All Heads Are Gonna Roll
Review Score: 9
Reviewed by: Billy Klare
Vomitory unleash their new album “All Heads Are Gonna Roll” through Metal Blade Records on May 26, 2023. The band originated from Sweden in 1989 and excel in brutal old school death metal. Prior discography included eight albums with the last released in 2011 (titled “Opus Mortis VIII”) just before Vomitory disbanded in early 2013. Fast forward to today and I’m pleased to report Vomitory are back with a vengeance and their ferocious sound remains fully intact, even enhanced.
“All Heads Are Gonna Roll” is less experimental relative to “Opus Mortis VIII” but that’s not a bad thing. The new material is vicious and relentless, pummeling the listener through the entire 40 minute album length, not letting up for a second. The band stated they made an effort to write more distinct choruses and increase focus on backing vocal arrangements which is clearly evident for long time fans. This new writing approach provides more structure, layers and catchy hooks within each song. The album is memorable and accessible on the first listen but still retains full brutality as Vomitory fans demand. A minor enhancement to their sound in 2023 but it works.
All members return ensuring continuity from where the band left off in 2013. Erik Rundqvist delivers another outstanding brutal vocal performance where he retains vocal clarity allowing the listener to decipher his lyrical content. He’s one of the best death metal vocalists in my opinion and hasn’t lost a step after such a long break. Guitar duo Peter Ostlund & Urban Gustafsson propel the album forward with another batch of ruthless heavy riffs and strategically placed solos. Tobias Gustafsson’s drum performance is exceptional. His playing is aggressive and savage but never formulaic. After a 12 year hiatus, there’s no rust on these guys.
Early standout tracks include: “Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead”, “Beg for Death”, “Ode to the Meat Saw”, “The Deepest Tomb”, “Decrowned” and “Dead Man Stalking” but the entire album is strong. The above noted songs are brutally heavy and aggressive but laced with memorable hooks that puts an evil smile on my face. One could potentially criticize this record for a somewhat repetitive songwriting approach but not me. This is OLD SCHOOL DEATH METAL and Vomitory fully intended to provide the listener with this relentless aural assault.
The production is heavy and aggressive but also surprisingly clean for death metal. I’m not a fan of death metal production / mix that assaults the listener with an undefined wall of sound but that’s not the case here. We get full clarity of all instruments and Erik’s vocals allowing the listener to enjoy all aspects of the music. The band noted they took their time recording the album using a mobile studio removing some of the typical studio related pressures and it shows. The album sounds fantastic.
Lyrical focus incorporates all the traditional death metal violence topics but also appears to link in the album artwork horror movie theme. The cover artwork is equally brutal aligning to the music. For those like me who still buy physical media, Metal Blade & Vomitory have some very cool splatter / color vinyl variants for sale along with CD’s.
In summary, “All Heads Are Gonna Roll” is sure to be a contender for top 2023 death metal album of the year. It’s brutal, heavy and vicious but still fully accessible and memorable. A must for old school death metal fans. I also belief this album represents the perfect gateway into more extreme death metal for broader metal fans. Highly recommended.
VOMITORY line-up:
Erik Rundqvist – vocals/bass
Urban Gustafsson – guitar
Peter Östlund – lead guitar
Tobias Gustafsson – drum
Track Listing:
01. All Heads Are Gonna Roll
02. Decrowned
03. Ode to the Meat Saw
04. The Deepest Tomb
05. Piece by Stinking Piece
06. Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead
07. Dead Man Stalking
08. Disciples of the Damned
09. Dead World
10. Beg for Death