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DECEASED
Children Of The Morgue

Hells Headbangers (2024)
Rating: 8.5/10

Forty years after their formation, Virginian mob Deceased – still led by maniac Kingsley “King” Fowley – unveils its 11th full-length studio offering and it’s arguably one of the band’s finest moments.

Complete with unusual cover art courtesy of Desmond Root Ambrose, this album rewards you with 55-minutes of wholesome heavy metal that is laced with so many variations. Flecks of Iron Maiden, dollops of crossover thrash, and even a jarring Voivod entanglement on ‘Terrornaut’. It’s such an immersive experience so I advise a handful of listens at the very least in order to be able to consume the layers.

The combo isn’t only adept at punching the listener with punky flavours but the shades of classic thrash are also a joy to behold, and yet woven in-between the folds are smatterings of the unorthodox alongside the signature trends. The death thrash of ‘The Reaper Is Nesting’ smears into punk as do the dashes of Discharge that the title track brings with its edgy 80s hardcore vibe.

Deceased demands you get involved as melodious shades fuse with progressive colours. Interesting then that early Voivod and then Voivod circa Angel Rat (1991) seem to be influences here, but then again ‘The Gravedigger’ mixes doom and punk before tipping into a classic metal charge. Closer ‘Farewell (Taken To Forever)’ is deathly in its fury, but there’s no predictable avenues, every corner seems to reveal something unexpected, even with the more traditional elements.

One would think that with a few tracks clocking in at over seven minutes that the album would feel bloated, but because there are so many ingredients contained I actually found myself disappointed when the longer songs ended. Further variety abounds on ‘Fed To Mother Earth’ with the injection of female vocals and then the punked up vibe of ‘Brooding Lament’.

I can’t reiterate just how good this album is, made all the more inviting by the warm production and the strong sense of never forgetting where you come from while at the same time keeping things fresh. Deceased lives!.

Neil Arnold

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