'Of Ghouls and Men' - Album Review

Formed in 2010 by Liv Decay and Oly 'Sinnister' Sinn, Raizing Hell (whose line-up is completed by Mr. Zombie on guitar and Demented Vlash on bass) are finally ready to unleash their first full-length album to the world. Titled 'Of Ghouls and Men', it is a worthy addition to the new wave of horror punk, and something very different.

The album goes for the jugular right from the off. There are no lengthy guitar solos or moments of deep introspection here. This is straight-up, pounding shock'n'roll, with the spirit of old-school punk and a vocalist who could almost be described as an evil Dolly Parton!

'We Are Raizing Hell' opens the album, and is a great self-referential tune in the style of Motorhead's 'We Are Motorhead'. Kicking off with some seriously frantic drumming, the song explodes with Mr. Zombie's razor-sharp riffage and the thundering bass of Demented Vlash in a way that the 'Head would most certainly be proud of. Liv Decay rasps through the song like she's channelling Lemmy Kilmister himself, although her trademark hollar is present and correct.

'(Do It) All The Way' is next, a vicious edge to the riffs here that is reminiscent of the Murderdolls. Liv too, manages here to sound like a female Wednesday 13, although she switches to the softer melodies with ease, lending the tune a welcome depth. This is another instant of the band taking their influences, and bending them to suit their own style, instead of just copying and imitating.

'Love To Hate' is a schizophrenic combination of bluesy beats and insane speed. The juxtaposition emphasises the heavier moments as well as the softer, more haunting parts of the song, threading the elements together rather beautifully.

It is at this point that I started to consider the bands' name – 'Raizing Hell'. 'Of Ghouls and Men' is just one huge party, and the band really do live up to their name. 'Thing For Murder' is a case-in point. A modern pop-punk guitar riff and Decay's country-and-western style singing make impossible NOT to dance, especially during the chorus!

'Shining' – a special song for the band – is altogether heavier, almost metal, to begin with. Demented Vlash's shark-attack bass intro leads into some serious axe-work (look at the song title-pun intended!), before progressing into a haunting, yet catchy, tune that could easily have appeared on the Misfits' 'Famous Monsters' album! 'Shining' yet again shows the band bending their influences, shaping them around their own music, and the beautiful chorus and lyrics are an absolute must for all the horror fanatics out there! A stand-out track!

'One Way Road' is a proper highway punk anthem something to blast out when your speeding off into the sunset (or dreaming about speeding off into the sunset), while 'Terror Television's' cry of “Kill or be killed!” is a call-to arms to maniacs everywhere.

'Invasion of the Infrasluts' switches from horror to cheesy sci-fi – a foul-mouthed tyraid of lunacy with an uber-fast chorus, and terrifically old-school guitar riffs. Think the Misfits' 'Teenagers From Mars', but a hell of a lot more insane, and you're halfway there.

Call it dark-pop, anti-pop, or whatever, but 'Cemetary Bash' is a weird mix of creepy lyrics and a beautifully sung chorus that is almost Shania Twain in it's essence (not a bad thing)! Liv Decay isn't afraid to show off every facet of her amazing voice, and Oly, Mr. Zombie, and Vlash all rise to the occasion with murderous ease.

And speaking of murderous ease, just when you think the band have exhausted their potential for any more epic horror punk anthems, they give us 'Rock'n'roll For The Dead'. Essentially a country-and-western-meets-hard-rock riot, this stand-out track transcends genres in a way that horror punk has never really dared to before, and will likely have the fans in the audience jiving and grooving more than just headbanging! An absolute corker of a song!

'Of Ghouls and Men', like all parties, has to end sometime, and this album closes with flair. Not, as expected, a homage to 'Dawn of The Dead', 'Zombie Nation' is actually an attack on the mindless sheep of society, glued to reality television and following the crowd. It's about the need to be individual, to make your own way in life, and with the intense riffage, rumbling bass, rolling drums, and a big, singalong chorus, 'Zombie Nation' summarises the whole of 'Of Ghouls and Men' in three and a half minutes, and leaves you craving more!

'Of Ghouls and Men' is one hell of a debut album! Each musician approaches their instrument with confidence and skill, and Liv Decay stands apart from all the other female vocalists out there by daring to be different. Raizing Hell have a fantastic core sound, and yet they aren't afraid to experiment, and think outside the box.

'Of Ghouls and Men' wasn't made to be analysed and dissected. It was made to blow your balls off. Buy it, turn it up to 11, and have the best horror party this side of Halloween. If you like horror punk, you will LOVE this!

RAIZING HELL ARE:

Liv Decay – Vocals

Mr. Zombie – Guitar, backing vocals

Demented Vlash – Bass, backing vocals

Oly 'Sinnister' Sinn – Drums

'Of Ghouls and Men' Stand-Out Tracks:

• Thing For Murder
• Shining
• Rock'n'roll For the Dead
• Zombie Nation

Also check out:

• Thirteen Shots – Tales That Start With A Whisper
• The Misfits – The Devil's Rain

For more information, visit Raizing Hell's Official Facebook Page: Raizing Hell

Cory Eadson, 2013

The Misfits: 'The Devil's Rain' - A Review

The Misfits. A cult horror-punk band so influential, their inspiration can be noted from bands as diverse as Metallica, Guns 'N' Roses, and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Their grinning Skull logo is instantly recognisable (even though it was nabbed from a Marilyn Monroe movie, along with the band name), and they even have their own fan club.

But today, The Misfits aren't 'anywhere near as good as they used to be'. Not since Glenn Danzig left and the band first split back in the 80s. So many die-hard fans disregarded the 90s comeback with new vocalist Michale Graves, and snort with derision at the latest incarnation, which has seen the band's creator and bassist, Jerry Only, singing along to their haunting hymns. Without going into any sort of overlong band-history examination or defence, I'm going to say one thing. Those 'fans' are wrong. The Misfits were great when they came back, and I would argue that now, they're at their peak.

The Devil's Rain is the first full-length, original Misfits album for a Hell of a long time. After Graves was booted from the line-up, and Only took over as singer as well as bassist, the band released a rather good covers album of 1950s rock'n'roll songs, and then a 2 track single in 2009 about zombies, before finally unleashing The Devil's Rain upon the world. This new album lacks the raw, ugly aggression of the Danzig era, or the confrontational punk-metal of the Graves era, instead opting for a heavy-sounding rockabilly record. Apart from a few growling instances here and there, Only croons rather than screams, and there's a lack of swearing and overly-violent themes in the lyrics. This is an album more about the music itself than the shock value, an album that is proud to feature all of the horror hallmarks we've come to love from these guys, but with a new level of musicianship and polish rarely before heard in this band.

The opening track, and indeed the title track, is a mid-paced, melodic rocker. It's absolutely the right choice for an album opener, drawing the listener in with that thunderstorm sound-effect and the rising sound of the drums. Then the riff kicks in and we're off! It's a ridiculously catchy song, the lyrics no doubt inspired by the old-school horror film of the same name, and it's virtually impossible not to sing along to the chorus. We get a lovely guitar solo, courtesy of Dez Cadena, whose playing on this album is top notch, and a pounding and hypnotic drum beat from Eric Arce that drives the whole song. Straight away, the listener knows what to expect, and those after a 'Last Caress' or 'Attitude' will be extremely let down. Their loss!

Things do speed up with 'Vivid Red' though, an edge of thrashy aggression that, alongside the slightly more upbeat 'The Black Hole', wouldn't seem out of place on American Psycho or Famous Monsters. These tracks are separated by re-recordings of the songs from the 2009 EP, Land of the Dead. Both 'Land of the Dead' and 'Twilight of the Dead' are fantastic tracks, and the re-recordings are successful (although I personally prefer the original version of 'Twilight of the Dead'). The songs are catchy, singalong zombie anthems, and listening to them, one has to thank the stars that Jerry Only has retained his love of horror movies over the years in order to keep writing such fun lyrics.

It's all uphill from here, too. 'Cold in Hell', 'Unexplained', and 'Curse of the Mummy's Hand' are all heavy rock'n'roll anthems made for the live atmosphere (no surprise that on their latest tour, the band are playing pretty much every track off this album!), with Cadena really showing off his technical prowess. 'Dark Shadows' (based on the classic TV series and upcoming Tim Burton film) and 'Father' are a pair of Vampire laments that sound so fresh and original, even though Vampires have been done to death just recently.

'Jack the Ripper' picks up the pace a bit, with screeching guitars and aggressive growling from Only, alongside Arce's pounding drums. This is as close to a heavy metal song that The Misfits have probably ever done, sounding like a NWOBHM band in their prime. 'Monkey's Paw' slows things down a bit, essentially a 1950s love song, but about a cursed object that grants three dangerous wishes to its' owner.

'Where Do They Go?' again sounds like a catchy 50s track, with two female backing vocalists adding to the feeling. However, despite the upbeat and nostalgic tone of the song, its' subject matter is actually very dark - Only is singing about the many hundreds, or even thousands, of women found dead or having vanished in the Mexican city of Juarez. Taking something so nasty, and singing about it in such an upbeat way is pure Misfits!

Two of the remaining three tracks are, for me, a mixed bag. 'Sleepwalkin'' is catchy enough, but a bit long, and the same can be said for the album closer 'Death Ray', although kudos must go to the band for recreating all those science-fiction sounds. Between these songs, though, is 'The Ghost of Frankenstein'. All I can say is... gorgeous! Catchy, haunting, atmospheric...this is the clincher, the song that proves once and for all that The Misfits are as good, if not better, than ever before.

This may be a controversial statement, but I would argue that The Devil's Rain is THE best Misfits album ever. A collection of heavy, catchy songs about horror films and murders, with a trio of musicians at the top of their game, and only the barest bit of flab bringing the side down a touch. Go and listen to it with an open mind. You might just like what you hear.... 

Click on the songs below to give them a listen....

The Devil's Rain

01. "The Devil's Rain"

02. "Vivid Red"

03. "Land Of The Dead" (album version)

04. "The Black Hole"

05. "Twilight Of The Dead" (album version)

06. "Curse of the Mummy's Hand"

07. "Cold In Hell"

08. "Unexplained"

09. "Dark Shadows"

10. "Father"

11. "Jack The Ripper"

12. "Monkey's Paw"

13. "Where Do They Go?"

14. "Sleepwalking"

15. "Ghost Of Frankenstein"

16. "Death Ray"

The Misfits Are:
Jerry Only - Vocals and bass 
Dez Cadena - Guitar
Eric "Chubacabra" Arce - Drums