Heads for the Dead – Serpent’s Curse

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Poisonous. Corrosive. Lethal. Those are the first impression on Heads for the Dead “Serpent’s Curse” and as it may seem, it’s not a pun with the name of the album. The music herein “Serpent’s Curse” acts like an acid slowly dissolving everything in its way.

It is so because the supergroup Heads for the Dead decided not to write skullcrushing songs with the usual death metal extreme-velocity riffing and drumming. “Serpent’s Curse” is much more than a simple musical bashing. It is cruel because some songs are slow-paced, so the killing butchery goes slow, inch by inch, second by second with the known instrumental mastery. “Deep Below” is the first slow-paced killing machine. It does very well its job killing you slowly while you taste every second with its brutal pleasure. Guitar solo is the last nail in the coffin. “The Awakening” has the very proper name for what it does to you and your poor ears. Being even slower than “Deep Below,”  “The Awakening” goes slowly torturing you until it reaches the climax. Then, it suddenly gets faster to make the torture quick.

No, it’s not over yet. There’s one more and it is “Death Calls” which an introduction to “Of Wrath and Vengeance” whose slow mood acts like an acid reaching each hidden ground in your soul. “Of Wrath and Vengeance” is of a very interesting instrumental decision. Voice goes most of the time, but instrumental goes faster sometimes. This contrast of speed and tempos makes “Of Wrath and Vengeance” one of the most interesting track in “Serpent’s Curse” which could be easily considered one of the best death metal acts of this year. All of this happens because Ralf Hauber’s vocals expresses lots of pain and anguish in each line. Vocals make a huge difference in “Serpent’s Curse,” to be truthful. I’ll regret a lot if I don’t mention the old school mood “In Darkness You Feel No Regrets” with its old school and exciting instrumental.

Heads for the Dead “Serpent’s Curse” is a strong and fierceful album. The choice of making it slower and doomier than its peers revealed to be fairly right. Heads for the Dead  nailed it.

Heads for the Dead “Serpent’s Curse” will be released on September 24th via Transcending Obscurity Records.

Track Listing:

  1. Serpent’s Curse
  2. Head for the Dead
  3. Deep Below
  4. Post Mortem Suffering
  5. The Awakening
  6. Death Calls
  7. Of Wrath and Vengeance
  8. Gatecreeper – Into the Great Beyond
  9. Return to the Fathomless Darkness
  10. In Darkness You Feel No Regrets

Watch “Serpent’s Curse” official video here: