Dead Heat is a crossover thrash band that leans heavily into the Slayer side of thrash and utilizes hardcore gang vocals to convey their message effectively. The band's first album for Metal Blade is very deliberate and makes it a point to lock in on big chugs in a manner that makes it clear they are just as influenced by Power Trip as they are.classic thrash. The solos lean into the more Kerry King school of fretboard chaos. Despite the taunt riffing to "Hidebound," they are beginning to sound like every other thrash band by this point in time.
The big problem is the one-dimensional nature of the vocals., The riffs also begin to blatantly rip off other songs, the case in point being Slayer's "Blood Red' on "the Order", which even the gang vocals can not hide at this point.. What plays to their favor is the fact that they do not get caught up in their lust for speed and try to rush the songs. This is not to say they do not indulge in speed, though it is handled in a more hardcore manner on "Solace Denied." Which is not reinventing the wheel by any means, though not a Slayer rip-off either.
They kind of split the difference on "By My Will" and come up with something marginally more original, though it is on the faster side. The title track finds them going back to their Slayer influence, almost too much so; thankfully, the vocals are much different from Tom Araya, even though the vocalist is a one-trick pony overall. The coolest riff sounds like Slaer, and I already own all of Slayer's albums. The last song finds the vocals taking on an angrier scowl that reminds me of Ringworm. I will give this album an 8. They are fun and have lots of energy; they just need to find their own identity as a band, which can be hard in a genre that leans so heavily on one era .Out OCtober 10th on Metal Blade.
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