BEHEADED: THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF BRUTALITY part three
A New Chapter
After several years of uncertainty and a period away from the spotlight, Beheaded began rebuilding their presence both on stage and in the studio. The band's return marked more than a continuation of their past; it signalled a renewed determination to move forward and prove that the years away had done nothing to diminish their creative and destructive force.
That chapter took shape with Never to Dawn. The album was recorded at Temple Studios in Malta in 2010 and eventually released through Unique Leader Records in November 2012. The seven-year gap separating it from Ominous Bloodline was considerable, but the album demonstrated that the band had retained its ability to deliver technically demanding and brutally effective death metal.
By this point, the world around Beheaded had changed dramatically. The underground infrastructure of the 1990s had been transformed by the internet. Physical demos and fanzines no longer controlled the flow of information, and musicians could communicate directly with audiences around the world. Yet Beheaded's reputation had been built during the old underground era, and that history gave them an authenticity that could not be manufactured overnight.
Never to Dawn therefore served as both a continuation and a new beginning. Frank Calleja's voice helped define the band's new era, while the compositions reflected the experience accumulated during two decades of playing extreme metal. The band had become more mature without becoming less brutal.
Another major turning point came in 2014 when founding drummer Chris Brincat left Beheaded after more than two decades with the band. His departure closed one of the longest chapters in the group's history. Brincat had been behind the drums since the beginning and had participated in almost every major stage of Beheaded's development, from the Souldead era through the band's international breakthrough and the long road towards Never to Dawn.
His replacement, Italian drummer Davide Billia, brought another dimension to the increasingly international nature of Beheaded. By this stage the band was no longer operating purely within the Maltese musical environment. Their international reputation and touring history had become part of their identity, and musicians from outside Malta could now become part of the group without diminishing its Maltese character.
Guitarist Simone Brigo joined in 2015, helping establish the line-up that would take Beheaded into another phase of their career. The next album, Beast Incarnate, appeared in 2017 through Agonia Records.
By now, Beheaded had little left to prove in terms of technical ability. They had already demonstrated that they could play extraordinarily complex and brutal death metal. The challenge was therefore becoming more interesting: how could they continue to evolve without abandoning the qualities that had earned them their reputation?
Beast Incarnate offered part of the answer. The brutality remained, but the music displayed greater variation and an increased awareness of atmosphere and dynamics. Reviews noted that the band was continuing to develop rather than simply repeating the sound of its earlier releases. Teeth of the Divine, for example, described Beheaded as one of the more respected names in European brutal death metal and regarded the album positively.
Frank Calleja's role became increasingly important during this period. Having joined during the band's rebuilding years, he was now firmly established as the voice of modern Beheaded. His vocal approach also evolved, becoming more varied and expressive rather than relying exclusively upon the extremely low guttural delivery associated with some forms of brutal death metal.
That evolution became particularly noticeable on Only Death Can Save You, released in 2019 through Agonia Records. The album represented another step away from the idea that Beheaded's identity depended solely upon technical extremity. The musicianship remained formidable, but the compositions became more dynamic, while Calleja's vocals provided additional variation.
Reviews reflected this development. Wonderbox Metal highlighted the greater expressiveness of the vocals and the wider variation in the band's approach, while Metal Temple praised the musicianship and described the record as a modern interpretation of death metal that nevertheless retained Beheaded's own personality.
By this point, Beheaded had existed for almost three decades. They had moved through several generations of musicians and experienced the transformation of the entire music industry around them. They had gone from cassette demos to digital distribution, from correspondence with underground fanzines to international online reviews and social media, and from travelling to Europe as an obscure Maltese band to performing before audiences who knew precisely who they were.
Comments