Can you imagine Vietnam war movie, Death Wish, Taxi Driver all in one movie? I can! This is Combat Shock my dear ghouls, welcome to one of the most disturbing and best movies I have seen in a while. Directed and written by Buddy Giovinazzo and starring Rick Giovinazzo this disturbing war drama is about very disturbed Vietnam veteran Frankie who lives in horrible conditions in ruined flat with his wife Cathy and his monster mutated baby, victim of Agent Orange which Frankie got spilled on in war. He also has constant nightmares about massacre in a Vietnam village from which he escaped but was later imprisoned. His father is some rich politician, but he does not speak with Frankie. Desperate and in debt to local gangster crew, Frankie does what he thinks he has to do until the bitter, poetic and one of the most disturbing endings of movies I have ever watched. This is a masterpiece and I am proud that I have it in my collection. But, beneath it all, it tells the tale of forgotten veterans that gave their health, minds, sanity to their country in meaningless wars but then their country has forsaken them and left them to dig through the garbage bins. I love this movie. But I can not watch it whenever. This one needs a special state of mind. Go see it!
Batboner from Norway were already featured on the pages of this webzine when I reviewed their last release. Now, they are back with their brand new EP containing four songs and this is the final record with their drummer Zonetripper who left the band and it is a sort of hommage to him. On this new one Batboner continue where they left off with the previous one, delivering eerie gothic punk mixed with raw punk rock and death rock, also some horror punk influences in the song structures. I love how this band on both releases manages to create kind of eerie melodies, meaning, yes, they are melodic but somehow spooky and songs like ‘Flaccid’ could be hits in any goth club because it is a very straightforward and dancable song. ‘litch’ is a song in which those beautiful haunted vocal lines come to forefront and deliver mighty punch in the face and blackened heart. As I can hear this new EP leans more on punk side of things and music is still death rock but with more of a punk touch. ‘Light In The Void’ is a personal favorite of mine with that nice bass melody, simple and hitting through to you. Vocals are again at the forefront but chorus is at the same time more aggressive yet melancholic. ‘Skretch’ is a final song on this EP and leaves me wanting more and saying long live the horror!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 