Heads For The Dead are an international horror-themed death metal band that have recently released their fourth album, "Never Ending Night Of Terror" through Pulverised Records on October 10th, 2025. This interview was done with Jonny Pettersson (Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Effects) of the band who handles all the songwriting on the new album.
Heads For The Dead is a band that comes from experienced musicians from many different bands. How did this band begin and how do you feel that it defines itself separately from the band’s current and past creative outlets?
It started out with me and Ralf wanting to channel our shared passion for horror movies and extreme metal. We cemented the idea more or less over a few beers at Ralf’s home in Germany. The way I write music for Heads is quite different from all my other endeavors. It usually starts with a movie, or the idea of a movie. You know the feeling you get when watching a really good scene in a horror, the chilling sensation going up your spine. That is the feeling I chase when creating, and that is the story Ralf tells with his lyrics.
As with Heads For The Dead’s other outputs, there is a horror theme to the band’s lyrical content. What is it that you feel makes death metal and horror such excellent companions?
Metal, especially death metal and horror has in my mind always been very related. If you look at how have people reacted to horror through time. It’s always been there as an extreme part of the movie universe, making people uncomfortable, and for those who get it, creating something engulfs your life. Same with death metal, it scares or confuses people who don’t get it, but brings out a passion like few other genres in people who do get it. A lot of metal bands have used horror as a way to convey their music, but I think us and handful other bands have taken it one step further. Necrophagia and Mortician of course being the leading stars.
I’ve been personally getting more familiar with the early 1980s horror films such as Return Of The Living Dead and Killer Clowns From Outer Space. I love the cheesiness of it and the classic special effects/costume designs. Is there a favorite era for you of horror films?
Late 70s and 80s horrors specially the golden age of slashers 1978-1984 will always be a favorite. Mainly because that is the movies I grew up with. But there is so much good horror made before that, and after that. I feel like most decades have their own charm and highlights. I love it when a movie brings a genre back to life.
If you had the chance to work with any horror movie director for a music video, who would it be and why?
Oh wow, that is a super hard question. I think 80s Sam Rami or some disgusting body horror with David Cronenberg. Again, such a hard question, there is so many that would make an truly awesome horror music video.
We recently reviewed your upcoming album, Never Ending Night Of Terror out on October 10th through Pulverised Records. I was a fan of this album as well as your previous releases. How do you feel that this album continues things forward for the band? Are there any aspects of the album that stand out as your favorite?
To me this album is the natural progression in our evolution. As a song writer and producer, I can translate my ideas for songs in a much better way compared to on our first album. Though each album has its place and is exactly what it needs to be. I think the strong cinematic atmosphere is my favorite on this album, and to me it elevates the songs and make them stand out not only in death metal, but metal as a whole.
In addition to the old-school death metal sound present for Heads For The Dead, other features are added throughout your music using effects and keyboards. Was this an attempt to add eerie qualities to your sound?
The idea for Heads has always been to blend horror movie music and scores with extreme metal and is something that has grown for each album. It was important for us that the aspects of the album outside of the core features guitar, bass, drums, and vocals would have a strong connection to the movies that motivated them.
There is a tribute to the Italian progressive rock band Goblin on Never Ending Night Of Terror. What was the idea behind doing this?
I was watching the original Suspiria again for the thousand time, and when the main theme by Goblin played something clicked in my brain and I started hearing how the melody could work really well in a metal song. I had to pause the movie and 30 minutes later, the foundation for the song was made.
I feel many different elements are present on your new album. There is a nice combination of melody, aggression and dynamics. What do you strive for in the finalized sound of Heads For The Dead?
I think you hit the nail on the head there, a combination of melody, aggression and dynamics is always something we strive for. And this is a direct effect of the inspiration we take from horror movie music. They are built to create suspense, so you have all those pieces there, a strong sense of melody, great dynamics and often aggression driven crescendos. I think each song can be broken up in segments of a movie, the hunt and chase, the suspense, the false sense of feeling safe and of corpse the bloody finale.
Members of your band come from many different areas. What are the challenges existing as an entity so spread out?
With today’s technology it is quite easy to get things done even when we are spread out. Specially since I handle the song writing and production. Maybe the biggest problem can be misunderstood communication since things can be lost in translation. But then again that can happen just as well in a band where the members live in the same city.
I know the costs of properly supporting a tour are rising. Are there any plans for touring or festival dates this year?
No plans yet. It would be cool do some one-off shows, but those would have to be something special, so it’s not just another show. Maybe play a set where a big screen is showing clips from horror movies in the background and all you can see of the members is a silhouette, but those are just dreams so far.
www.facebook.com/headsforthedead
www.pulverised.net
Heads For The Dead is a band that comes from experienced musicians from many different bands. How did this band begin and how do you feel that it defines itself separately from the band’s current and past creative outlets?
It started out with me and Ralf wanting to channel our shared passion for horror movies and extreme metal. We cemented the idea more or less over a few beers at Ralf’s home in Germany. The way I write music for Heads is quite different from all my other endeavors. It usually starts with a movie, or the idea of a movie. You know the feeling you get when watching a really good scene in a horror, the chilling sensation going up your spine. That is the feeling I chase when creating, and that is the story Ralf tells with his lyrics.
As with Heads For The Dead’s other outputs, there is a horror theme to the band’s lyrical content. What is it that you feel makes death metal and horror such excellent companions?
Metal, especially death metal and horror has in my mind always been very related. If you look at how have people reacted to horror through time. It’s always been there as an extreme part of the movie universe, making people uncomfortable, and for those who get it, creating something engulfs your life. Same with death metal, it scares or confuses people who don’t get it, but brings out a passion like few other genres in people who do get it. A lot of metal bands have used horror as a way to convey their music, but I think us and handful other bands have taken it one step further. Necrophagia and Mortician of course being the leading stars.
I’ve been personally getting more familiar with the early 1980s horror films such as Return Of The Living Dead and Killer Clowns From Outer Space. I love the cheesiness of it and the classic special effects/costume designs. Is there a favorite era for you of horror films?
Late 70s and 80s horrors specially the golden age of slashers 1978-1984 will always be a favorite. Mainly because that is the movies I grew up with. But there is so much good horror made before that, and after that. I feel like most decades have their own charm and highlights. I love it when a movie brings a genre back to life.
If you had the chance to work with any horror movie director for a music video, who would it be and why?
Oh wow, that is a super hard question. I think 80s Sam Rami or some disgusting body horror with David Cronenberg. Again, such a hard question, there is so many that would make an truly awesome horror music video.
We recently reviewed your upcoming album, Never Ending Night Of Terror out on October 10th through Pulverised Records. I was a fan of this album as well as your previous releases. How do you feel that this album continues things forward for the band? Are there any aspects of the album that stand out as your favorite?
To me this album is the natural progression in our evolution. As a song writer and producer, I can translate my ideas for songs in a much better way compared to on our first album. Though each album has its place and is exactly what it needs to be. I think the strong cinematic atmosphere is my favorite on this album, and to me it elevates the songs and make them stand out not only in death metal, but metal as a whole.
In addition to the old-school death metal sound present for Heads For The Dead, other features are added throughout your music using effects and keyboards. Was this an attempt to add eerie qualities to your sound?
The idea for Heads has always been to blend horror movie music and scores with extreme metal and is something that has grown for each album. It was important for us that the aspects of the album outside of the core features guitar, bass, drums, and vocals would have a strong connection to the movies that motivated them.
There is a tribute to the Italian progressive rock band Goblin on Never Ending Night Of Terror. What was the idea behind doing this?
I was watching the original Suspiria again for the thousand time, and when the main theme by Goblin played something clicked in my brain and I started hearing how the melody could work really well in a metal song. I had to pause the movie and 30 minutes later, the foundation for the song was made.
I feel many different elements are present on your new album. There is a nice combination of melody, aggression and dynamics. What do you strive for in the finalized sound of Heads For The Dead?
I think you hit the nail on the head there, a combination of melody, aggression and dynamics is always something we strive for. And this is a direct effect of the inspiration we take from horror movie music. They are built to create suspense, so you have all those pieces there, a strong sense of melody, great dynamics and often aggression driven crescendos. I think each song can be broken up in segments of a movie, the hunt and chase, the suspense, the false sense of feeling safe and of corpse the bloody finale.
Members of your band come from many different areas. What are the challenges existing as an entity so spread out?
With today’s technology it is quite easy to get things done even when we are spread out. Specially since I handle the song writing and production. Maybe the biggest problem can be misunderstood communication since things can be lost in translation. But then again that can happen just as well in a band where the members live in the same city.
I know the costs of properly supporting a tour are rising. Are there any plans for touring or festival dates this year?
No plans yet. It would be cool do some one-off shows, but those would have to be something special, so it’s not just another show. Maybe play a set where a big screen is showing clips from horror movies in the background and all you can see of the members is a silhouette, but those are just dreams so far.
www.facebook.com/headsforthedead
www.pulverised.net
