Horror-obsessed death metal collective Season Of The Dead features some of the best & most legendary figures within music.
Bringing together two of the genres most influenced by the horror movie genre, Soundtrack & Death Metal. The twisted minds of Titta Tani (former drummer of Necrophagia and Goblin), Giacomo Anselmi (former Goblin guitarist and current member of Goblin Legacy), and Enrico Giannone, founder and owner of Time To Kill Records, are acting as producers and visionaries behind the entire concept.
The album also features some notable musicians, including John McEntee (Incantation), Fiore Stravino (Fulci), Dave Neabore (Dog Eat Dog) & Chuck Sherwood (Incantation).
Zombie Chronicles Vol. 1 is a great bridge of the darkest sides of metal with the eerie synths & influences of Lucio Fulci and George Romero. The project is also hugely inspired by the legend Kill Joy from Necrophagia, who was one of the first to merge horror samples & themes with death metal.
The album’s opening track “Necromancy” feels like the opening credits to an Italian zombie flick. Its tribal drum sound feels like it would fit perfectly in the Zombie soundtrack. It slowly builds with a low bass synth pulsing as cries from the darkest depths are released. The composing on this opener is fantastic & really builds the energy & tone for the album we are about to experience.
“Then We’ll Rise” which is inspired by Day of the Dead features a great sample in its opening section before the band bust into a blasting death thrash style track. Featuring the mammoth of a vocalist John McEntee. The track has this really epic & somewhat anthemic feel in its chorus section. If the album’s opening track feels like the title card this track feels like the first bite of a zombie kill scene. The bridge features these great eerie spoken sections from McEntee which adds to the tracks already great but dark atmosphere.
Turning up the dial of brutality, “Events Of Flesh” is that perfect blend of heavy riffage & synth elements to create something that feels like a powerhouse of a track. Its goliath-size opening riffs get things off in the best way, with its chugging palm mutes & creating single-note riffs that go back & forth before a great little key section adds a nice flourish to the first half. Then, on a dime, the band blasts into this chaotic, fast tremolo section. Fiore Stravino’s deep gutturals really add to this track’s already heavy feel, but they also add that even more gore-soaked brutality with these long, drawn-out growls.
My favourite track on the album “The Other Side” with its really inventive songwriting style is a standout. Opening with a very chunky groove while McEntee spews his ungodly vocals at a quick pace gives this track a really unnerving feel. Then the band introduces a slower, very open section that just falls over you like some blood-soaked blanket.
With dissonant chords & harmonic picking, it gives this really uneasy feeling, but it’s such a treat to hear. As the strong build to the bridge, the band drops out until there’s a clean, haunting guitar slowly picking as McEntee sounds like he’s having his spinal cord ripped out with agonising screams. It builds to its final moments where all hell is let fucking loose & the track brings back its chorus section once again for a great but lucid last time.
“Zombie Chronicles Vol. 1” has everything a gore-loving death metal maniac could want. Supergroup is a term that gets thrown around a lot, but Season Of The Dead is a true supergroup of musicians coming together to celebrate their love of everything macabre. The songwriting on this album is fucking great. The use of different vocalists as distinct dimensions & not sticking to one sound allows each track to stand on its own while feeling like a great cohesive album. The cover of Necrophagia’s “Bloodfreak” is also a true highlight.
If, like me, you love underground death metal & the most depraved horror, then Season Of The Dead is a group you will eat up like a zombie at a brain buffet.
Review: Joseph Mitchell
Zombie Chronicles Vol. 1 is out via Time To Kill on November 14th, 2025.
The project boasts an all-star lineup from the international extreme music scene:
John McEntee (Incantation) – Vocals
Fiore Stravino (Fulci) – Vocals
Dave Neabore (Dog Eat Dog) – Bass
Chuck Sherwood (Incantation) – Bass
Giacomo Anselmi (Goblin Legacy) – Guitars
Titta Tani (ex Goblin, ex Necrophagia) – Drums
Tracklist:
1. Necromancy | Titta Tani: drums, keyboards / Giacomo Anselmi: guitar / Andrea Gianangeli: percussions
2. Then We’ll Rise | J. McEntee: vocals / C. Sherwood: bass / Titta Tani: drums / Giacomo Anselmi: guitar
3. Voodoo Ritual | J. McEntee: vocals / C. Sherwood: bass / Titta Tani: drums / Giacomo Anselmi: guitar
4. Events Of Flesh | F. Stravino: vocals / D. Neabore: bass / Titta Tani: drums / Giacomo Anselmi: guitar
5. Open The Gates | F. Stravino: vocals / D. Neabore: bass / Titta Tani: drums / Giacomo Anselmi: guitar
6. The Other Side | J. McEntee: vocals / C. Sherwood: bass / Titta Tani: drums / Giacomo Anselmi: guitar
7. Burning Moon Sickness | J. McEntee: vocals / C. Sherwood: bass / Titta Tani: drums / Giacomo Anselmi: guitar
8. Bloodfreak | J. McEntee: vocals / C. Sherwood: bass / Titta Tani: drums / Giacomo Anselmi: guitar
Across its running time, the album delivers a relentless assault of death metal brutality, layered with cinematic tension and ritualistic atmospheres. Dual vocal performances, crushing basslines, and necro-sounding guitar work create a soundscape where zombies, decay, and gore come to life in audio form.
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