Review: Blindfolded and Led to the Woods – The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me

Style: dissonant death metal, deathcore, technical death metal (mostly harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Ulcerate, Black Tongue, Hate Eternal
Country: New Zealand
Release date: 10 October 2025

As one journeys upon the winding and treacherous path of becoming a devout metalhead, they are bound to encounter some roadblocks. Be it the sizzling distortion of the guitars or the blistering speed of the drums, there are certain sonic qualities inherent to metal music that may take the curious pop listener some time to get used to. But for each notch on the lonely wayfarer’s belt, a myriad of new bands is revealed, each working in their own way to push the envelope of extremity. My first encounter with guttural vocals came via Amon Amarth’s Jomsviking, and although it took a few listens for me to “get it,” it wasn’t long before I was banging my head and attempting to scream along to the likes of Archspire and Infant Annihilator. Now a fully entrenched metalhead myself, accustomed to the most ferocious and acerbic bands the genre has to offer, the task has fallen to me to purvey these sounds to those behind me in their journey. In this pursuit, I have discovered that while many harsher sounds are disagreeable to those unfamiliar with them, none is often such a hurdle as dissonance, particularly in relation to dissonant death metal.

Pioneered by bands like Demilich, Immolation, and Gorguts that paved the way with their sharp and angular guitar riffs, off-kilter drum grooves, and extensive use of unorthodox and of course dissonant harmonies, dissonant death metal is now helmed by the likes of Ulcerate, Ad Nauseam, and Imperial Triumphant, each of whom have pushed the genre into uniquely bizarre and beautiful places. I don’t mean it lightly when I say that dissodeath is the burgeoning metal sub-genre of the 2020s, and it pains me to think that there are potential fans unable to gain purchase on the style’s admittedly inscrutable surface. Blessedly, that is no longer so thanks to Blindfolded and Led to the Woods and their newest album The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me.

On THTABGITNOBM, Blindfolded… have concocted a virulently potent mixture of deathcore, technical death metal, and dissonant death metal, and the result may just be the best possible album to introduce to potential fans of dissonant death metal. By infusing their brand of mid-tempo, moshpit-churning chugs and Kublai Khan-esque barks with skronky guitar breaks and endlessly shifting drum patterns sure to please the progheads, the New Zealanders have crafted a seamless bridge for fans of modern metal to cross into dissodeath. And it’s by drawing from their distinct influences that Blindfolded… develops their sound and the album finds its voice. As soon as THTABGITNOBM opens with “Arrows of Golden Light,” the use of studio reversals and fades, quick hits of digital distortion, and layers of beefy synth give the song an accessible edge that goes a long way toward making the progressive structure and enigmatic riffage a bit more palatable for the average metalhead. And as the album continues, moments like these continue to pop up, like the string refrain in “Red” and the acoustic guitars and cello in “Coalescence,” each of which provides memorable moments beyond the death metal riffs.

Still, death metal riffage there is aplenty; across the tracks “Cafuné,” “Compulsion,” and “Totem” alone, there are enough riffs to satisfy even the most voracious of moshpits. However, this abundance of riffs simultaneously manages to be THTABGITNOBM’s biggest misstep. Simply put, this thing is a bit of a chug fest, and while it’s by no means a long album at just forty-six minutes, I found myself checking out during the more basic tracks like “Snow Angel” and “600 Milligrams.” While it may be cavalier to suggest such a simple solution, I think the answer to this issue lies in simply including more leads. While few and far between, the solos on “Black Orchids” and the title track are without a doubt my favorite moments from the album, each rising above the extended range chugs that pervade so much of the songs around them and finding higher footing in black metal atmosphere and jazz fusion ambiance respectively.

If you had asked me a month ago the best way to get into dissonant death metal, I would have told you to start with Gorguts’s Obscura and work your way forward, but with The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me, Blindfolded and Led to the Woods have successfully spelunked another path into the sub-genre’s angular fold. Let me be clear, though: while THTABGITNOBM is certainly a notable album for its accessibility, it doesn’t crack into the upper echelon of albums that dissodeath has on offer. Still, I have no doubt that Blindfolded… have that potential within them. Their evolution across their career has been nothing short of extraordinary, and they’ve given no hint of wavering.

Recommended tracks: Black Orchids, The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me, Arrows of Golden Light
You may also like: Pyrrhon, Replicant, Devenial Verdict, Scarcity, Luck Won’t Save You
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Prosthetic Records

Blindfolded and Led to the Woods is:
– Nick Smith (bass)
– Stuart Henley-Minchington (guitars, synthesizers)
– Stace Fifield (vocals)
– Anthony Coota (drums, percussion)
– Dan Hayston (guitars, synthesizers)