Heads For The Dead is back to unleash terror with a new album.
Internationally formed in 2017, the band composed of Jonny Pettersson (guitar/bass/keyboards, Massacre, Wombbath, ex-Ashcloud, ex-Just Before Dawn… ), Ralf Hauber (vocals, Reveal In Flesh), Jon Rudin (drums, Dead Sun, Wombbath, Just Before Dawn…) and Matt Moliti (guitar, Sentient Horror, ex-Dark Empire) announced in 2022 the release of The Great Conjuration, on Transcending Obscurity Records.
The first riffs of The Jewel of the Seven Stars slowly come to us before wild screams fully unleash them. Dissonance and darkness team up to crush us with devastating Swedish influences and a horrific atmosphere, then the short The Beast imposes heaviness and terrifying elements to create a storm of uncontrollable violence that also draws from Black Metal. The band continues with the heavy The Covenant and its oppressive introduction which finally drives us to impressive riffs interspersed with fast and aggressive parts, creating an extremely catchy contrast which will also be exploited on Rotten Bastard and its killer blast. We feel some complexity on some parts, while others focus on raw efficiency and heady melodies before this mysterious sample that leads us to The Breaking Wheel and its unbeatable cruelty. The band offers us sharp and cutting riffs coupled with their characteristic heaviness, creating a dark and powerful wave which seems to never subside before giving way to The Bloodline and its strange but heavy tones. The throbbing sound mixes with a very steady and efficient rhythmic as well as some energetic spurts before giving way to the impressive and long World Serpent Dominion which pushes orchestrations to the extreme without neglecting riffs that permanently bludgeon us. The massive sound sometimes gives way to more raw and catchy elements before coming back to the thick wall of sound or to more original elements, then The Curse reveals its mysterious darkness with well chosen samples. Aggressiveness quickly resurfaces in the frantic riffs and devastating screams, sometimes letting polished leads take over violence, then Bloody Hammer offers a clean voice and heavy influences to combine with raw rage. The Fog closes the album with mysterious and anguishing sounds that don’t forget to invoke waves of strength, letting the sound choke us until the last moment.
With Heads For The Dead, Death Metal and horrific atmospheres combine in a heavy and unbridled violence to crush us. Whether its riffs remain effective in all circumstances, The Great Conjuration will know how to captivate us with its anguishing samples and its screams of terror.
95/100