photo by Mark Latham

Leading independent music retailer VICTORY RECORDS released a free sampler via Facebook over the weekend (free, that is, in exchange for a “like” on the social network, of course). And like any label’s sampler, it has some good stuff (Jungle Rot, Ringworm, Pathology — I guess I like Pathology now?) and some bad stuff (Design the Skyline, Dr. Acula, Emmure). But the real reason to download it is a demo of a new God Forbid song, “Where We Come From.”

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I really hate the end of the year during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s seasonal depression, or maybe it’s because I’m still coming to grips with the fact that Satan Clause doesn’t exist. I always get loopy during that time of the year. My last two blogs were extensions of that, and if I offended any of you guys, I apologize. I really appreciate every person who comes to MetalSucks and contributes to making this place the best metal site on the interwebz. When I called some of you “faggots” and “assholes” it was out of love. Honestly!

I’ve been an angry, bitter fuck these last couple of months. I don’t need to tell you guys. And I appreciate you being good sports throughout this whole ordeal. It’s 2010 and it’s time to move on.

From leaving God Forbid to my personal life completely falling apart, I’ve been dealing with some wild bullshit. I’m thirty years old now and for you young bucks out there, take it from me: life gets harder. But that’s okay. It has to get harder, or else we wouldn’t get stronger.

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Hard to believe it’s been almost a year since Dallas Coyle and God Forbid parted ways, but there ya have it. And a lot of God Forbid fans – including this one – were wondering who was gonna take Dallas’ spot in the band. Former Himsa guitarist Matt Wicklund has been doing live shows with the group since last summer’s Mayhem Fest, and the rumors have been swirling that he was taking the job pretty much ever since -  a couple of readers e-mailed us to say that Wicklund was introduced as “our new guitar player” on-stage, and earlier this month he tweeted that he was “Getting ready to go to rehearsal!”, although rehearsal for what was left kinda-sorta vague.

Well, the rumors are no longer rumors: Wicklund is, in fact, the new full-time guitarist for God Forbid. A statement from Doc Coyle reads as follows:

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After last week’s announcement that ex-Himsa axeman Matt Wicklund would be playing with God Forbid on this summer’s Mayhem Fest and that God Forbid’s Doc Coyle would be filling in on bass for Trivium for at least one show, I expressed interest in hearing from any readers who caught the gig.

Well, one of you, Ryan Wineman, did indeed e-mail me over the weekend. Here’s his report:

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…Matt Wicklund, formerly of the now-defunct Himsa. He also played on Praises to the War Machine, the excellent solo album Nevermore’s Warrel Dane released last year.

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