At long last, OCTOBER 31's classic debut album, The Fire Awaits You, is seeing a long-overdue reissue, courtesy of the band's new label home, HELLS HEADBANGERS. Released in 1997 to a small yet fervent throng, OCTOBER 31's The Fire Awaits You saw DECEASED vocalist/drummer King Fowley team up with bassist Jim Hunter (WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, TWISTED TOWER DIRE) and guitarist Brian Williams to create a rollicking ride of horror-themed heavy metal. Classic metal songwriting is the order of the day here, as the band ably sweep from speed metal surge to NWOBHM-inspired melodicism to occasionally an epic metal moment or two. At the forefront are King Fowley's clear 'n' commanding vocals, as the erstwhile DECEASED frontman decided to use a cleaner register that lost none of his trademark bite. Amended to this new edition is the band's first demo, Voyage to Infinity from '96, as well as tribute covers of IRON MAIDEN and OZZY OSBOURNE. Finally, The Fire Awaits You!
I like to play at random intervals on the car ride to and from school and pretend like I'm really fucking angsty and cool and not a civil engineering student with a caffeine problem. Truly satisfies my Aggretsukocore Paperpilled Worksthetic. Malwaresoft
Pretty much the best Black/Speed Metal I've listened to since I learned about Evil Invaders and Vulture. Everything you'd love to be reminded of about this musical era is there. The influences are what you'd expect too: Motörhead, Venom, Bathory, early Slayer, Celtic Frost; aggressive vocals, tortured guitar solos, pounding drums; everything is fast, clear and still a little grimy, but without reverb cranked up to the max. Amazing band, amazing album. Odiumediae