Once upon a time, there was Citadel, a powerhouse of an up-and-coming progressive death metal band that sadly dissolved after their 2012 debut album, The Velvet Tigris. Vocalist Bradley Bates exited the band, causing the three remaining members to leave it dormant for a few years. In 2017, those three (John Wesley Osborn, Michael Osborn, and Dallas McNeely) got back together to form Diatheke with the hopes of rekindling the magic of Citadel. After dropping some amazing singles, signing to Rottweiler Records, and then bringing Elephant Watchtower's Peter Watson on board for vocal duty, that magic is finally coming to fruition with Diatheke's long-awaited debut full-length album, ...And The Word Was God.

If you've been following Diatheke's work up until now, you know that they have a knack for creating long and epic standalone songs that take the listener on quite a ride, with stellar musicianship, musical twists and turns, and deep, theologically-sound lyricism. So what should we expect from a full-length album? Well, basically the same thing, but six times. ...And The Word Was God gives us sixty minutes of absolutely incredible melodic/progressive death metal across six songs that each play a part in one overarching narrative.

Essentially, …And The Word Was God is a musical summarization of the Bible, starting with creation and ending with the final crowning of Christ as our eternal King and the restoration of His bride. "The Creator" covers the seven days of creation and adds both an extended intro and outro to the single version, bringing it to around the 12.5-minute mark. The song is heavy, of course, but it's also pretty light in tone as God declares His work to be good. The tone shifts into a more frenzied state with "The Deceiver," as Satan enters in and attempts to exalt himself over God, leading to destruction and the fall of man. The tonal shift is a lot more dramatic if you're following along with the lyrics ("I fly above creation, watching it bleed / in abject disconnection, bound to iniquity / go forth in transgression, unto the flesh may praises be sung / bask in my perfection, a strength and beauty unparalleled"), but even if you're just listening, it's impossible to not notice the darker turn. It's accompanied by hectic screaming and guitar riffs, loads of blast beats, and intense strings straight out of a thriller movie.

"The Promise" and "The Redeemer" are a beautiful pair of tracks that perfectly go hand-in-hand. After trying to deal with sin by way of animal sacrifices, an extended outro of the former track gives way into the coming of Christ in the latter. Jake Potter of Crucify the Flesh makes a guest appearance in "The Redeemer" as the tempo builds for the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry. The song comes in at 10.5 minutes, but it covers the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, all while the band just absolutely crushes the listener with some of the finest melodic death metal you could ask for. While at times it's pretty simple riffing and drumming, other moments hit you with beautiful guitar solos, filthy bass lines, and soaring clean vocals crying out "The temple veil sways torn and free!" at the moment of His death. While each song is amazing in its own right, "The Redeemer" hits another level for me and is a highlight of the album.

The final third of the album focuses on the aftermath of Christ's ascension into Heaven, with "The Empowerment" borrowing heavily from the Book of Hebrews. Here, Diatheke gets to dive into what would be typical death metal lyricism about death and gore. But instead of using it for shock value, they use it to celebrate the Church's willingness to give its life for the cause of Christ ("Martyrs, blessed to be found worthy to suffer dishonor / let all torments come / serving a scarred Messiah who endured disgrace and shame / we rejoice to withstand the same / scalding flesh melting over broken bones / strangled necks overhanging the dismembered / waste, for the stoned and flayed still since praises to the Name!"). Finally, "The Coronation" caps off the album brilliantly, worshiping the spotless Lamb around the throne with countless redeemed souls and pronouncing complete and total victory over sin, death, and the kingdoms of the world. The music is intense and covers a lot of ground, from the simple and victorious sounding chorus to the quiet, symphonic interlude in the middle, to the insane shredding guitars and explosive drumming. This song itself may honestly be peak Diatheke; if you want to know who Diatheke is, this will give you everything you need to know. And the conclusion is so satisfying, as the band wraps up the music and the theme as perfectly as one could. It it were a rock opera, a standing ovation would be in order.

Sorry, that was long. If you need a tl;dr, here it is: …And The Word Was God is an utter masterpiece. If you've been waiting for this album for a few years and are unsure if it will live up to the wait, fear not; it's every bit as good as you've hoped for and more. Everything about the album - the incredible, dynamic instrumentation, the fabulous production value, the vocal performances and melodies, and the care with which the subject matter is handled and displayed - it's perfection. I can't recommend this album enough. If progressive and melodic death metal is your kind of thing, take an hour out of your day, fire up your best sound system, and drink it in.

- Review date: 3/19/25, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com

 

 

 Record Label: Rottweiler Records
 Album length: 6 tracks: 60 minutes, 25 seconds
 Street Date: March 21, 2025
 Buy It: Bandcamp

1. The Creator (12:26)
2. The Deceiver (6:22)
3. The Promise (8:59)
4. The Redeemer (10:25)
5. The Empowerment (9:10)
6. The Coronation (12:58)