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Displeased Records/Border
Dutch band DEAD HEAD celebrates 20 years with their fifth album. New for 2009 are bass player and vocalist Ralph de Bore (SIDIUS). They released their debut back in 1991, “The Feast Begins at Dawn”. It was followed by “Dream Deceiver” in 1993, “Kill Division” in 1999 and “Haatland” in 2005. Six years from one album to another indicated problems and there has been a good deal of record company changes. The original vocalist has left and returned, and for a short while the band enlisted the help of Michiel Dekker of THE MONOLITH DEATHCULT. But now they are of cause back, faster and more extreme than ever?
They head off with “Dissolved in Purity”, which is almost mid-paced, heavy and doomy until the first guitar filler. From then on they are close to early SLAYER. Ralph sings as raunchy and in despair as Tom Araya. Like most artists in the Displeased roost they are faithful to the old school. But “Green Angel” is more blurred structure-wise, and Ralph´s vocals/shrieks are more desperate. But the guitar work mostly remains in the classic vein. Still they seem hell-bent on a top spot in extreme metal. They have a German brutality, and a speed that probably makes them less accessible for those who are into American thrash/speed. I am most impressed with guitarists Ronnie van der Wey and Robbie Woning, who, in turn, seems mostly impressed with Hanneman and King. When the band lessens the pace, as in “The Swing”, I believe they hit the right grooves. Songs like “Green Angel” and “Daemonique” are more extreme and only partly interesting. More tracks in the vein of “Firegate” and “Nero Dies” would have raised my interest. I would also have liked Ralph to stick to actually singing on more songs. But that is only my humble opinion.
Track List
Dissolved in Purity
Green Angel
Cryptocynic
The Swing
Daemonique
Firegate
Less than Zero
Hateland
Nero Dies
Murder
Pesticide
www.displeasedrecords.com www.deadhead.nl |
