Hellstompers "Fire Walk With Me"

(Crazy Love Records 2013)

Diabolical Weapon

Crazy Train

True Rebel

Mavericks

Rolling Thunder

You Really Know What You Need

Overdrive

Black Hole

Alco Trip

Somebody Like Us

Virus

B-Movie

Fire Walk With Me

Let me preface this by saying that having your debut album released on Germany's Crazy Love Records is in itself an accolade as the company's name is synonymous with quality. So on to the all-important sounds within. The output from Russian bands in recent years has become tantamount to a psychobilly sound that is beating all competitors firmly across the buttocks with a pool ball in a sock. Psychobilly has remained successful in its own right now for close to 4 decades with NO input from the mass media which in my book is a positive because if those cunts got their hands on it it would turn into something akin to alcohol-free vodka and who the fuck would want that? Anyway, with success comes imitation and something successful gets imitated until it fails. Yes I'm once again speaking of the hordes of bands that refuse to sing in their natural voices and instead opt for bad Sparky impersonations. I've said it before and I'll fuckin' well say it again. I hate that. There's only one Demented Are Go and they're great. So bands DO YOUR OWN FUCKING THING...*gets a grip of emotions and....* well I can breathe a sigh of relief now because The Hellstompers do just that....their own thing! The sound is clean, it is what it says on the tin...psychobilly (leaning towards the first wave sound but not necessarily old school). I would have preferred a better bass sound but it is there to the fore nonetheless so don't let my bass sound nitpicking put you off...I just prefer a more woody sound and less boom and treble. Maybe it's my graphic equaliser settings. What sets psychobilly apart from its rockabilly cousin is that with the latter you know exactly what melodic direction a song is going to take from the opening chord or drum beat. The same I suppose can be said for some psycho songs but not so with the ditties The Hellstompers have crafted here. Yes they have an immediately recognisable psychobilly beat but there's twists and turns aplenty to keep you listening with bated ears. A fine inaugural release from a band I'll be keeping my eye on.

The O'Prez 2014

The Hellstompers on Facebook

Evil Devil "Bad Tales"

 

(Crazy Love Records 2013)

Property Of The Devil

Psycho Academy

The Beast Of Bodmin

Cursed By A Cornish Vicar

Sludge

Casillero Del Diablo

Revolver

5.9 MMS

Evil Ballad

Banned

Three Steps

In My Brain (Under My Nails)

The Walking Dead

 

People often comment on my musical tastes as being somewhat narrow minded. Well the people in question have obviously never heard psychobilly. It is at its essence a multifaceted genre - a genre made up of a multitude of separate genres with no rule book. Well, maybe the inclusion of a double bass is a rule but one that's not always strictly adhered to. Anyway, before I go off on another tangent, this, the latest release from Italy's Evil Devil is equal parts rockabilly twang, punk, metal and a twist of ska. It's a melting pot of varying musical influences but with psychobilly at its core. A lot of bands have obvious talent but the overall production on their studio albums can sometimes let them down. This can either be the fault of the studio guys not knowing how to bring out the sound of the slap bass or anything else for that matter or indeed the band issuing self-produced material. This is not the case here. The boys sound like a well-oiled machine. The music has the potential to appeal to a wider audience other than that of just the psychobilly underground. Luckily though the lyrics are included in the booklet or it would be anyone's guess as to what lead vox-man Angel was singing about. With that said though, his English is a lot better than my (non-existent) Italian. This album should definitely appeal to the fans of the harder side of psychobilly or anyone that likes a good aural rogering.

The O'Prez 2014

Evil Devil on Facebook