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DEARLY BEHEADED
"Temptation"
(Fierce/Futurist; 1996)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Largely ignored by the press and the record buying public alike, Dearly Beheaded slipped under the radar of the metal world. Dearly Beheaded's "Temptation" was caught in the 1996 netherworld after the thrash heyday and the embryonic era before the metal world expanded with creative highlights from the black metal and melodic death metal scenes.
"Temptation" is chock full of riff-oriented material - and very solid riffs at that. It might be best to think of Dearly Beheaded as Metallica without as much of a thrash influence or Pantera without the pissed-off aggression or a doom band that fused its style with thrash. I also hear a lot of the style that Wrathchild America/Souls At Zero played during the early Nineties.
The title track has non-stop riff-mongering with a few slow breaks to smell the space between the chords. "Witness" is an infectious number and the mid-paced stomp of "Leaving Them Behind" is particularly good. "No Rest" bogs down at the end of the disc which is a bit of a disappointment, but probably the only true disappointment on the disc.
"Temptation" is a lot of fun to listen to when I'm in a 'retro mood' without having to resort to listening to the great (and more popular) bands of the late Eighties and early Nineties. It's also interesting to point out that Dearly Beheaded were from England and it's not often that one thinks of England and this particular style of metal.
"Temptation" was produced by Colin Richardson.
Dearly Beheaded is Alex Creamer on vocals, Phil Stevens on lead guitar, Steve Owens on rhythm guitar, Tim Preston on bass, and Simon Dawson on drums.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2002 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
04 Mar 2024 13:27:27 -0500.
