Headhunter D.C. (‘d.c.’ is the abbreviation for ‘death cult’, by the way) are an ‘old’ band from Brazil, originally formed in 1987 (!). They were pretty active (and ‘popular’) during the first half of the nineties, with the release of two long players (on vinyl), Born…Suffer…Die (1991) and Punishment At Dawn (1993). Both of them came out via Cogumelo, the most important label from South America, at least in the early years of Extreme Metal. Then things went silent for quite a long period, though the band was still active. The next album saw the light in 2000 (…And The Sky Turns To Black…, Mutilation Records), the fourth, God’s Spreading Cancer, in 2007 (Dying Music). Throughout the years, there were some EP’s, a live album (on tape), a compilation and a split as well, and in early spring 2012 Eternal Hatred Records and Mutilation Records released the …In Unholy Mourning… full length.
In order to reach the European market, Evil Spell Records, a sub-division of Undercover Records, takes care of this re-release. The band and the label did co-operate before, i.e. the release of the Long Live The Hunter 7”EP (with cover tracks, amongst which one by Thrashmassacre; two things about it: 1) this track, Into The Nightmare, appears on this album too, and 2) Headhunter D.C.’s vocalist Sergio Baloff used to be member of that band) and the vinyl edition of God’s Spreading Cancer were done by Evil Spell.
This re-issue, which includes a bonus track (a Mortem-cover; see further), clocks an hour. It opens with the introductional composition Rotten Death Prayer, which I do like enormously. What an ominous, haunting way to start this album! Amen! It does create a perfect setting for Dawn Of Heresy, a track that opens with the same melody (yet on guitar, not keyboard). Dawn Of Heresy defines what Headhunter D.C. nowadays stand for. And as a matter of fact, it’s still within the very same vein as more than two, almost three decades ago. The main differences with the past, evidently, are the better sound (welcome to the 21st century…), and the increased craftsmanship and song writing. This material stands for a rather traditionalised mixture of Black, Death and Thrash Metal, with lots of changes in melody structure and tempo. The material is based on old styled influences with a paying-tribute-focus on the un-heavenly Metal-of-Death trend. There is nothing that truly renews, yet still this band has some extras to offer. Their ability to write, and to perform grandiose stuff in the vein of the Old School is beyond imagination. These guys are so motivated, and they are crafted performers for sure. All right, their experience is endless, but that does not necessarily guarantee professionalism. In Headhunter D.C.’s case, however, it does. And it is not because they lack of originality that this album does not mean something; on the contrary. Since these guys co-created the scene the way it has involved into right now, they are totally excused for doing what made the scene so great. But it goes further. The additions of grimly executed Doom-Death details (cf. a track like Lightless, which I just adore) isn’t but a surplus. Despite being rooted in the old styled matter, their specific song writing gets canalised in the creation of stuff that would have led to the best albums from the past. However, it is now that these hymns must be hailed. These are Old School tracks that, if composed in the early years, would have been amongst the best ones. And so it still does now, as you might have guessed in mean time.
Anyway, this is sublime stuff meant for those who adore the likes of, let’s say, Massacre, Morbid Angel, Incantation, Sarcofago, Acheron, Deicide, Krisiun, early Sepultura etc…
Finally this. The Mortem-cover track was originally recorded for the tribute sampler Death Rules Supreme, released via Peru-based Heavier Records. However I have no idea whether this tribute-album is available in our countries, so I think it’s a pleasure to have this specific track on this re-release as bonus.