EP REVIEW: Endless Torment – Dead Heat

We all love a little hit of nostalgia, a throwback to a time that always seems better to us through the rose-tinted glasses that have been provided by magazines, documentaries and the endless stream of bangers that came before the world was overwhelmed by streaming and online arguing. However, the flip side of this is that people want content immediately and as a result we have devolved to creatures with embarrassingly short attention spans. What better then than a bite-size release of late 80s-inspired thrash/hardcore crossover metal? The answer is nothing. And those giving that answer are the four talented Californian natives that make up DEAD HEAT who are back with their latest EP Endless Torment.

It takes little time in the record’s eponymous track for the boys to throw the listener headfirst into a maelstrom of rapid-fire riffs and punk-infused drumbeats that all back up the high energy vocals. The confidence and swagger that oozes throughout this opening four minutes is infectious. This is a track that will provide the perfect backdrop for stage diving and crowd surfing in the live setting, oh and the lads have thrown in a crushing breakdown just for good measure.

The Mustaine-esque opening riff of Smite Thee is likely to be one of the finest thrash riffs you will hear all year and what follows it is something truly special. This is the band leaning into their Bay-area thrash influences and creating a new rendition of a beloved formula that sounds as familiar as it does fresh and new. This may be the shortest song on the release, but it is also the most concise and well delivered.

In the second half of the EP there’s the stellar Tears Of The Wolf – a track that provides one of the most exciting moments of the entire release in the form of a great singalong section. This feels epic, with the guitars sounding bigger than ever before and the melody being dialled up to a whole new level without compromising any of the heaviness or punk edge that has got the band this far. We then get an extremely well written guitar solo from Justin and one of the best vocal displays we’ve ever heard from Chris to slap a bow on what has to be regarded as a modern classic.

To close out the record the pace is shifted entirely with Hard Reset. It’s a pulverising four-minute thrash epic that sees the band embodying the very essence of SLAYER in their prime with drummer Yogie doing his best Dave Lombardo impersonation (no, this is not a diss). This is fast, exciting metal at its finest and shows you just how quickly and effectively the band can switch gears without anything ever feeling forced or out of place.

When you take a step back and look at Endless Torment as a whole, it is hard to pick any issues with it. The artwork? Not at all. Hayden Hall has smashed this one out of the park. The production/mixing? No way. Armand John Anthony and Arthur Rizk have collaborated perfectly to ensure that everything sounds as clean and crisp as possible, without ever feeling too polished and sterile. The ONLY issue that can be found with this release is its runtime, with the five tracks feeling like they are not enough. With DEAD HEAT firing on all cylinders and hitting their groove in this fashion it feels like we have been a little cheated with it not being a full release. It definitely feels like the best is yet to come from these lads and we cannot wait to see it.

Rating: 9/10

Endless Torment is out now via Tankcrimes/Triple B Records.

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