By Dear Hollow
I’m not sure which is worse: to release terrible or forgettable albums. Unfortunately for Maltese death metal outfit Beheaded, it has been the latter for the vast majority of their career. Always releasing competent material but nothing that sticks, their tenure within these hallowed halls has been rife with mediocrity, both 2017’s Beast Incarnate and 2019’s Only Death Can Save You lauded acknowledged for sounding like brutal death metal by the inimitable Kronos – the definition of “mixed” territory. Even 1998 highlight Perpetual Mockery has been covered up by the sands of time. This is precisely why Għadam is such a monumental release for this death metal stalwarts.
For Għadam, Beheaded becomes “il-kittieb” of their own horror – both lyrically and musically. Nearly forsaking all brutal tendencies without sacrificing its bite, the quintet focuses instead on channeling its heritage. The songs are entirely in Maltese, each track named after and capturing the storytelling of local horror writer Anton Grasso:1 the songs grapple with folk horror, local struggles, and the supernatural, and reflect the nation’s troubled history with religion and Christianity. For the first time in Beheaded’s history, it feels as though the band is writing their own music rather than regurgitating what brutal death ought to sound like. While the album is imperfect, Għadam is a motion from a band previously stuck in the muck of their own habits to rise from the dead and make the future bright again.
While elements of Beheaded’s brutal death peak through periodically, Għadam is remarkably atmospheric and dread-inducing. Drawing from Maltese folk music, the melodies here give an otherworldly flare, conjuring horrors both tangible and surreal. While the opening title track and the concluding instrumental “Irmied” feature harp guitar that sets the tone for a more focused and streamlined affair, the meat of Għadam is ominous, dense, and foreboding. From dirging riffs layered with doomed menace and vicious vocals (title track, “Iħirsa”), the kickass guitar work amplified by wild solos (“Iljieli bla qamar,” “Jidħaq il-lejl”), or the blackened tremolo and subtle synths that add a whole new dimension of intensity (“B’niket inħabbru l-mewt,” “Ix-xjaten ta’ moħħi”), riffy motifs and haunted leads are streamlined and consistent across the board. Cleans are used sparingly, but utilize a mournful mumble that adds to the desolation of the atmosphere. Ultimately, Beheaded feels reborn into a sound that feels very much theirs, despite newfound comparisons to God Dethroned, Belphegor, and Angelcorpse.
Given highlights and individual song identity, the structure of Għadam feels more intentional than Beheaded has offered before. Most notably, the track “Il-kittieb” serves as a centerpiece not only for being the fifth track in the nine-track album, but as a sonic eye of the storm; while it utilizes the same tricks as its surrounding tracks, they are weaponized in a slow-building crescendo whose climax serves as the most satisfying moment of the album. Intertwined dissonant leads and ethereal solos collide in a 6/8 timing that feels like a waltz through hell. Even last full song “Jidħaq il-lejl” feels like a culmination of the two tracks preceding it, a riffy and ominous trek through dark territory. This structure makes it easy to forget the weak links, such as the frenetic and anchorless (“Xtrajt l-infern”) or the forgettable (“B’niket inħabbru l-mewt,” “Iħirsa”). The spoken word passages scattered throughout are also hit or miss.
Beheaded has forsaken their long-time forgettable signature in favor of something that ironically suits them better. Għadam is imperfect in its experimentation, but is surprisingly realized regardless, a consistent thread of viciousness and menace woven into all its movements gives exposure to its homeland, a culture tragically neglected in the annals of history. While “Maltese death metal” would have traditionally conjured images of brutal death’s relentless pummeling in Beheaded or Abysmal Torment, Għadam’s sinister and atmospheric approach to blackened death metal tinged with local dark lore and haunting melodics, even if imperfect, sets Beheaded out onto a new and unforgettable path.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Agonia Records
Website: facebook.com/BeheadedMT
Releases Worldwide: July 25th, 2025
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