Five years ago, Ralf Hauber (Revel In Flesh) and Jonny Pettersson (Wombbath) joined demonic forces for a new project. The goal was a death metal band that conjured images of pre-’90s retro horror cinema. The result was Heads for the Dead, a slash ‘n’ roll squad of veteran musicians committed to old school barbarity. After last year’s punk-influenced EP, the band leans back into creating an oppressive mood of dread on their third record III: The Great Conjuration. We here at Decibel Magazine have risked upsetting the cosmic balance to exclusively share the album a couple days early. Heads for the Dead and Transcending Obscurity unleash the album officially on September 2nd.
By horror-inspired metal we mean it’s far more than just crushing riffs adorned with audio clips of cinematic screams. Although, if you explicitly crave that combo they have you covered on both “The Great Wheel” and “The Bloodline.” Instead, III: The Great Conjuration focuses on establishing an atmosphere thick with shadow-lurking danger. The keyboard and FX contributions from guitarist/bassist Pettersson cast an even more infernal spell on this record. Meanwhile, Hauber snarls and shrieks with the unhinged menace of a renegade horror film narrator. On drums, they welcome Pettersson’s Wombbath battering mate Jon Rudin. After previously collaborating as a guest musician, guitarist Matt Moliti (Sentient Horror) joined Heads for the Dead in a featured capacity to showcase his Lovecraftian shred.
Once the album roars to life it doesn’t stop prowling for blood until the last note. The balance of old school death and classic metal embellishments on “The Curse” perfectly match the throwback cover art by Cory DeAn Cowley. The album even features one of the best covers I’ve heard in a long time: a rollicking version of Roky Erickson’s occult rock anthem “Bloody Hammer.” While the album largely commits to a mid-paced death metal stomp, Heads for the Dead keep the album fresh with welcome textures and splatters of melody. The lead guitars cut through the muck and the mire in “Rotten Bastards.” Later, they achieve a Carpenter-esque hypnotism with the keyboard lines of “World Serpent Dominion.” It’s an album that appeals to the horror freaks among us that relish every creature reveal and jump scare.
Press play below and offer your skull to these death metal ghouls.
Pre-order the album from Transcending Obscurity HERE
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