Under a Nightmare - Monsters 89 - Album Review

*** (out of 4 stars)

"Now the Armageddon's here.

They've got your sister.

The dead walk the earth.

You'll never see that bitch again"

- Blood on the Wall

Track Listing:

1.  Intro

2.  Can't Wait Till Halloween

3.  Blood On The Wall

4.  She's A Banshee

5.  Monsters 89

6.  Boneyard Road

7.  Lost

8.  Become The Stranger

9.  Ghost Town

10.  Shelly & The Vampire

11.  Into the Unknown

12.  Frankenweenie

13.  Take It To The Grave

14.  Devil's Dragstrip

15.  Curse of the Living

16.  Wish It Away

17.  Lay Upon The Dead

18.  Beneath

19.  You Haunted Me

20.  Between Madness

21.  Make Me A Zombie

22.  The Rotting

23.  Dead Youth 

Under a Nightmare is based out of Pittsburgh, Pa.  They formed in October 2002 and have been unleashing hell ever since.  The line up for Monsters 89 is:  Coffin Keenan - guitars/vocals, Marky Madness - guitar/vocals, Jordy Coroner - bass/vocals and The Cubscout - Drums.

Under a Nightmare's 2007 release, Monsters 89, is the perfect love child from punk and grudge.   In fact it's some of the best horror punk I've heard.  As a person following the band for many years, I've watched them grow from afar.  There's a perfect simplicity to Under a Nightmare that I really adore.  The catchy sing-a-long choruses, the guitar work, fast punk drums, and the howling of the bands guitarist/front man, Coffin Keenan.  Keenan has one of the better voices in the genre.  He reminds me of  T.S.O.L's Jack Grisham.  His vocal range keeps the band interesting and makes you want to hear the lyrics that he's singing.

Monsters 89 is packed with twenty-three songs.  Can't Wait Till Halloween starts the album off as a fast-paced, in your face, punk song.  I love when the bass comes in and really sets the tone for the tune.  From there, Blood On The Wall kicks in.  This is the song that made me want to purchase this album.  I love the opening guitar riff, and I love the solo later on.  This is one of the best songs on the album.  The title track, Monsters 89 has a great feel to it, and another great guitar opening that turns into a relentless horror punk attack.  My favorite track probably has to be Make Me A Zombie, a track near the end of the album.  Catchy all around.  A song I go to often when listening to the album.

But the above-mentioned tracks are just a sample taste.  There are so many other songs that are really great.  Frankenweenie is a return to the early days of The Misfits with all the Whoa-oh-ohs. Take it to the Grave starts off slow and groovy, then hits you the face with a hammer.  Never fear because for those of you who want mood, just check out the next to last track, The Rotting, where the acoustic guitar and keys are the driving point.  Keenan's vocals and lyrics for The Rotting are haunting too.  The last track of the album is Dead Youth, a great song, but a depressing reminder that the album is done.  Dead Youth is a great way to finish off.

Although Under a Nightmare has been prominent in the 2000's, I could easily see them finding success thirty years ago.  They sound like a band that could have came from the late 80's early 90's. Overall, this album is really great.  If you're a horror punk fan, do yourself the favor and pick this CD up.  They're currently working on a new record with some great material.  Anything you can purchase will help the band out.

Top five songs on the album:

Can't Wait Till Halloween, Make Me A Zombie, Blood On The Wall, Dead Youth, Monsters 89

Weakness:

Bass seems to be lost in the mix for certain songs, while others it's prominent.

Favorite Lyrics:

Make Me A Zombie

Get their music here:

http://kunaki.com/mSales.asp?PublisherId=138213

UAN's facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Under-A-Nightmare/139709342455

  

  

Deth Red Sabaoth

Track listing.
1. Hammer of the Gods
2. The Revengeful
3. Rebel Spirits
4. Black Candy
5. On a Wicked Night
6. Deth Red Moon
7. Ju Ju Bone
8. Night Star Hel
9. Pyre of Souls: Incanticle
10. Pyre of Souls: Seasons of Pain
11. Left Hand Rise Above

Danzig's newest edition of foreboding evil lies within the tracks of Deth Red Sabaoth. Deth Red Sabaoth is Danzig's ninth studio album. It was in the works for roughly two years and was finally released on June 22, 2010. The album was welcomed by fans, new and old, and received positive reviews from critics.

Some... let me repharse that, most people say, that Danzig hasn't put anything good out since Danzig 4P. I've got an opinion for people like that: They're not true fans. Stop trolling the internet bashing the guy just because you're not happy that he doesn't still work with the original line up. Get over it! Granted, Danzig 5 and Circle of Snakes were weak and lacked for a number of reasons. However, Satan's Child and 777: I Luciferi are pretty damn good albums if you ask me.

With this latest epic, Danzig focused on getting a real sound. He went out and purchased 1970's Kustom tuck and roll bass amps to play the guitars through. He wanted a natural sound that you can't get with modern computer equipment. I'm pretty sure he accomplished that as this sound is different from his previous work.

Danzig stays busy on the album and contributes vocals, piano, guitars and bass. He also drums on the track, Black Candy. Tommy Victor returns with lead guitar, guitars and bass. And Johnny Kelly dutifully commands the drum kit. In my humble opinion, he's the best drummer (for Danzig) to date. Yeah, yeah, I know, most will disagree and say Chuck was but fuck off.

The album opens with the track, Hammer of the Gods. Although this wasn't the best of tracks to open with, it had that classic, big and full chorus that Danzig loves. The next seven tracks are worth my money and not a single one of them are skipped through when I listen to them. The Revengeful is the second track and probably my favorite on the album. The instruments all blend together perfectly and stands out as one of the better tracks. Rebel Spirits has great lyrics and a phenom of a guitar solo in it. Black Candy is simple, yet sinister like only Danzig can do. On a Wicked Night is about death; slow and meaningful with some great guitar work. This song should please any fan of Danzig. Deth Red Moon's chorus is surprisingly reminiscent of the old Misfits and the beginning measures sound a lot like that of his classic song, Mother. Ju Ju Bone could be considered a homage to Elvis and has some of Danzig's best vocals on the album. And Night Star Hel has a black Sabbath feel to it. This song is slow and dirty, yet very full and thick.

The next two songs sound related to his classical Black Aria stuff. I'm not a huge fan of them because they drag on way too long and almost become a bit redundant. But the closing track, Left Hand Rise Above is absolutely the best chosen for the closing track of a great album. Danzig bellows in the chorus, "Left Hand Rise Above" and it is quick to send shivers down the spine of any loyal, true fan.

Danzig has said that this may be his last album. What with record sales and all. I'm just hoping he's not going the route of Rob Zombie and releasing everything via download. Maybe if Rob would put something out decent, we'd buy the shit. But when you got him singing songs like, Sick Bubble Gum, I have to wonder how much he still cares about the product he's putting out.

Deth Red is different though. Here you have a great album and it ties in with most of Danzig's other work. If you're a fan of Danzig's older stuff than you'll be pleased with his return to form. He's back on his throne and he's staying there for quite awhile. And for those of you that said his vocals have become a great thing of the past... you are sadly mistaken. These Danzig vocals are some of his best and a variety for each track.

Go buy this album on my highest recommendation. You won't be disappointed that you did.

Here is a rating of each track.

Excellent ***
Good **
Skip *

Hammer of the Gods - **
The Revengeful - ***
Rebel Spirits - ***
Black Candy - ***
On a Wicked Night - ***
Deth Red Moon - ***
Ju Ju Bone - **
Night Star Hel - ***
Pyre of Souls: Incanticle - *
Pyre of Souls: Seasons of Pain - *
Left Hand Rise Above - ***