DEARLY BEHEADED Two Track Sampler (Music For Nations)

It’s not as though I haven’t tried to enjoy HM. I’ve been subjected to what knowledgeable friends claim to be the best of the genre, sat patiently through the likes of "...And Justice For All", "Live After Death", "Talk Of The Devil", "Screaming For Vengeance", "Dr. Feelgood", "Inside The Electric Circus" and dozens of others too grisly to recall. Sadly, I’ve never been to understand the appeal of hoarse, growled vocals and lumbering, Jurassic-age riffing. And strangely, they’ve all given me stomach ache. So, apart from the odd shot of Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple (which may well be HM but at least they’re old), I’ve managed to remain immune.

Perhaps this suggests I’m not the best person to review this sampler of two tracks from Dearly Beheaded’s out-by-the-time-you-read-this new album, "Temptation". To me it sounded a bit like Metallica versus early Black Sabbath, although whether this is a good thing in metal circles I’m not qualified to comment. However, and I’m sure there’s some significance to be attached to this, it hasn’t yet given me stomach ache.