Heads for the Dead is right on time for Halloween.
Still signed to Pulverized Records, Ralf Hauber (vocals, Revel in Flesh, Rotpit, ex-Immortal Rites), Jonny Pettersson (guitar/bass, Henry Kane, Human Harvest, Massacre, Wombbath…), Matt Moliti (guitar, Sentient Horror, ex-Dark Empire), and Evan Daniele (drums, Dead and Dripping, Vulnificus, Anal Exorcism…) unveil Never Ending Night Of Terror, the band’s fourth album.
After a very short vocal sample, The Vastness Of Time kicks off at full speed, offering catchy riffs while Ralf roars, then with some ethereal keyboards to accompany the Old School-tinged fury. The solo reinforces the ambient chaos, but the rhythm section continues to pound away before giving way to Death Mask, which starts off fairly calmly, then gives way to savagery and unveils a driving, jerky approach. The horror elements are very effective, adding real value, as on Phantasmagoria, which immediately sets its riffs to an imposing tone and fuels the massive approach almost constantly, making the song quite majestic. We set off again at full speed and full power on In Disgust We Trust, a fairly short track that at times recalls a touch of unbridled grind, but the atmosphere becomes quite gentle again on Never Ending Night Of Terror, a long, disturbing composition with occasional dissonant touches, remaining in line with the horror soundtrack theme. The vocals are also complemented by a few muffled passages, and while the song doesn’t exclude a few moments of violence, it remains almost soothing, finally passing the baton to Give Me Life, where we are greeted by keyboards and sampled vocals before moving on to the massacre with heavy and aggressive riffs, which don’t shy away from adding a few more melodic elements in the leads. The Harvester follows with a slightly more moderate pace, but one that fits perfectly with the stirring riffing and piercing solo, then The Shape Of Light Bleeds Black adopts Gothic/Doom influences, justifying a deliberate slowness that fits perfectly with the anguished additions. We continue with To The Very Last, which gives us our dose of double pedals and blasts, alternating between the two with devastating naturalness, then the album ends with a tribute to the band Goblin with Witchkrieg, the last composition that emphasizes keyboards and samples without forgetting the massive and catchy riffs, creating a most interesting contrast.
Fans of horrific Death Metal will have plenty to enjoy with Never Ending Night Of Terror! Heads for the Dead‘s productions are always top-notch, but the band has truly outdone itself on this album, which easily ranks among the best of their discography.
90/100
