Review DEAD HEAD ‘Shadow Soul’

Dead Head belong to the veteran bands when it comes to thrash metal from The Netherlands. Founded in 1989 Dead Head released their debut album ‘The Feast Begins at Daw’ back in 1991. Even with the 90s being not that generous to thrash metal bands, the Dutchmen released three longplayers in that decade and never gave up to date. Even with partly many years between releases, Dead Head was always active and therefor the next strike has reached the record stores.

The four-piece didn’t adjust their musical compass. Two years after ‘Slave Driver’ has been launched it a new album called ‘Shadow Soul’ that offers fast and aggressive thrash metal. The new effort contains eight heavily pounding thrash metal anthems and each of them is a little treat. It is the untamed energy of this genre that acts a common denominator for these tracks.

It all starts with the wild and savage opener ‘Litany of the Weak’ with its infernal riff assaults. The first song on this release is a furious beginning and what come next isn’t weaker at all.

Dead Head has a talent, or the experience, to give each song kind of an own twist. ‘Serpents of Fame’ is such a track with a chorus that allows for some fan-shouts during live shows. Furthermore, there are songs like the less than 2-minute long ‘Defiance’. In case you expect an atmospheric interlude, the band proves you wrong. It is a riff-driven instrumental followed by ‘The Age of Hype’. The latter is a massive thrash metal tune where the band shifts gears. With references to the Bay Aera sound, Dead Head offers a high pace headbangers that reminds a lot of the furious Slayer times. Listening to this album is like tuning in on channel 666, broadcasting right from the abyss. The entertaining factor of this album is apparent when listing to ‘The Run’. Including the typical thrash metal ingredients the track comes with slower, almost doom-like parts too which adds a lot of versatility to the mix.

Dead Head add with ‘Shadow Soul’ a next strong release to their list of thundering albums. Thrash metal fans should not is this sonic blast from The Netherlands.