Here's some brutal death metal in the classic style... from Malta!? Something tells me there probably aren't a lot of death bands from Malta. Weird. But anyway, this stuff is pretty much by the books. They balance the speed of the tremolo picking with some churning slow grooves, there are more than a few pinch harmonics tossed around, the vocals are guttural low growls, and the songs are relatively straightforward as far as the arrangements go. Original? Not one bit. But it's actually not that bad for what it is. Of course the songs can tend to sound very similar to one another in most cases, but occasionally they'll break away with a track like "Consecrated Absurdities", which throws in some dissonance and even integrates a nice sample, definitely standing out from the pack. I'd like to hear them throw some more solos in as well, or perhaps just lengthen the lead breaks that do exist, because the solos always feel welcome when they do come up. The production is alright, but I could stand for a few minor adjustments. For one thing the drums are too rigid (barely) and stand out from the guitars/bass too much. The vocals aren't mixed too loud, but they too seem separated from the core of the music. So I think that tightening up the mix and closing the gaps is probably the most important factor to consider. Other than that I'd like to hear a warmer drum sound (especially on the kicks) and more definition to the bass guitar. They've got a solid sound, though... The layout's okay. I'm not a fan of the typical illegible band logo with all of the pronged letters, and the cover art with all the bodies floating around with tubes in their eyes and what have you could be better... but it could also be much worse. So it's alright. I really like the tight, small font used for the lyrics and the other text in the layout. It's compact but easy to read, so that was a good call. The lyrics aren't as bad as they could be either, thankfully it's not just a bunch of gore. But let's just say that these guys either have interesting vocabularies or they like to use dictionaries and thesauruses, what with song titles like "Consecrated Absurdities" and "Compelling Derangement". "Self-possessed in absolute consternation, Pensive sights divulge scenes of aberration, Dismembered dreams from a bludgeoned past, Taunting last fragments of inherent lust..." Obviously all of the rhyming (which continues throughout almost every line of every song) is a big hindrance, but I can deal with it. Hell, you can't understand a word of it anyway. The lack of variety may not be working in Beheaded's favor, but as far as straightforward death metal goes there are some very nice songs here.
[Forever Underground]
Running time - 42:24, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Consecrated Absurdities, Fed Upon Odium]
Forever Underground Records - http://www.foreverunderground.com
