It’s so great to realize some bloodshed is really appreciated around here. Almost two years ago we had the pleasure and honor to review Dead Head’s “Slave Driver” album whose sonancy addressed directly to the mighty Slayer. It’s also great to realize bands that keep the faith and maintain their faith to the music they believe. In fact, “Shadow Soul” is very different from “Slave Driver” for some more melodies and the cadenced stops the band adds to their music. There are also some out of the box moments in the tracks giving them some more spice. The outcome is the real bloodshed and musical violence we are used to – and love. More importantly, this album is the celebration of a 35 year career. Here and there as in gran finale “Dark Emptyness” there are some instrumental that deliver some more melodies. In this case, an instrumental piece full of guitar strummings and melodic guitar leads.
“Shadow Soul” commences with the fast-as-hell “Litany of the Weak” – I wonder if hell is fast as we think it is. Here and there there alements that address a lot to Slayer, but I guess the track is a little faster than usual. Well, on second thought, not really, but, you, my dear child of the night might get me. It’s great the way the track slows down with a more cadenced moment that makes the fan headbang at large. This also happens with following track “Serpents of Fame” with an amazing guitar duel. There are also other interesting moments in the track with some unusual riffs. Maybe this is the most important facete of Dead Head which is under the killer and bloody Thrash Metal is a layer of some out of the box moments. For instance, the instrumental “Defiance” that sounds to be recorded alive, but it’s not. It’s just some people talking on the background. I liked a lot the cadenced guitar riff. “Defiance” opens the way to the bloody “The Age of Hype” whose guitar riffings are faster-than-the-speed-of-light – this one is really fast. Another feature of the band is to add some more cadenced guitar riffs to the blood shed.
This is an album for a Slayer fan. There is no doubt about it, however, Dead Head found a way to add their own features. Now with “Shadow Soul” there is only an echo of Slayer. Not more than this.
Dead Head “Shadow Soul” was released on March 29th via Hammerheart Records.
Track Listing:
- Litany of the Weak
- Serpents of Fame
- Caverns of Fate
- Defiance
- The Age of Hype
- The Run
- Opulent Disruption
- Dark Emptiness
Watch “The Age of Hype” official lyric video here:
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