Volbeat | God Of Angels Trust | Republic/Universal Records

 

 Volbeat, formed in Copenhagen in 2001, has carved a unique space within heavy metal by blending hard rock, rockabilly, and groove-oriented elements with sharp riffs and melodic sensibility. Fronted by Michael Poulsen, whose distinctive vocal tone has become a staple of the band’s sound, Volbeat solidified their position internationally with albums like “Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies” and “Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie.” Drummer Jon Larsen and bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen round out the current lineup. Over the past two decades, the band has steadily built a reputation for consistency in chart presence, energetic live shows, and their ability to bridge heavy rock with broader rock ‘n’ roll influences.

Released on June 6, 2025, via Republic/Universal Records, “God Of Angels Trust” marks Volbeat’s ninth studio album and reflects a direct, fast-paced recording process. Completed within five weeks, the album carries the urgency and immediacy of spontaneous creativity, steering into darker, more atmospheric territory than their recent outputs, yet keeping the melodic groundwork familiar to long-time listeners.

The opener “Devils Are Awake” signals a departure from the arena-ready optimism found in previous albums. There’s a grim undercurrent running through much of the material, yet Poulsen’s voice remains central and clear, cutting through layered guitar sections with a steady hand. Tracks such as “By A Monster’s Hand” and “Acid Rain” echo a more distressed tone, dipping into themes of isolation and inner chaos, paired with stripped-down instrumentation and denser, slower riffs.

“Demonic Depression” deepens this mood with a minimalistic and brooding structure, allowing for a sparser arrangement that benefits the track’s mood. The lead-extended composition “In The Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan's Spawn In A Dying World Of Doom” offers a surreal blend of horror-themed lyrics and slow-burning progression that steps into doom metal aesthetics without fully embracing them.

On the second half of the album, the band balances this shadowed mood with momentum-driven tracks like “Better Be Fuelled Than Tamed” and “At The End Of The Sirens.” These songs incorporate faster tempos and chug-heavy rhythms, drawing closer to earlier Volbeat styles without replicating them. The melodic hooks persist, albeit less pronounced.

“Lonely Fields” takes a quieter, almost ballad-like direction but avoids sentimentality through its barren tone and stark vocal treatment. The album closes with “Enlighten The Disorder (By A Monster’s Hand Part 2),” a thematically linked reprise that draws the mood back toward the cryptic energy of the earlier tracks, giving the album a circular feel.

There’s a consistent unease throughout the album, matched with a less ornamented production approach. Guitars feel thicker but less processed, drums more distant but natural, and Poulsen’s voice remains a constant anchor. The concise writing period contributes to a unified atmosphere—tense, uncertain, and nocturnal.

“God Of Angels Trust” does not offer sudden shifts or theatrical climaxes but instead remains grounded in a somber, twilight-toned mood that reveals its shape gradually. It may not expand Volbeat’s range, but it redirects their sound inward, toward a more minimal, brooding place.

Score: 7.3