New Jersey melodic thrash-metal warriors GOD FORBID will perform at this year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival, set to take place September 8-11 at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. The show will mark GOD FORBID's first live appearance in over nine years.
GOD FORBID guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle commented: "I wasn't sure that this would ever happen, but I can't tell you how psyched I am to announce that GOD FORBID is reuniting to play this year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival. These are my brothers, and I can't wait to share this with the fans who've been waiting."
GOD FORBID officially called it quits in August 2013 following Doc's departure.
Last December, Doc told "The Jasta Show" about the possibility of a GOD FORBID comeback: "I think [the reunion] will happen; it's just a matter of when. Because Byron [Davis, vocals], he has a family, he's married, he's got a house, he's kind of doing that thing, everyone's kind of spread out. Same thing with John [Outcalt], our bass player; [he's] got a kid, got a house, got a mortgage, wife and you know… everyone’s kind of moved to this different phase of their lives and it makes it really have to create space to do these things and it's such a commitment of time and effort. And I'm super respectful of that, and I just don't wanna force anything, or make [the reunion] about money, or make it about… too much business. I want it to be about our friendship and kind of doing something for the fans. 'Cause we never did a last show, we never did a last tour, we never did a farewell. And so I think that that left just an empty kind of space there. And it's unfortunate, because I'm of the mind that I always wanted to do things the right way."
GOD FORBID's latest album, "Equilibrium", was released on March 27, 2012 via Victory Records. The bulk of the CD was recorded by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM), with Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER) stepping in during the the vocal-tracking stage. The effort was mixed by acclaimed Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with such acts as KATATONIA, OPETH, PARADISE LOST and AMON AMARTH.
"Equilibrium" sold 3,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 156 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at No. 7 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.