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!
We stay in far away scenes and places. DEAD EVIL are hailing from Auckland, New Zealand and this is, as the title says, album of cover songs done in horror punk, death rock and shock rock way, like this band is playing. Horror punk scene might be small but it is linked and ones of the most friendly scene people come from that scene, at least I had such experiences. Now, to the record. This one contains 13 songs, some known, some less known. There are classics like ‘Bad Moon Rising’ done in more country horror way, also classic ‘He’s Back(The Man Behind The Mask)’ – guess about whom this song is hehe. I love ‘The Buddi Song’ having that eerie 8-bit feeling hehe. Misfits cover ‘Descending Angel’ is decent, even better than that Jerry Only abomination incarnation of Misfits with his son and Goat on drums. ‘Monster Mash’ is done in a cool way too, besides my personal favorites ‘Chain Saw’, ‘My Delirium’ – THE best on this record. So, if you love your horror covers, go get this one. It is ‘name your price’ but if you download it, send a word or two of appreciation, I am sure it will mean a lot.
Cult Californian punk band Tsunami Bomb is back with brand new record with Alternative Tentacles and I listened and reviewed it for our zine. After some line-up changes the strength is renewed and they are back with a blast with 11 new songs delivering in your face their original mixture of melodic punkrock with pop and darkened gothic influences. This is how melodic punk would sound like if Edgar Allan Poe wrote it. The songs are fresh, anthemic sounding powerful with catchy riffs, superb melodic dual lines, harmonic backing vocals and songs like Sinkhole or Dead Men Can`t Catcall are sure to win you over. If you are an old fan, you will love this, if you are new fan, welcome to the fantastic world of Tsunami Bomb, darkened melodic punk powerhouse! 9/10
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 