God Dethroned

Under the Sign of the Iron Cross (Metal Blade)

“For a Nihilist, nothing is at least something,” declares God Dethroned commandant Henri Sattler on the Dutch vets’ website. “2011 is [our] final year in existence.” Nine full-lengths in 20 years, peaking with previous disc Passiondale (Passchendaele), disqualify GD’s exit as premature, and despite so many recorded career highs demanding a sequel never delivered, Under the Sign of the Iron Cross cannonades virtually on par with its predecessor. Title track’s clean vox notwithstanding (Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant?), “The Red Baron” strafes one last chapter of World War I.

***.5

This article appears in August 26 • 2011.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.