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As much to do with the unmistakable tones of vocalist Michael Poulsen and his melodic-but-heavy-as-hell-itself guitar work as it does with that crunching groove that comes from Jon Larsen (drums), and Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass) being in each other’s pockets for some time now, Denmark’s premier Rock/Metal act Volbeat have their trademark sound, and when they are in full flight, they take some stopping.
Before commencing work on the follow-up to 2021’s ‘Servant of the Mind’, Poulsen was in recovery from throat surgery (for a vocalist, that had to be a frightening prospect). Still working though, treading the boards with his death metal band, Asinhell, where he was able to concentrate on playing guitar and leave the vocals to Marc Grewe.
Adopting a plug-in-and-play ethos, ‘God Of Angels Trust’ (the emphasis is on the first letter of each word…G.O.A.T) was written and recorded in five weeks, with the band recording live in the studio to capture that lightning in a bottle vibe. And the result is as varied and strong an album as you have come to expect from Volbeat, but also arguably their most accessible thus far.
The sharp, aggressive riffs that launch the album with ‘Devils Are Awake’ soon give way to those golden-throated vocals from Poulsen, and the decision to record live and not overthink things immediately pays off. Five minutes that highlight every aspect of Volbeat, including some slow, hella-thick bass licks, and to offset those – soaring, melodic vocals that float the listener away on the softest and lightest of clouds.
‘By A Monster’s Hand’ quickly follows on, and the contrasts throughout are huge. Thrash-like in places, groovy in others, with a fantastic turn of pace during the breakdown that pushes the work of touring guitarist Flemming C. Lund to the forefront, it also features some huge, melodic vocal hooks from Poulsen that are simply glorious. All wrapped up in a tale of a serial killer…“Counting the masses beyond him that’s been cut by the blade/Decapitation inflicted by a monster’s hand”
‘Acid Rain’ highlights the other side of Volbeat, and although the title might suggest a gnarly slice of death metal, the reality is that along with the deeply personal ‘Time Will Heal’, it’s one of the most mainstream, commercial moments that Volbeat have created. In a similar vein to the Volbeat classic ‘For Evigt’, the gorgeous, shimmering guitar tone that surfaces as the song fades out is stunning. As is the size of the groove that the band locks into on ‘Demonic Depression’, which feels like it was cooked up right there on the spot. Like most Volbeat songs, it twists and turns, and the more melodic segments work well in tandem with the pummeling work from Jon Larsen.
Talking of twists and turns, there is the manically-named ‘In The Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan’s Spawn In A Dying World Of Doom’, which has so much going on during its four minutes that it is dizzying. ThrashBilly here and there, groove-metal, Thin Lizzy-esque Celtic guitar melodies, all with a sleazy, Duane Eddy ‘Peter Gunn’ undercurrent, and Poulsen’s move from country vocals in a Johnny Cash/Hank Williams style to harsher, metal vocals is super cool. Hey, it’s a Volbeat album, you cannot predict what is coming up next. Although with some bands you might be waiting, knowing that the big, power ballad is lurking around the corner, with Volbeat it is when is the full-pelt ‘Pelvis on Fire’ moment; and to an extent that lands with ‘Better Be Fueled Than Tamed’.
One of the most consistent bands out there at the moment, Volbeat have delivered the goods yet again. Misses are few and far between, the band sound reinvigorated, and the production from Jacob Hansen is exemplary without being over-polished. Putting a setlist together for the upcoming tour just got harder.
Available June 6th via Universal Music Group. More information, HERE.
Review – Dave
VOLBEAT ON TOUR
“GREATEST OF ALL TOURS WORLDWIDE”:
2025 CO-HEADLINE WITH THREE DAYS GRACE + WAGE WAR:
June 7 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
June 9 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
June 10 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
June 12 – Saskatoon, SK – SaskTel Centre
June 13 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
June 16 – Laval, QC – Place Bell
June 17 – Quebec City, QC – Videotron Centre
June 19 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
June 21 – London, ON – Canada Life Place
June 22 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
2025 US HEADLINE:
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS HALESTORM + THE GHOST INSIDE:
July 17 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
July 19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 21 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
July 22 – Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater
July 24 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
July 25 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum
July 26 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
July 28 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
July 29 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
July 31 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
August 2 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
August 3 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
August 4 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 6 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
August 7 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
August 9 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
August 10 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
August 12 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
August 13 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
August 14 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
August 16 – Hershey, PA – Giant Center
August 17 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
August 19 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
August 21 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
August 22 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
2025 EU/UK HEADLINE:
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BUSH + GEL:
September 18 – Herning, DK – Jyske Bank Boxen
September 19 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena
September 23 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
September 24 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis
September 26 – Stuttgart, DE – Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
September 27 – Cologne, DE – LANXESS Arena
September 28 – Oberhausen, DE – Rudolf Weber-ARENA
September 30 – Vienna, AT – Wiener Stadthalle
October 3 – Prague, CZ – O2 universum
October 4 – Berlin, DE – Uber Arena
October 6 – Munich, DE – Olympiahalle
October 8 – Frankfurt, DE – Festhalle
October 10 – Leipzig, DE – QUARTERBACK Immobilien Arena
October 11 – Hamburg, DE – Barclays Arena
October 13 – Warsaw, PL – COS Torwar
October 15 – Tampere, FI – Nokia Arena
October 17 – Stockholm, SE – 3Arena
October 18 – Oslo, NO – Unity Arena
October 19 – Gothenburg, SE – Scandinavium
October 21 – Hannover, DE – ZAG Arena
October 22 – Rotterdam, NL – Rotterdam Ahoy
October 23 – Esch-Sur-Alzette, LU – Rockhal
October 25 – Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion
October 28 – Bilbao, ES – CUBEC – Bilbao Exhibition Centre
October 30 – Barcelona, ES – Sant Jordi Club
October 31 – Madrid, ES – Palacio Vistalegre
November 2 – Paris, FR – Zénith Paris – La Villette
November 5 – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
November 6 – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
November 8 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
November 10 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
November 12 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
November 13 – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley
Ticket information, HERE
