Heads for the Dead is out.
Following their third album last year, Ralf Hauber (vocals, Revel in Flesh, Rotpit, ex-Immortal Rites), Jonny Pettersson (guitar/bass, Henry Kane, Human Harvest, Massacre, Wombbath…), Jon Rudin (drums, Dead Sun, Human Harvest, Just Before Dawn, Pale King…) and Matt Moliti (guitar, Sentient Horror, ex-Dark Empire) unveil In The Absence of Faith, their new EP, on Pulverised Records.
Heart of Darkness, the first track, immediately places us in the band’s hazy universe, populated by heady melodies, before the raw vocal parts come to haunt the ominous melodies. Samples reinforce the dark tones, as on Taste of Terror, which couples an Old School approach to its rhythm, making it catchy while retaining the horrific elements that give it such a distinctive flavor. The leads don’t hesitate to place sharp harmonics before allowing us a brief moment to breathe with The God Forsaken, before carrying us away in its waves of haunting darkness, then letting the hurricane express itself at full speed. The guitars fuel the charge, then slow down to let us loose on Self-Immolation In Fire and its ominous introduction, which finally lets go of the reins to let the musicians run wild. The heavier, groovier parts also fit in with the crushing approach of the track, which lets cries of distress lead us into Possession, which takes the theme from The Exorcist before adding its usual Death Metal saturation to create a catchy mix in all circumstances, accompanied by ethereal keyboards.
Heads for the Dead‘s morbid passion allows them to skilfully blend effective Death Metal with horrific elements to great effect, and although In The Absence of Faith is a little short, it’s still extremely catchy!
95/100