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HELL NIGHT – Unlimited Destruction – REVIEW

If you haven’t been hip to Hell Night yet, now is the time to correct that mistake. The band had several 7’s and singles throughout their career and released their first full length in 2019, “Unlimited Destruction.”  The title  fits perfectly as this recording is full of enough hard hitting guitars, pummeling drums and vicious vocals to level a city. Brian Fair replaced original vocalist Mike Craft for “Unlimited Destruction,” taking the sound further with even more fury than before.

Hell Night have a hardcore/metal/punk approach filled with pure aggression that comes in part from Andy White’s brutal and murky guitar work that perfectly compliments Brian Fair’s pissed off vocals. While their exact genre of music is difficult to pinpoint, their ability to write killer riffs and songs that may a mosh pit to break out in your living room is without question.

For even more details regarding this album check out our recent interview with Brian Fair.

 

 

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VHS – I Heard They Suck…Blood! – REVIEW

Canadian horror monsters, VHS are back from the crypt once again with more thrashy, trashy and blood splattered tracks based on films from the great video store era of the 80’s and 90’s. This time the band focuses its  theme on the most rocking creature of the night; vampires. VHS plays a killer style of death and roll that is part thrash, part death metal, part grind and so on. If you are a fan of Carcass, Midnight and Ghoul this is a can’t miss. Being a band of each of them, this album has already received heavy rotation in my collection. VHS even managed to snag a few guests on this album as well. Trevor Strnad and Dave Ingram lend their unholy howls to tracks, “Horror of Dracula,” and “Immortality Comes with a Price,” Not only is music here top notch the sound bites included are worth the price of admission alone. If you are a horror film fanatic, you’ll be impressed with some of the films that VHS include in their undying homage to bloodsuckers. From classics like “The Lost Boys” and “Near Dark” to cult classics “Martin” and “Monster Squad,” this release will make you want to go back in time and visit your local video store.

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VHS – Gore From Beyond the Stars – REVIEW

If you are a fan of cheesy B-movies horror, then VHS has you more than covered. With song titles such as, “From Crystal Lake to Space,” “Earth Girls are Easy,” and “Space Jam,” (yes, you read that correctly, it is not a typo.) “Gore from the Stars,” is oozing with plenty of film references to your favorite interstellar horror and science fiction films.

Have you ever noticed once a franchise starts to become a little stale, setting the next movie in space always seems to be the next option? Jason, Pinhead and even the nasty little Leprechaun have all taken the trip beyond the stars for better or worse. (mostly worse) So, how does VHS fair on their 4th album? Are things starting to go stale? Have they run out of any fresh ideas?

Thankfully Gore From Beyond the Stars delivers all of the maniacal and brutal fun that we have come to expect from VHS while still remaining fresh and memorable. For those unfamiliar with their insanity, VHS sound like a blended version of old school punk, Grind, Thrash and Death Metal with deep guttural vocals and an infectious sense of humor.  Most of this release is hostile and brutal but VHS also delivers some diversity on this album to keep things interesting. The somber synth filled intro track, “Blast Off,” starts the album off with a nostalgic nod to 80s Sci Fi.  The tracks only intensify from here as VHS stomps your skull in with a blitzkreig of horror mayhem with most tracks well under the 1:30 mark. “Earth Girls are Easy,” breaks this mold with an extremely Glam Metal feel compete with some ridiculously funny falsetto vocals and almost power ballad feeling solos. Another highlight are the movie samples that proceed most of the songs giving you a little break in their blood soaked audio onslaught. “Space Jam,” is an instrumental track that takes a moment to slow things down with some incredible grooves and solos that may leave you asking yourself, is the same band? If you are a fan of the humor of the legendary Macabre but need something a little more hard hitting, this CHUD is for you.