Band:	Herod (USA)
Album:	For Whom The Gods Would Destroy
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	2004

01. We Are Those People
02. Revelations
03. I Will
04. A New Hope
05. Into The Sky
06. That Green Feeling
07. When Your Body Falls
08. The Finch Against The Fire
09. The End
10. Winter's Bane
11. Look Beyond

America's Herod had gone from Hardcore to Heavy/Thrash ala old Metallica, Judas Priest and Megadeth. Sounds almost like a fairytale for a real heavy metal fan, don't you think?
Well, if we shall stay on the ground for a while, so I can destroy almost all your expectations in just one review (*evil*).

Herod was formed in Buffalo, NY in 2000 by Mike Jeffers (Drums) & Jesse Benker (Guitars).
They gathered some musicians and formed Herod, and after a demo they was offered a contract with two labels, Sounds of Revolution Records (where they released their debut, a MCD in 2001, entitled "Sinner's in the Eyes of an Angry God") and Too Damn Hype Records (where they released their first real album in 2002, entitled "Execution Protocol").
After the tour of the first album two of the members left and was replaced by Bryce March (Guitars) and Jeremy Partlow (Bass).
Later in 2002 the band started to write new material and in the same time the signed to Lifeforce Records.
They in 2003 when the material should be recorded, the original vocalist left the band; he was replaced by Judah Nero (ex- Plain of Ashes).
And in May 2004 the album was released, entitled "For Whom the Gods Would Destroy".

As I said, it's almost like a fairytale that a hardcore band should make a turn and become a Metal band, and that's also the case with Herod.
Sure, they aren't as much Hardcore as they once was, but it's hard to clean all that away with just one record, so I won't crucify them, yet.

The album in general is quite good; the thrashy riffing together with a mix of both clean and screamy vocals gives the album an extra percent of a point, especially the clean vocals that gets very good sometimes, but it happen a little to often that the hardcore smelling is getting to intense.
And unfortunately there is to many of the songs are too mediocre to save the album over the score it gets.
The American sound is too obvious and that's the reason why I think this album will have a bigger chance of selling on the American market instead of the European.

But if you're into Heavy/US Thrashy Metal/Core, you should check this up, because you'll get much for the money, as I said, much guitars and mixing vocals, and quite good cover artwork (and a cool album name) and a band that have much future before them.

Check Out: "The Finch Against the Fire", "When Your Body Falls" & "Revelations".