DEAD HEAD hailing from Kampen, The Netherlands were formed in 1989. The Thrash Metal outfit released three EPs and seven full-length albums so far. Their album "Repression Tank" is a re-release of their album "Depression Tank" from 2009. The album was mixed and mastered by Erwin Hermsen (COLLISION; LEGION OF THE DAMNED; PESTILENCE) at Toneshed Studio. It has a length of about 41 minutes, and it was released by Dutch Thrash, Power, and Death Metal specialists Hammerheart Records. Re-releases of albums are often a matter of debate. They might be triggered by the label or by the band for commercial purposes or simply to improve the sound. Sometimes, they are newly remastered and at times they come with bonus material. "Repression Tank" is not one of those simple re-releases, the original songs include additional drum tracks and newly rearranged sounds. There are several versions available, and depending on the version, there might be 14 bonus live tracks added. The live tracks were recorded during the early years of vocalist Ralph De Boer.

I have the version without bonus tracks available (but I list all the live tracks for completion), so here is a summary of the album for those who do not know the original. DEAD HEAD are a Thrash Metal band with some Death Metal twists. The original album was released when vocalist Ralph De Boer just joined the band. The sound of the album is largely classical Thrash Metal with plenty of aggression and pace. Almost every track is frantic and blisteringly fast with the exception of some mid-tempo breaks. Let's start with the opening "Dissolved In Purity", which starts with an introductory part at measured tempo with powerful guitar riffing. The vocals are harsh and vary between the medium to higher end of the vocal range. The track is a continuous back and forth between mid-tempo and parts at crazy pace, where the fast parts have a few SLAYER vibes in the riffing. "Dissolved In Purity" has been uploaded to YouTube by the label, and the link is provided below. "Green Angel" is frantic from the start to the finish and certainly has a few cross-over elements included. The track offers an extended break with a contributing lead guitar solo. While the textures of "Green Angel" are comparatively simple, "Cryptocynic" offers more complexity with rhythm twists and turns, while the majority of the track is at insane pace. The first of the two lead guitar solos has once again some SLAYER inspirations.

"Daemonique" is one of the album highlights. Played at breakneck speed, the track is Thrash Metal mayhem from the top to the bottom. The guitar riffing and vocals are extremely aggressive, and the solos are technically comprehensive and dissonant at times. The break delivers a grim melodic framework, tension, and atmospheric features. It is a contrast to the rest of the track. "Less Than Zero" is another one of the pummeling tracks. The guitar riffing is devastating and accompanied by the relentless double-bass. The track is played at crazy pace for most of the time with the exception of the mid-tempo break. "Hateland" is not only about pace. While verse and chorus parts are probably the fastest among the entire album, the extended break shows that good Thrash Metal is also about a dark melodic concept. The following track "Nero Dies" underlines this. It is one of the rare tracks at a measured tempo with grim melodies and a few twists and turns towards mid-tempo. However, tracks like "Nero Dies" remain the exceptions as "Murder" and "Pesticide" go back to fast pace and aggression. A recurrent feature of the album are multiple lead guitar solos during tracks. They are always very contributing and technically of high quality as in "Murder" and "Pesticide", where the solos in "Pesticide" have written SLAYER vibes all over the track.

"Repression Tank" is not a classical re-release. Even without bonus tracks, the songs were rearranged and they sound fresh and dynamic. The production is modern. I cannot judge on the bonus material, but if the live bonus tracks are of similar quality, then "Repression Tank" is almost like a new album. Thrash Metal fans who did not listen to DEAD HEAD for a while, "Repression Tank" is a gentle reminder for what DEAD HEAD stands for: pummeling Thrash Metal at blistering pace, anger, and aggression.