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Dead Head

Biography

Dead Head (1989-present): a Thrash Metal band from Zwolle, Netherlands.

I

t all started in Kampen, Holland on April 8, 1989 when the four original members Tom van Dijk (bass/vocals), Robbie Woning (guitar), Ronnie van der Wey (guitar) and Hans Spijker (drums) decided to form a band and became one of the most intensive and brutal thrash metal band Europe ever had seen at that time. In the fine tradition of bands like Dark Angel, Kreator and Sadus, Dead Head made their own way by composing songs that could make a solid impact on stage, and by pounding out those songs as if every minute could be the last. Especially the outrageous drum-style of Spijker, the psychotic double guitar-riffs combined with van Dijks penetrating screaming gave the band a well-earned status in the heavy metal scene of those days. van Dijk's tenure with the band, however, would prove to be spotty by leaving the band no less than three times, the last time being May of 2021.

Under the original line-up Dead Head would debut on a split with Lethargy in 1989 titled Promo Tape '89 / Anaesthetic Sleep. The sophomore effort, another split in the form of Where Is Your God Now...? came in 1990 shared with Sinister, Disfigure, Gorefest and Acrostichon.

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The first full studio-recording was made in 1990, and resulted in a record deal with the German company 'Rising Sun Records', who released Dead Head's first album, The Feast Begins at Dawn, in 1991. After the recording, the act commenced a tour through Denmark with Edge of Sanity and Invocator, and played in Holland with Sepultura, Heathen, Skyclad, Candlemass, Suffocation, Sinister, Gorefest, Malevolent Creation and Grave.

In 1992 original drummer Spijker was replaced by Marco Kleinnibbelink, and in 1993 the release of the band's second album Dream Deceiver would arrive shortly after their 20-date tour with French death metal band Massacra. During this tour both bands played in Belgium with Kreator and Biohazard.

In 1999 their next album, Kill Division would be released; this third album putting together the original lineup again. Unlike many acts of the 1990s Dead Head never wavered from their roots, including the next effort, Kill Division (1999). The rarely released compilation Come to Salem (2000), Dog God EP (2004; seeing the act play as a 3-some) and Haatland (2005) followed featuring Hans Spijker back on drums before the next departure of van Dijk for the release of Depression Tank (2009) featuring Ralph de Boer assuming vocals and bass, but this membership change would last only one album because for Swine Plague (2017) and the The Shark Tapes EP (2019) van Dijk would return. With Slave Driver (2022), van Dijk would be out again, this time for good, with Ralph de Boer back in.

Over the years Dead Head has been both criticized and critically acclaimed. From "one of the few to still carry the much missed thrash metal flag" to "hardly imaginable that this kind of noise is actually still produced".

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Dead Head
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