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

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