Time for a bit of horror punk rock to be featured on the pages of this zine. The Deathtones are coming from Pennsylvania and this is their full length album featuring 15 songs. As the band states on their Bandcamp page, these are all the best songs from their first year plus three new and exclusive songs. But, it doesn’t matter because to me, this full length is the first I heard of this band and I am loving it. This is not your Misfits or Blitzkid clone band, this is original horror/shock/punk rock delivered with conviction. I also love the use of samples in such bands and encourage them completely. This is metal influenced, as can be heard in the awesome title song, sounding a bit like Iron Maiden in the song structure but with superb double bass drum too. There are also gothic influences, at least in singing, as I heard it in ‘All Hallows Eve’. Lyrics deal with various horror and macabre themes, so the songs like ‘The Shape’ with great Halloween sample intro, or ‘Here With Me(A Chainsaw Love Story)’, maybe for all of you ‘Imposter At The Costume Party’ are about to win you over. This is one of the best horror punk releases I have listened in a long time. Maybe there are no sing along ooohs and aaahs but it is original, dark, gloomy and melodic. Love it!
Time for horror punk to grace the pages of this zine again. This time, it is a split release between Houston’s Cemetery Static and ROT from Mexico. Each band is featured with four songs here. It is interesting that there are no one side by one band, then another by other band. This split goes one song by CS, one by ROT and so on. Well, I liked Cemetary Static side a lot because they play rather fast and raw hardcore punk with horror lyrics and shouted vocals, meaning they are not your typical horror punk band, rather hardcore horror punk. ROT from Mexico were already featured in this webzine, meaning also raw and fast hardcore punk with horror filled lyrics, both bands are not your usual Blitzkid/Misfits/Calabrese horror punk style of bands. No, this is raw energy and horror lyrics. I must admit that on this release both bands deliver, but somehow I liked Cemetary Static side of split better. But, that is only my opinion. Now, go, listen, support and long live the horror!
Sometimes you discover the band and music in this our underground scene that brings joy to your black heart and Bloody Hammers from North Carolina are just that. Although this is their sixth studio opus, to me is the first and I freakin love it. There are nine songs on this opus and one better than the other. There are only two members in this band, two entities called Anders Manga and Devallia. Music is basically horror punk with lots of melody and superbly energetic songs, but there is also lots of melodic metal, almost power true metal in the songwriting, especially in And Soon The Darkness, punk rock is more on the surface in Black Sunday. Vocals by Anders Manga are one of the best vocals I have heard in this genre in last couple of years. This voice is so melodic, yet so powerful. Keyboards fit perfectly in the songs wherever they are applied creating atmosphere of melancholy and sadness, but first they create darkness but such darkness you wish for it to engulf you. Two more songs that I must mention as personal highlights are Last Rites Of Lucifer and Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark. Excellent, excellent album and my heartily recommendation.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 