It must be getting on for 16 years ago—at the height of illegal downloading—when I was handed a CDr (TikTokkers, ask your parents!) with the words: “I think you’ll like this.” It was a copy of “Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood” by a Danish band called Volbeat.
I didn’t like it. I loved it. I confidently predicted they’d end up as arena rockers over here—and a couple of years ago, they were. With the production values to prove it.
These days, of course, everyone knows they’re essentially what Metallica would be if they played Johnny Cash songs. Oh, and they’re one of the biggest rock bands on the damn planet.
All of which means that “God Of Angels Trust” both matters—and yet reviews don’t. Because let’s be honest, everyone’s going to buy it or stream it anyway.
That said: if you’ve ever loved Volbeat, you’ll lose your mind over this, frankly.
“Devil’s Are Awake” lands on the heavier end of the Volbeat spectrum—at least to start with. The chorus, though? Pure arena rock. This is what we might now call their signature sound.
Flemming C. Lund, now on lead guitar, brings real kinetic energy to the band. The record was tracked in just 13 days—we’re not dealing with Chinese Democracy here, people. That urgency means songs like “By A Monster’s Hand” absolutely race along.
Main man Michael Poulsen says there were no rules this time around—but he did take greater care with the lyrics. That’s clear on “Acid Rain”: unmistakably Volbeat, but the harmonies are stacked sky high.
“Demonic Depression” thunders with thrash intent, but ends on a surprising upbeat: Poulsen closing with the line, “You’ll be good for a second go.” You can’t keep a good man down.
And if you ever needed proof of how gloriously mad their world is, look no further than the track titled “In The Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan’s Spawn In A Dying World Of Doom.” You’d be forgiven for expecting death metal (Poulsen is in a death metal band, after all)—but this is Volbeat. It chugs along with a knowing smile on its face and sounds… well, like Volbeat.
“Time Will Heal” is as close as they get to a ballad, with harmonies that soar, while “It’s Better To Be Fuelled Than Tamed” is just pure, unfiltered joy—as if anyone could tame them.
There’s an alternate universe where Poulsen doesn’t sound quite like he does and Volbeat end up a straight-ahead metal band. “At The End Of The Sirens” offers a glimpse into that world, complete with a moshpit-ready breakdown. This record thrives on two things: riffs and ambition. “Lonely Fields” has both in spades.
Above all, Volbeat are just a really clever band. What they do shouldn’t work—but it does. “Enlighten The Disorder (By A Monster’s Hand)” sounds like three songs rolled into one. All three are brilliant. That’s basically the album in a nutshell.
Back in 2016, when this website still bothered with end-of-year polls (we soon stopped such nonsense), Volbeat’s “Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie” was my Album of the Year.
They don’t make bad records. But even allowing for that, it still needs saying: “God Of Angels Trust” sparkles in a way that only Volbeat can—and it deserves every accolade it’s going to get.
Rating: 9/10
REVIEW: VOLBEAT – GOD OF ANGELS TRUST (2025)
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