Honestly, in a career heading towards almost two decades, there’s very little variation in the theme. It has been and probably always will be a hateful mix of Slayer, Sodom and early Kreator. Dismember do not change, do not bend and do not succumb. That has always been their charm. “The God That Never Was” [2006] continues this fine tradition and I’m not complaining.

The title song kicks off the proceedings in typical Dismember fashion. If anything, the production seems rawer than it has been recently. The guitars are still buzz saw heavy and the vocals spit vitriol and venom. The formula doesn’t change through most of the album and if you’re not paying attention the short songs often feel like they just segue into each other. Its only halfway through second song “Shadows Of The Mutilated” that the band slow things down from hyper speed thrash riffing to a more controlled approach although its all back up to warp speed 9 pretty quickly. “Time Heals Nothing” has a slightly melodic section to it but this is still Dismember and the melodies don’t last for too long. The only real let up in this album comes bang in the middle with the instrumental “Phantoms (Of The Oath)” with its soaring twin guitar harmonies that could make Iron maiden proud. After this its back to full speed assault as the band run through four more songs with “Into The Temple Of Humiliation” standing out with its old school death metal vibe and at just over 4 minutes its also the longest song on the album.

Overall, “The God That Never Was” is a solid effort from and while nothing extraordinary in itself, is still a notable addition to the canon of this long running and consistent death metal band.