ALBUM REVIEW: Songs Of Unspeakable Terror – Bloody Hammers
On paper, husband and wife duo BLOODY HAMMERS are a pretty perfect match for the horror punk genre. Ever since their self-titled debut in 2012, they’ve shown a real penchant for the sinister and the macabre. Until now, this has mostly taken the form of theatrical, doom metal-tinged goth rock. For their fifth album however, the pair have made a self-described “temporary foray into the unknown.” Specifically, it sees them draw inspiration from bands like THE MISFITS and PLASMATICS for a “retro-ized horror punk” offering. Written and recorded under lockdown in the couple’s aptly-named home of Transylvania County, the result, entitled Songs Of Unspeakable Terror, is a 32 minute, 11 track journey into an old school horror world of monsters, slashers and ghouls.
The record kicks off with its lead single, A Night To Dismember. It’s a driving, melodic opener which provides a firm contender for the best song on the album. Lyrically, it tells the story of an escape from a lunatic asylum and subsequent killing spree. Like most horror punk, it’s morbid stuff, but BLOODY HAMMERS do a good job of imbuing the track with a twisted sense of fun, as well as some serious melody, for a kind of oxymoronic melancholy euphoria.
On every BLOODY HAMMERS release, vocalist Anders Manga’s commanding, theatrical performances have been a standout feature. It’s soon clear that this album is no exception. Manga’s vocals add a real melodic catchiness to the record, drawing comparisons to Ville Valo of HIM, and pretty much any MISFITS vocalist. As well as the opener, tracks like Waking The Dead and I Spit On Your Corpse feature simple yet unshakeable hooks which are sure to stick in listeners’ heads for hours – even days – after.
While this is very much new sonic territory for BLOODY HAMMERS, they haven’t completely abandoned their usual fare. The album’s riff-heavy second track, Hands Of The Ripper, is solid proof of this. This one’s another driving song which tells the story of a shadowy killer prowling the streets of an unnamed city. It’s another firm highlight, with its doomier tendencies even evoking the likes of UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS.
Musically, BLOODY HAMMERS keep things quite straightforward on Songs Of Unspeakable Terror. For the most part they get straight to the point with driving power chords and simple drumming. Manga‘s wife Devallia‘s keyboards add the odd texture or melody, but these tend to sit quite low in the mix. As well as this, many of the songs move at a similar pace and have pretty simple structures. All this is definitely in keeping with many of the record’s influences, but it does mean that the band can struggle to maintain attention as the album goes on.
There are still some clear highlights on this record though. As mentioned, the opening two tracks are particularly strong. Another high point is fourth track Not Of This Earth. The song tells the story of an other-worldly creature sent to earth to harvest human blood. It has a real grand, epic feel, and features yet another solid vocal performance from Manga. Later, eighth track We Are The Damned provides another guaranteed sing-along and injects some energy after a couple of less memorable pieces.
Tenth track Lucifer’s Light is also worth mentioning as the most significant musical shift from the rest of the record. It takes the form of a mellow acoustic ballad, with touches of delicate melodic beauty. It makes for a welcome departure from the rest of the record, and even has a touch of PINK FLOYD-esque theatricalism. If anything though, it’s a shame BLOODY HAMMERS placed it this late in the album. Closer I Spit On Your Corpse is a return to the fare of earlier tracks, but with the break offered by its predecessor, it just feels a little stronger. With it, one can’t help but wonder if other tracks may have benefitted in the same way had Lucifer’s Light come a little earlier.
Ultimately, it’s hard to be too harsh on Songs Of Unspeakable Terror. Like many bands, this wasn’t actually what BLOODY HAMMERS had in mind for this moment in time – Manga was actually due to head out on tour with his darkwave solo project when COVID-19 shut everything down. Instead, fans have got a new album much earlier than they may have expected, and the result is pretty good. It may have its flaws, but it also has some real highlights. Crucially, it’s clear that the duo are having fun and that these songs have been made with real love. As a result, it’s difficult not to have a good time as a listener either.
Rating: 7/10
Songs Of Unspeakable Terror is set for release on January 15th via Napalm Records.
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