Deceased - Ghostly White [Hells Headbangers - 2018]Death metal cornerstones, Deceased, are back after seven long years with Ghostly White on Hells Headbangers. Forming in 1985, King Fowley and the boys have thrashed and grinded incessantly despite a sparse release schedule, and Ghostly White is proof of their unwavering dedication to the scene. With eight songs clocking in at around fifty-five minutes, Deceased stick true to their legacy of long, grim, death metal yarns. Continuing with their tradition of narrative based death metal, Deceased's Ghostly White tackles hauntings and ghostly tales. Delivered with King Fowley's unmistakable bellow, Deceased makes their message abundantly clear: despite their time away from recording, they haven't lost a step. The epic poets of the death metal community, King and crew build their foundation upon long songs constructed with well written, well played instrumentation, and engaging, persistent lyrics. Being the raconteurs of death metal, Deceased runs the risk of their stories getting away from them. However, their heavy, skilled chops keep them from devolving into a side show among the current crop of shredders. Actually, Deceased has seemed to increase their skill over the years, and managed to tune their craft and not only retain their sound, but to become more relevant. In the past, the lyrical content took the forefront, and the music was just sort of a vessel in which to get the story across. On Ghostly White, not only has the music increased in intensity, but also in importance. Deceased have spent their entire career moving forward, and their latest is a great example of their commitment to the craft.
Coming seven years after their last effort, Deceased have released Ghostly White, one of the finest albums of their long, storied career. Coming from the illustrious Hells Headbangers label, fans of well constructed, old school death would be well advised to rekindle their love affair with King and crew. Despite the fact that Deceased is death metal, death metal is far from deceased. Paul Casey
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