Browsing Tag

horror punk

Venustra brought horror punk back with a carnivalesque industrial swing in ‘Hopping the Train’

Posted on 8 August 2022

Horror punk may have crawled back into the macabre gutter as of late; bringing it back with a carnivalesque industrial swing is Venustra, with their latest single, Hopping the Train. It may have been a while since I last donned anything by Kreepsville, but evidently, my horror punk phase isn’t remotely behind me, given how adrenalised I was by the histrionic mayhem.

The Wednesday 13/Murderdolls influence runs unbridled through the release, but that isn’t the only iconic alternative outfit Venustra pulled inspiration from with their snarls that are just as raucously gnarled as the guitars.

With The Dresden Dolls, Dir En Grey and Mr Bungle also cited in their wide-range list of inspirational artists, there is an infectiously antagonistic dynamism to the Austin-based artist, who has previously shared stages with Combichrist and Wednesday 13 after the project was created in 2014.

Check out Venustra’s latest track via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

New Rock City – Da Ratman!: Bop-Worthy Dark Punk Rock from NYC with Scuzz

Posted on 5 December 2021
Da Ratman! - Single by New Rock City

With a scuzzy punk rock viciousness that could only have ever come from NYC, New Rock City’s latest single, Da Ratman!, is a blackened bop-worthy hit that could single-handedly and simultaneously restart the New Romantic and Horror Punk scenes.

With no two singles from the duo ever the same, they keep their fanbase guessing what revivalist tones they will deliver next. Based on Da Ratman! It’s safe to say that they know just how to pull different stylistic elements together to energetically complement each other. It’s as hooky as any Misfits track, jangly as Johnny Marr’s licks and comes with devilishly macabre undertones in the same vein as The Creepshow. Da Ratman! is a firecracker of a track that no one will regret hitting play on.

Da Datman! Is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Das Ghoul bring a flash of spectacular pomp and ceremony to horror punk with ‘Twisted’

Posted on 19 March 2021
Trip the Light Phantasmic by das Ghoul

Take a healthy dose of old-school ‘Damned’-style gothic punk, a large helping of horror-tinged shock-rock, add a spattering of ‘Phantom of the Opera’ eerie piano, a decent dash of proper punk-edged rock n’ roll, and some sprinklings of ghostly psychedelia, and you’ve got a pretty good recipe for something special. That’s firmly where Oxford-based Das Ghoul sit; there’s touches of the aforementioned Damned, bits of Nick Marsh guitar and Flesh For Lulu atmosphere, even little mixes of opera, ska, and moody Interpol-style alt-rock at times in between the more obvious rushing punk guitar and shock-rock lyrics.

Das Ghoul bring a flash of spectacular pomp and ceremony to goth-horror-punk (is that a thing? It’s a thing), the evil looking masks and pseudonyms adding to a solid musical background. ‘Twisted’ is taken from their new, six-track EP ‘Trip The Light Phantasmic’, the addition of keyboard-player Octavia Von Wakeman filling a coffin-shaped hole and adding the ghastly final piece to the already impressive (presumably red-velvet) backdrop of previous album ‘Noise Das Noire’ and their debut ‘Video Nasty’ EP.

‘Trip The Light Phantasmic’ is … well, fantastic; sinister, punky, and filled with edgy, Edgar Allen Poe-esque gothic horror references and dark, tongue-in-cheek humour. ‘Twisted’ is a perfect introduction to the ghost train.

Check out ‘Twisted’, and the rest of ‘Trip The Light Phantasmic, on BandCamp; Follow Das Ghoul on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

West Wickhams – Where the Creatures Rule: Horror Noir Has a New Sound

Posted on 27 November 2020

There’s no better introduction to the Psychedelically-inclined Dark Punk duo, West Wickhams’ sound than the horror noir single ‘Where the Creatures Rule’.

The entrancingly dark single will undoubtedly enthral any fans of Bauhaus, while the accompanying music video pays ode to one of the greatest horror films ever made, Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’, obviously.

I can’t help but feel that Where the Creatures Rule has very ‘2020’ connotations. As the artistically inclined creatively document the movements of the masses, the populous prove that Romero’s anxiety about unrest and wariness in the 60s was spot on.

You can check out the official video to Where the Creatures Rule via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vile A Sin’s darkly inspired ‘Carnival Of Souls’ is a window into face-punching, carnivalesque horror-punk metal

Posted on 3 May 2020

LA’s ‘premier horrorcore outfit’ Vile A Sin’s track ‘Carnival of Souls’ pulls no punches in, well, immediately punching you in the face with a fist made of furious satanic riffery. 

With a video featuring Naomi Grossman of American Horror Story, ‘Carnival of Souls’ is, in a number of ways, the upcoming metal group’s most refined work to date. Put in words that extravagant metal lovers may understand best: this track encapsulates the sound of a band that doesn’t like to stay away from tightly chugged, discordant riffs served alongside a 5-piece meal of blast beats and carnivalesque keys. 

If power metal-inspired solos on top of keyed melodies that wouldn’t be out of place in an evil ring toss game are your thing, “Carnival of Souls” will satisfy any lover of wildly in-your-face guitar riffing – and satanic carnivals. This attraction is definitely worth a visit. 

Watch Vile A Sin’s “Carnival of Souls” official music video on their YouTube Channel now