis started a rock band with drummer Moe Watson and Aden Oxenreider. A new cover project was also formed. Paradise City featured singer Tommy Vext of Vext, Snot and ex-Divine Heresy, guitarists Doc Coyle and Matt Wicklund of God Forbid, bassists Jennifer Arroyo (ex-Kittie) and Acey Slade (ex-Dope and Murderdolls) and drummer Moe Watson.
In mid-2013, guitarist and singer Doc Coyle quit God Forbid. The band had been less successful in preceding years. Subsequently, the band threw in the towel. Matt Wicklund would try again in Ghost Ship Octavius. Former God Forbid guitarist Doc Coyle would fill in for Unearth bassist John "Slo" Maggard on the latter band's upcoming U.S. Tsunami Of Metal Tour with Sepultura. Lead Pipe Cruelty was another new project, this time featuring former Anthrax singer Dan Nelson, God Forbid’s Corey Pierce, Thy Will Be Done’s J. Costa and Eric Tavares and guitarist Rob McElroy.
The group played at 2022’s Blue Ridge Rock Festival, which took place September 8-11th at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, USA. The concert was the band’s first show in almost a decade. The band was booked for Lamb Of God’s late 2023 cruise.
Reviews GOD FORBID - BETTER DAYS - CENTURY MEDIA
After a longer-than-expected absence from the release schedules, exacerbated by heavy touring, God Forbid and Century Media Records have issued this five-song EP in order to put the spotlight on the band again. Better Days has also turned out to be a compilation spanning the band's career. The CD features a new song from the band's forthcoming full-length Gone Forever, an exclusive song called Allegiance, a demo version of the song Wicked and one song each from the band's previous albums.
Judging by this the band is better than this writer's perception had it. Nevertheless, the music is still hit-and-miss. The vocals are depraved and guttural and the band's music can go from melodic to the combative. Where God Forbid shines is when a lead guitar kicks in. At those times it is as if the band has been transformed to a higher plane. The effect is astounding. Consequently, Allegiance, Wicked and Reject The Sickness are much better songs than Better Days and Mind Eraser. Metal fans would also hope that Gone Forever involves the talents of the band's lead guitarist as often as possible. - Ali "The Metallian"
GOD FORBID - GONE FOREVER - CENTURY MEDIA
Can you blame me for wanting to dislike God Forbid? After all, the band is praised by toilet paper-substitute rags, tours with puke-ridden hip hop novelty like Slipknot and even uses a very cliched backing vocal that was first employed by joke acts like Fear Factory!
Well, never mind for Gone Forever is in fact a great metal album. Substantial riffs, cool leads, guttural vocals and a good sound amass to make the new God Forbid disc a hell of a release. Songs like the opener Force-Fed and the blindingly heavy Antihero smash the notion that God Forbid is anything but real heavy metal and make the case for awarding the band and album the Metallian Towers' seal of approval. - Ali "The Metallian"
Interviews
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