Hellbilly Storm
Demented Are Go
(Hellcat)
You never forget the moment when you fall in love for the first time. It was a beautiful warm summer night when Suzie and I pulled up to the drive-in in my big brother John's gorgeous apple-red 1955 Ford Thunderbird convertible. We snuggled close together, and a few dancing junk-foods later, the movie began to play. As she was unwilling to put out even the slightest, I was feeling pretty lukewarm when it came to Suzie. Yet, as I watched the credits roll on my first ever cult horror film, I knew that this was the genre for me. From that day on, I was hooked.
Okay, so, save for a few, the drive-ins have all been closed, and the car (and my brother for that matter) met its end in that legendary drag run back in '59. The memories, however, are all still there. And now, thanks to legendary British psycho-rockers Demented Are Go, we can all relive the glory of the Hollywood slasher B-movie. Their recent release, Hellbilly Storm, pressed on the German People Like You Records and distributed in North America by California's Hellcat label, pays tribute to this age-old art form while simultaneously churning out some of the finest Psychobilly of the band's career.
Wrapped in packaging that is eerily reminiscent of an Ed Wood film, Hellbilly Storm contains all the attitude and complete lack of decorum fans have come to expect from one of the genre's most well-known and oldest bands. From the opening "Pedigree Scum," lead singer Spark immediately praises all that is vice with tremendous pleasure and a voice that is, as usual, verging on demonic. "Block Up" takes the listener on a typical week-long drug bender with full day-by-day updates, and, of course, a defiant "start all over again!" at the end of the chorus. The sinful highlight, however, is the wild and loose "Out of Control," which, when one considers the content of Spark's rap sheets in virtually every country the band has toured in, seems not just a little bit autobiographical.
Of course, all this rebellious machismo is sandwiched in between the horror-driven lyrics that characterize the record. The subject matter and manic feel of the music in songs like "The Noose (That Snapped)," "Hotrod Vampires," "Doin' Me In," and "Demon Seed" bring to mind monsters snatching topless girls out of cars perched over Anytown USA's Lookout Point. This frightening energy comes to a head in the paranoid climax that is the slow-rockin' "Someone's Out to Get Me." Even Hellbilly's closing track, the more traditional rockabilly "When Death Rides a Horse," fits into the movie soundtrack vibe. Featuring powerful female vocals, the song is the perfect "hero riding off into the sunset" ending for any film.
While spooky-themed music is not exactly something new to psychobilly (one need only take a look at the discography of the genre's godfathers, The Cramps), rarely is it done in such an interesting way. Unlike contemporaries like Tiger Army, Demented Are Go do not rely solely on horror lyrics, but rather combine it with a variety of different energies and attitudes that can only be described as, well, bad-ass. More to the point, the album moves fluidly, with perfect transitions from one song to the next, and coming to a definite and satisfying ending. This is something that all bands, regardless of style, should think more about at a time when more and more people are consuming their music in shuffled MP3 format. While musical culture is moving progressively back toward a song-based ideal, the album still plays an important role, and should be given proper appreciation when done with such expertise. If for no other reason, this fact alone makes Demented Are Go's latest work a real joy.
Official Site
Buy It
on Amazon
See Also: So maybe Demented Are Go and Ed Wood do share some common traits...
(Hellcat)
You never forget the moment when you fall in love for the first time. It was a beautiful warm summer night when Suzie and I pulled up to the drive-in in my big brother John's gorgeous apple-red 1955 Ford Thunderbird convertible. We snuggled close together, and a few dancing junk-foods later, the movie began to play. As she was unwilling to put out even the slightest, I was feeling pretty lukewarm when it came to Suzie. Yet, as I watched the credits roll on my first ever cult horror film, I knew that this was the genre for me. From that day on, I was hooked.Okay, so, save for a few, the drive-ins have all been closed, and the car (and my brother for that matter) met its end in that legendary drag run back in '59. The memories, however, are all still there. And now, thanks to legendary British psycho-rockers Demented Are Go, we can all relive the glory of the Hollywood slasher B-movie. Their recent release, Hellbilly Storm, pressed on the German People Like You Records and distributed in North America by California's Hellcat label, pays tribute to this age-old art form while simultaneously churning out some of the finest Psychobilly of the band's career.
Wrapped in packaging that is eerily reminiscent of an Ed Wood film, Hellbilly Storm contains all the attitude and complete lack of decorum fans have come to expect from one of the genre's most well-known and oldest bands. From the opening "Pedigree Scum," lead singer Spark immediately praises all that is vice with tremendous pleasure and a voice that is, as usual, verging on demonic. "Block Up" takes the listener on a typical week-long drug bender with full day-by-day updates, and, of course, a defiant "start all over again!" at the end of the chorus. The sinful highlight, however, is the wild and loose "Out of Control," which, when one considers the content of Spark's rap sheets in virtually every country the band has toured in, seems not just a little bit autobiographical.
Of course, all this rebellious machismo is sandwiched in between the horror-driven lyrics that characterize the record. The subject matter and manic feel of the music in songs like "The Noose (That Snapped)," "Hotrod Vampires," "Doin' Me In," and "Demon Seed" bring to mind monsters snatching topless girls out of cars perched over Anytown USA's Lookout Point. This frightening energy comes to a head in the paranoid climax that is the slow-rockin' "Someone's Out to Get Me." Even Hellbilly's closing track, the more traditional rockabilly "When Death Rides a Horse," fits into the movie soundtrack vibe. Featuring powerful female vocals, the song is the perfect "hero riding off into the sunset" ending for any film.
While spooky-themed music is not exactly something new to psychobilly (one need only take a look at the discography of the genre's godfathers, The Cramps), rarely is it done in such an interesting way. Unlike contemporaries like Tiger Army, Demented Are Go do not rely solely on horror lyrics, but rather combine it with a variety of different energies and attitudes that can only be described as, well, bad-ass. More to the point, the album moves fluidly, with perfect transitions from one song to the next, and coming to a definite and satisfying ending. This is something that all bands, regardless of style, should think more about at a time when more and more people are consuming their music in shuffled MP3 format. While musical culture is moving progressively back toward a song-based ideal, the album still plays an important role, and should be given proper appreciation when done with such expertise. If for no other reason, this fact alone makes Demented Are Go's latest work a real joy.
Official Site
Buy It
on AmazonSee Also: So maybe Demented Are Go and Ed Wood do share some common traits...
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