Hailing from Philadelphia, No Gods is the latest band to join the Heavy and Fast Records roster. Last month, the label dropped Antidivinity, a 4-song EP, which starts with an inhale, a breath before the chaos. My favorite way to start any release! The riffs on this release are extraordinary. When you combine it with the percussion's creativity, it makes this EP unmatched in brutality.
What I am getting to is that there is a good level of death metal influence in their songwriting. It really makes for a unique sound; this formula is working really well on Antidivinity. Each song on this release has memorable riffs and drum fills, especially on the third track, "Now I Rot."
I talked to Joey, the band's guitarist and vocalist, about the new EP and No Gods’ signature sound.
The band has harnessed its thrash sound. What was the evolution of the band to get here today?
For us, it was always fast first. Thrash works best with a modifier. We try to incorporate a ’90s death metal vibe with a hardcore/power violence edge. Moving forward, we’re going to keep leaning into that.
This release is insane with fast riffs and great grooves. What has been inspiring you as of late?
Aside from the obvious ones, it’s a lot of Revocation, Nails, Warbringer, and Caustic Wound. I’m also really into the new Tribal Gaze album from this past year. It’s a pretty diverse set of influences we pull from. I try to keep it very contemporary, or at least focused on records released after I was born, when writing for No Gods.
A Slayer-style riff is evergreen, but what’s happening right now in heavy and extreme music is too good not to draw influence from the bands putting out records and shaping the sound today.
The song "Antidivinity" seems to be nestled in this world that goes against standard Christian values. Can you tell me the inspiration for No Gods and your views on Religion?
Honestly, it’s the opposite. If you boil "Christian values" down, it’s really just about being decent to everyone. "Antidivinity" is a commentary on ‘good Christians’ intentionally misinterpreting scripture as an excuse to be terrible people. It’s not hard to read much of the Bible and see it as something positive, but greed and selfishness lead the worst people to interpret it in hateful ways.
As for the name ‘No Gods,’ there’s no deep meaning behind it. It just sounds cool. We obviously lean into the whole imagery of it, though.
The riffs and drumming are creative for the release. Your previous effort had memorable tracks. Is there a full-length in the works, or will these songs just be meant for this release?
We go back and forth on what we want to do. We’re actively writing right now with the intention of a full-length, but that doesn’t mean we won’t turn around and do another four-song EP in six months. We’re in an era where attention spans are cooked, so a shorter release might make more sense. Who knows. We love these songs, and we love the two-song EP we did in 2024. I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of them get re-recorded and folded into a full-length.
What is next for No Gods?
Right now, we're planning shows and laying the groundwork for a weekender or two this spring. My goal is to play more outside of Philly in 2026. There are too many great scenes on the East Coast not to bring No Gods to them.
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Antidivinity is out now via Heavy and Fast Records (order it on cassette).
No Gods on social media: Instagram
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