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.
New Zealand has a great punk and horrorpunk scene that I recently discovered. Before I only knew of Horror Story and I am sorry that I didn`t discover other awesome bands our there on the other end of the globe.
Dead City Rockers are horrorpunk band with members of Horror Story in its ranks and this release was recorded a while ago, to be correct in 2006.but it is available only now. I am not sure, but I think that this band is not active anymore, but the music legacy continues on despite everything good or band that happens in our lives. This record contains 12 songs. The music of Dead City Rockers can be described as horrorpunk wih pretty melodic songs and I can also hear a lot of doowop and 50-ies music influences in their classic style of horrorpunk. I love doowop and I am always happy when some band uses it in their music as an influence because it just creates such nice atmospheric melody and mood that I get goosebumps on my skin. The production of the record is a bit greasy and darkened so it adds to the somber melody of horrorpunk carnage on this record. Vocally, it is not Misfits clone, or Danzig clone, but the singer evolved his own style reminding me a lot of Trevor from American Werewolves, the band I love so much. This album will satisfy both the fans of more harsher sounding horrorpunk a la early Cancerslug, but also fiends who crave for their dose of horrorpunk melody.
New Zealand as punk hardcore or horrorpunk scene was totally unknown to me on the other side of the world until I discovered one band called Horror Story, I love their horrorpunk. They are unfortunately defunct as I know, but there is still new hope for that scene in the shape of Hateseeker, great band whose new record I listened and reviewed for this zine.
Witch House is the name of the new record with 13 songs in total. The music of Hateseeker is horrorpunk, classic but with some metal influences in guitar riffs and hooks and song structures. This is not your generic horrorpunk Misfits clone, quite the contrary, this is enough brutal music to appease more harsher liking fans, yet it retains enough melody and atmosphere to appease also melodic side of fans. If I must compare it to someone, that would be Cancerslug, although not in vocals department, only musically. The lyrics of the songs are your horror heaven fantasy and with some of my favorite songs on this record like for example Black Death, Dead By Dawn or the title track you just can`t go wrong. This record is interesting both for brutal loving horrorpunks and melody lovers because it took the best from both worlds and blended it into one perfect nightmare in the witch house.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 