Most black metal bands don’t cite Donnie Darko, the Backstreet Boys, and true crime podcasts as key influences—but Spider God has never been interested in playing by the rules. Since emerging in 2020 with a flurry of raw black metal releases like Black Renditions and Fly in the Trap, the UK-based once-one-man project helmed by “G” has developed one of the most ambitious conceptual arcs in the modern underground: a multi-album true crime cycle that blends melodic black metal with emotional storytelling, thematic ritual, and experimental fan engagement.
Black Renditions by Spider God
The latest chapter, Possess the Devil, marks Spider God’s most cohesive and cathartic work to date—a record that doesn’t just tell a story, but builds a world. “We wrote it almost like a short horror film,” G tells Decibel. “Every song is a scene. And there’s this central question running through it: What does it really mean to want power? What are you willing to give up for it? Who do you become in the process?”
Building a Cult, Quietly
Though relatively under-the-radar in the U.S., Spider God has cultivated a rabid following across Europe. The project first gained notice with 2022’s Black Renditions, a surprising collection of pop covers delivered through the scorched lens of second-wave black metal. But even then, Spider God’s core was never novelty. Underneath the blast beats and tremolo melodies were seeds of a larger narrative. “I was making albums in the school holidays,” G laughs, referring to his former life as a teacher. “Spider God was just a way to stay creative, but the response was unexpected. It kept building, so I kept going.”
Before Spider God, G was immersed in conceptual music projects that already hinted at his narrative instincts. He wrote a full prog-rock musical based on Dante’s Inferno, inspired as much by Jesus Christ Superstar and American Idiot as by any extreme metal. That project briefly landed a label deal, but stalled during the pandemic—pushing G to reimagine his creative output. “That was the spark,” he says. “It was meant for the stage, but when it collapsed, I funneled everything into what would become Spider God.”
Spider God’s lineup has since expanded to include drummer Pat Murphy and guitarist Tom Collins, who also runs Repose Records. Now far from a one-man bedroom project, the band’s growth into a full live unit—with UK tours and festival appearances—has been essential to their evolution and growing reputation.
Across a relatively sprawling discography for just three years of activity—including the full-lengths Fly in the Trap and The Killing Room—Spider God has established a serialized mythology rooted in real-life disappearances and murder cases. But these aren’t true crime retellings for shock value. Possess the Devil operates like ritualized media criticism, exploring obsession, narrative gaps, and society’s uneasy relationship with victimhood and voyeurism. “It’s not about just exploiting these cases,” G explains. “It’s about interrogating why we’re drawn to them—and how those stories change in the retelling.”
Possess the Devil by Spider God
The Possession Arc
Possess the Devil is the third and final installment of a narrative trilogy, following The Killing Room and an upcoming prequel that will serve as the origin chapter. Though Possess the Devil was recorded before The Killing Room, it is intended as the closing chapter of the story. “This record sits at the end of the story. It’s the final act,” G says. “The Killing Room is the second part, and the next one will go backward. It’s a prequel to both.”
Musically, Possess the Devil is a study in tension and release. The album retains Spider God’s signature melodic sensibility—soaring leads, memorable hooks—but channels it into a more refined and emotionally charged sound. “I’m a sucker for melody,” G admits. “I love a big chorus, I love a good hook. But this time around, we tried to be more subtle—to let things build slowly, create tension, and then release it.”
Another hallmark of this new phase is G’s embrace of influence beyond the genre’s expected boundaries. “I’m not just listening to black metal,” he says. “I’m listening to pop, hip-hop, death metal, stuff like that. That’s why the songs are what they are—they sound like Spider God now, not like anyone else.”
The title track from The Killing Room showcases the project’s dynamic range, shifting from near-hymnal passages to explosive blackened ferocity. It’s a cinematic sound, fitting for a record that’s less an album than a dark liturgy. “One fan compared that song to Oasis,” G says with a chuckle. “I love that. It shows how far we’ve come.”
The Killing Room by Spider God
Fans as Detectives
What sets Spider God apart isn’t just the music—it’s the universe that surrounds it. QR codes, UV-inked postcards, hidden Bandcamp pages, and spectrographic images have all become part of the experience, giving fans a digital scavenger hunt to complement the albums. “We built this whole world of clues and codes,” G says. “It’s like an amateur sleuth experience. The album is just the tip of the iceberg.”
At the center of it all is an online community where fans pore over lyrics, artwork, and symbolism with obsessive detail—sometimes uncovering connections even G didn’t intend. “Apparently there are offshoot chats where they talk about what they’re going to ask me next,” he laughs. “Some of the theories they come up with are wild—but it’s amazing to see people that engaged.”
Rather than retreat into black metal’s usual isolationism, G has embraced the collaborative energy of the community. “It’s emotional. It’s intimate. And hopefully it gets under your skin in a different kind of way.” And as the band’s mythos expands, so does its reach—geographically, sonically, and culturally.
Crossing the Atlantic
Despite a prolific release schedule and critical acclaim in Europe, Spider God remains relatively unknown in the U.S. It’s not for lack of effort—but G acknowledges the gap. “Americans gather around bands. They protect their own,” he says. “The UK scene, we’re all disparate. The Scottish and Welsh scenes have strong identities, but the rest of us? We’re still figuring it out.”
That divide is slowly changing. Possess the Devil was recorded at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts, and the story is primarily set in California—two details that reflect Spider God’s growing ties to the U.S. underground. With American collaborators now involved in production and more attention being paid stateside, the band seems poised for greater transatlantic exposure. But G remains cautious. “If more people find it, great,” he says. “But I’m not chasing anything. I’m just trying to tell the story the right way.”
A Possession, Not a Performance
Ultimately, Spider God is less a band than a vessel—a vehicle for storytelling, symbolism, and sonic catharsis. It’s not just black metal. It’s grief, fascination, transformation. And with Possess the Devil, G has created a record that doesn’t simply depict damnation. It invites the listener to enter it willingly. “Rather than someone who’s trying to banish the devil or exorcise them, this is someone who wants to possess the devil—to claim that power, regardless of the consequences,” G says. “And maybe that’s the most terrifying thing of all.”
Spider God’s artistic evolution is also mirrored in their attention to detail. The Possess the Devil vinyl box set was designed like a reliquary—its packaging curated to reflect the ritualistic, near-religious experience G intends. Every component, from the vinyl etchings to the inserts, furthers the sense of immersion. “I think physical media is crucial,” G explains. “It’s a way to honor the work—like creating a sacred object.”
As the band close out their true crime trilogy, the project seems to be teetering on the edge of something bigger. The mythos is rich, the music resonant, and the mystery still unfolding. Whether they continue down this dark, narrative-driven path or pivot toward something entirely unexpected, one thing is certain: G’s vision for Spider God has become essential listening for anyone who wants their black metal to do more than just burn. It should haunt. It should question. And above all, it should possess.
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