When
they’re playing their instruments, Norwegian psychobillies Nekromantix
are a pretty formidable trio—frontman Kim Nekroman thumps that coffin-shaped
stand-up bass like his life depends on it (which I guess is the case) and
still keeps a vise-like grip on the time, and guitarist Peter Sandoff
lays out razor-sharp guitar lines that neatly blend trad rockabilly jangle
and Europunk speed fever, with bro Kristian keeping a jungle beat
behind ‘em all. But once Kim opens his trap to sing about graveyard
ghoulfriends (“Ghoulina”) or cannibal feasts (“What’s On Your
Neighbors’ BBQ”) or getting a face full of steering wheel after drinking
too much at a show (“Struck By A Wrecking Ball"), the whole stein of
beer goes a little flat. Psychobilly’s preoccupation with vintage monsters,
dragsters and chicks in Betty Page bangs pushes it dangerously into
dork territory; while other similar-minded bands have gotten around this
quandary by simply barreling through it a la the Misfits or dressing
it up in morbid humor like the Cramps, Nekromantix offers it
up with a straight face, which doesn’t make it any easier to swallow lyrics
like “Young or old/I touch their inner child/When I show my fangs/They go oh
so wild” (from “I’m a Shock Star,” which I guess is about horror
movie actors…yikes). I mean, I’m no one to talk—I’m still watching
monster movies 24-7, but I dunno—if you don’t want people to roll their eyes
when you start talking, you’ve gotta dress up that preoccupation a little
differently once you get past, say, 12. Thankfully, Kim’s accent and
strangled tone obscure some of the goofier lyrics (“I went out for a walk/It
was late, it was night/Creepy sounds appeared/When I passed the graveyard
wall”—sounds appeared?), and again, the band does lay down a mighty
slab of sound, especially on “Neighbor’s BBQ.” But Dead Girls
smacks a bit of those bands that play the Fango
conventions, and that…well, it ain’t rock and roll.
________________________________________________________
When
they’re playing their instruments, Norwegian psychobillies Nekromantix
are a pretty formidable trio—frontman Kim Nekroman thumps that coffin-shaped
stand-up bass like his life depends on it (which I guess is the case) and
still keeps a vise-like grip on the time, and guitarist Peter Sandoff
lays out razor-sharp guitar lines that neatly blend trad rockabilly jangle
and Europunk speed fever, with bro Kristian keeping a jungle beat
behind ‘em all. But once Kim opens his trap to sing about graveyard
ghoulfriends (“Ghoulina”) or cannibal feasts (“What’s On Your
Neighbors’ BBQ”) or getting a face full of steering wheel after drinking
too much at a show (“Struck By A Wrecking Ball"), the whole stein of
beer goes a little flat. Psychobilly’s preoccupation with vintage monsters,
dragsters and chicks in Betty Page bangs pushes it dangerously into
dork territory; while other similar-minded bands have gotten around this
quandary by simply barreling through it a la the Misfits or dressing
it up in morbid humor like the Cramps, Nekromantix offers it
up with a straight face, which doesn’t make it any easier to swallow lyrics
like “Young or old/I touch their inner child/When I show my fangs/They go oh
so wild” (from “I’m a Shock Star,” which I guess is about horror
movie actors…yikes). I mean, I’m no one to talk—I’m still watching
monster movies 24-7, but I dunno—if you don’t want people to roll their eyes
when you start talking, you’ve gotta dress up that preoccupation a little
differently once you get past, say, 12. Thankfully, Kim’s accent and
strangled tone obscure some of the goofier lyrics (“I went out for a walk/It
was late, it was night/Creepy sounds appeared/When I passed the graveyard
wall”—sounds appeared?), and again, the band does lay down a mighty
slab of sound, especially on “Neighbor’s BBQ.” But Dead Girls
smacks a bit of those bands that play the Fango