New Jersey's God Forbid occupies the very cracks it puts in metal's strata. Clearly weaned on classic metal, God Forbid's heavy thrash and hardcore exhibits a seasoned control and power. It never caves under the weight of the music. And while metal fans demand both adherence to tradition and something other than the same ‘ol, same ‘ol from heavy bands, it's this quartet's powerful blend of multiple tones and moods that has it rising above. There's just so much a band can do with loud and heavy until it's nothing more than just loud and heavy. God Forbid doesn't forsake the dynamics.

Even on the surface the band is unique; it's a predominantly black band in a decidedly white genre. Regardless, God Forbid can simultaneously crush and cruise better than most. Its new album "Earthsblood" is another trip down the heavy aisle as it marries something old with something new. Guitarist Doc Coyle called before sound check. Here's what he said.

CITY: There's just as much classic thrash in your sound as new, innovative stuff. How much of your sound is preservation and how much is exploration?

Doc Coyle: I have to say, when it comes to metal, my preference... I'm definitely a traditionalist. I grew up on Metallica and Megadeth, Pantera, bands like that. So I'm always using that as a general context as far as being diverse, being heavy, being melodic, being technically proficient. But at the same time I try not to just rely on a format that someone else has set up, you know? But also me and everyone else in the band is into a lot of newer music, newer bands. I think metal has significantly changed and evolved and gotten more interesting over the years.

Because of bands like yours.

Oh, thank you. But there are other new bands [that] have influenced us, like Opeth and even older bands like Mushaga that sneak in our sound a little bit, to at least not make us sound too conventional.

As God Forbid has evolved, have the fans evolved with you?

We've changed a lot over the years, and I think depending on what era you got into the band that's probably going to be...not what you expect from us, but at least your favorite style of what we do. I think it is what it is, and you kind of have to deal with that when you try to differ from album to album. Some people aren't going to like it and some people will welcome the change.

As long as you're happy...

Well, that's definitely the most important thing, but you definitely need support from some type of fan base, or else you're not going to be able to do it as a career.

Some press has said "Earthsblood" was from a God Forbid that had matured beyond its years. Do you think that's true?

I think a lot of that comes from thinking it out, being a little more patient. We don't feel the need to bludgeon the listener for 50 minutes on a record. We'd rather have peaks and valleys. We're into songs, and I think that's a more grown-up thing to concern yourself with, when you're concerned with your songwriting. And with some of the newer metal bands, they've just gotten a bit lost.

How do you fit in the line-up on this current tour?

I think it's fairly obvious we don't fit in with anybody on this tour. We have a much different approach than the rest of the bands on this tour. On one hand you have what are mostly death metal bands - even though those band each have their own sound, they do their own thing, and there's definitely a similar approach. And then some of the other bands like Killswitch and Trivium are more melodic and geared more toward that catchy chorus. And I think the best word to say for us is we're a bit more unconventional. I think we stand out on this tour a lot, actually.

And perhaps coming from a black perspective as well?

I guess visually, aesthetically you could say we're non-conventional. There's obviously no agenda there. We are what we are. I don't know if that reflects in the music at all.

God Forbid

w/Behemoth, The Black Dahlia Murder, Cannibal Corpse

Water Street Music Hall, 204 N Water St

Monday, August 3

8 p.m. | $20-$25| 325-5600, myspace.com/godforbid