Blindfolded And Led To The Woods – The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me Review

By way of Christchurch, progressive/technical death metal titans Blindfolded and Led to the Woods are creating some intriguing tunes. In fact, fellow Last Rites contributor Seth Buttnam compared their sound to that of their New Zealand counterparts, saying they’re like Ulcerate, if Ulcerate had moshier passages. I guess that’s an accurate representation. Maybe there’s something in the water down there. 

I first stumbled upon the Kiwis after their last record, Rejecting Obliteration — a powerful commentary both sonically and lyrically on witnessing and overcoming tragedy. Without sounding too corny, the band does a stellar job at somehow channeling emotion via tech-death. A track like “Monolith” sounds hopeful, and others, like “Hands of Contrition,” sound triumphant. 

Their new album, The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me, is undoubtedly no different in terms of channeling emotion. Only this time, it seems even darker. 

Perhaps you’ll hear that on the opener, an intro as long as the album title itself, clocking in at more than 8 minutes. Sorrowful keys open “Arrows of Golden Light” before it bounces into grooving dissonance. A colossal bass adds some weight to the track — and the remainder of the record for that matter — and there are some absolutely killer leads that sit more so on the spookier side than pure melancholy. That early 2010s-era breakdown at the halfway point is a nice touch, too. 

Vocally, Blindfolded and Led to the Woods is probably more reminiscent of metal/deathcore, and while that might be a deal-breaker for some, I’d encourage you to walk into it with an open mind. It isn’t hokey like many bands from those particular genres; instead, it fits the mold with a mixture of harsh spoken-word passages, guttural growls, and primal shouts. “Cafuné” is a prime example, with vocal dynamics overlaying haunting seven-string and synth sounds. 

For fans of Ulcerate, you’ll find that songs like “Red” and “Black Orchids” present some familiar vibes. That is, if Ulcerate threw in some brootal, arm-flailing breakdowns. Speaking of which, that final one on “Black Orchids” is delicious. Similarly, there’s some killer shredding on “Compulsion” that sounds like a spiral into lunacy before another dissonant breakdown in the final minute. The guitar work, without a doubt, allows these moments to build and shine. That said, the album excels because the band leans into each member’s strong suits. Again, without the Stuart Henley-Minchington/Dan Huston guitar duo, Stace Fifield’s vocals probably wouldn’t pack the punches they ultimately throw. The same could be said about Anthony Coota’s quick-fire double bass on tracks like “Totem.” By the way, you can tell there’s some Jamie Saint Merat influence because the kit work has a cinematic cadence. 

“600 Milligrams” manages to blend the synths better than any other track on the record. Between that, the sinister cackles in the fade-out, and the broken chords, it sounds like something straight out of a horror/thriller. It’s a pretty wicked tune.

Finally, “Coalescence” manages to simmer the album down momentarily before the most grotesque scream on the album howls out. Put simply, Blindfolded and Led to the Woods saved their best track for the finale. Featuring guitar trills, numerous breakdowns, tech-death scales, angelic clean vocals — the whole shebang — the band tastefully dip their toes into various territories in the final moments. 

Overall, The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me sounds much more pessimistic than its predecessor. You could say it’s the yin to Rejecting Obliteration’s yang. Nonetheless, it’s another outstanding release from the New Zealanders, and one that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. Here, there’s no technicality for the sake of technicality — only chaos for the sake of feeling.