One of the first Doom/Death Metal bands to come out of The Netherlands, DEAD END, has been resurrected. They have gone through some line-up changes, among other things they have recruited a new singer, but yes, they are officially back from the dead after a 22 year long hiatus. To celebrate this fact, they have now released a compilation album entitled "Forever Is Not Eternal", with songs from their demo's "Tales" and "Purity" and from their debut EP "Wartime In Eden". Some of you might be cheering right now, but I have to say that I'm pretty indifferent about this fact.

You won't realize vocalist Micha Van De Ven can actually sing until the fourth song, "Dreamers Lament", where they go soft for a while. Van De Ven sings with kind of a whispered roar, and it's only then you find out he actually has a pretty nice voice. Then again, the musicians are very solid, very good throughout the album. Especially lead guitarist Eef shows her talent with solo-like riffs in, for example, "This Heresy" and "Forever", and drummer Günther really let's himself go in songs like "Joke" and "Bleeding". However, it's a pity they can't often exhibit the fact how good they actually are.

The main thing is, you really hear the difference between their real Death Metal period and their more Doom-like songs. The Death Metal songs sound more than okay, but it's the Doom that slows everything down and makes this compilation album a little boring from time to time. For a while there, I even forgot I was listening to it. If you check out the album, and you like it, make sure you go and see them somewhere this summer, because they're going on a European reunion tour, and all in all, among the likes of THE GATHERING, ASPHYX and PENTACLE, they remain Dutch Death Metal legends.<