PHOTOS BY OPTIC MONKEY IMAGES + ANTHONY GONZALEZ

20 years have passed since God Forbid’s breakout album Gone Forever. Playing their first batch of California shows in 12 years, the Jersey boys are celebrating what guitarist Doc Coyle calls the first “grownup God Forbid” album.

Recent interviews have people asking why it took this band so long to get back together. In an age where album sales are a ⅕ of what they were when Gone Forever was released, streaming services pay the equivalent of dumping a food wrapper into a tip jar, and the single company that owns the majority of the performance venues, simultaneously while taking a cut of artists’ merchandise sales, is currently being sued by the Department of Justice for being a monopoly, it’s a mystery why some of the God Forbid guys might find working in heating and air conditioner repair a more reliable way to feed their families.

Between acts at the downtown Los Angeles venue, a festive green and red REGENT logo displays on the backing screen in a metal font while “O Holy Night” plays over the speakers. The smell reeks of green.

After Thrown Into Exile, Exmortus and Skinlab, green lights shine onto a stage with a backdrop of gears turning for an act that is not Fear Factory. Dressed as Phoebe Bridgers (sorry dog, but skeleton shirts are now PB outfits), Burton C. Bell plays a hodge-podge set extending throughout his career.

The end of the “Du Hast” cover makes me think of “Can’t Wait for Violence” by Nothingface. Instead I wish this was “Can’t Wait for Violence” by Nothingface. A new unreleased track “Savages” has a decent main riff but the rest of the song goes nowhere.

“Feels good to be in L.A. Gotta be honest, I fucking missed it,” Bell announces in an accent that sounds like English was a second language, but, ladies and gentlemen, this man is from Houston. While only playing one FF song, “Descent,” Mr. Bell does not have a strong enough set list to be playing shows at this point in his newly solo career.

I drank a couple vodkas at the house before parking in the safety that is Skid Row and drinking half a pint of whiskey. Perhaps influenced by the discomfort of listening to this act, it is this moment that I believe I am going to black out.

What are we waiting for?

An animated version of the Gone Forever album cover casts on the backing screen, crows and all, while the working class ensemble take the stage.

No time has passed when you see God Forbid vocalist Byron Davis with the same hairline in the same button-down Dickies work shirt. My scalp is in admiration for this man’s widow peak. “I gotta shake the cobwebs off,” he says during the third song. My spidey sense detected none.

The audience hands Byron a mask that looks like the first one Corey Taylor wore when Slipknot debuted, except with blonde curls. He rests it on a cymbal stand, looking over the band like a scarecrow, before the band sneaks “Allegiance” from their Better Days EP into their set. “It’s been a while,” Byron jokingly sings the tune to the Staind hit.

Doc Coyle carries a lot on his RUN-DMC shirt-clad shoulders, playing guitar, singing backup, and likely putting this whole tour together, allowing Nick Hipa, formerly of As I Lay Dying, to freely shred up and down the stage. And if I’m not looking straight at him, it’s almost like Dallas is back. Doc gets the crowd to chant “FUCK U.P.S.” after the United Parcel Service accidentally sent their merch boxes back to New Jersey.

Byron dedicates “Antihero” to the right and the left branches of government and their forever wars. “When does the war against war begin?”

Victim of Life.

My trance is broken at the end of “Washed Out World” when some dippy bird-like Anya Taylor Joy skeleton steps away from her post of blocking the VIP entrance to ask me a question but cowers away after I pull out an earplug and yells, “WHAT?”

“To be honest, I did not like L.A. I never felt welcome. But tonight, I feel welcome, so thank you,” Byron admits. “It’s like one of the ‘70s movies; you know it’s like ‘Slippin' into darkness.’” He sings the classic War song. “You know what I’m saying? That’s how it felt.”

Byron dedicates “Soul Engraved” to his grandkids. Grandkids! What the fuck… “Will I be gone forever?” Byron asks the question during the following song, without screaming, in sincerity. The existential question. “Will I disappear?”

After they finish playing the album, the band does the obligatory goodbye all bands do before the assumed encore. “You’re still here?” Doc jokes upon returning.

Doc acknowledges moving to the Los Angeles area ten years ago: “For years, everyone was asking me to bring the band here…We’ve never been the biggest band in the world, but the people that enjoy what we do give it 100% so to the fucking die-hards, man, thanks for [this].”

The encore consists of “Chains of Humanity” and “The End of the World,” closing the night.

“This gon’ be the last song. We will see you…” the most humble vocalist in metal trails off, unsure how to finish the sentence. 

As soon as the band leaves Ice Cube’s “Today Was a Good Day” plays over the P.A. Walking back to my car a homeless bar is set up in front of King Eddy’s Saloon. This is the end.