The Renfields – GO!
Behold, The Renfields!! Some good foot-stomping Horror Pop Punkers from WV who were no doubt raised on B-movies, Monster Magazines and Punk Rock. I tripped and fell face first into this band and I couldn’t be happier about it! After some searching I’ve found that the band has been around for quite some time and somehow or another I missed out on them – WTF?! I won’t lie, I found them via the Horror Punk band, The Jasons. The Jasons were trying to raise some loot to get their van fixed or something along those lines and I thought this would be a perfect time to grab all of their CDs since I only had a few. While scrolling through their store front, I noticed this CD and figured I’d check it out, so I hit youtube up and much to my surprise, the band features the lead vocalist of the Jasons! I didn’t listen anymore, I just added it in the cart and bought every CD the band was offering on their site, even the ones I already had – I got homies who can always use some good Horror Punk in their lives! As soon as these CDs hit my box, I opened GO! first and proceeded to get my mind blown! Before we go any further, I’d say The Renfields are a hybrid mix of The McCrackins, The Ramones and The Queers, so this isn’t your typical Horror Punk, not even close – if you’re a fan of the Jasons, you already know this, I just wanted to clarify for those not aware. Some will still hear Misfits influences but that’s only because they want to…
The opening track “Transylvania Fight Song” gets GO! started off and you have play by play announcers calling this Pop Punk action, this added element amuses me deeply and reminds me of the old MTV show Celebrity Deathmatch. Yes, I liked that dumpster fire, what can I say I’m easily amused! Wayne Deadzky & the Transylvania Devil Bats are now one of my favorite teams and I’m anxious to take in a game if they’re as fun as this song!! From here the disc moves along at a feverish pace much like a Ramones album would – “Machete a Go-Go”, “Burning Revenge” and “Killer Klowns” just run through you like razor wire. As with most Horror cds/bands, several tracks found on this album are about Horror movies and feature excerpts here and there. But hey that’s what I expect, I’m fine with it, I’d be disappointed otherwise. I won’t lie, I don’t know where every track comes from, I can’t claim to know everything. The track “Porkchop” gives me “Motel Hell” & “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” vibes – backwoods terror, cannibalism and good old fashioned murder. Truth be known, it’s probably staring me in the face, I just can’t be bothered enough to think too hard about it, the song is so damned catchy! I’m a sucker for anything about redneck killing sprees. I’m from Dixie where we do shit right – the tea is always sweet, roadkill is a weekly treasure and murdering idiots that come down the wrong dirt road is a favorite pastime! The band also does this Horror geek even more justice by having a song directly influenced by a Vincent Price movie, “The Last Man On Earth”. For me this is one of the most aggressive tracks on the album and there are a few moments riff wise where I’m catching Billy Idol vibes but that’s probably from that California family that we caught hiking through the woods looking for Bigfoot last week – I’m still burping up patchouli oil. Next up in my HOLY SHIT! did they just do that, is the tune, “Night Of The Creeps”. I’m sure some of you aren’t familiar with the movie, if you are, great, if you aren’t, don’t take mine or The Renfields word for it, go and check it out now! I’d have to say this is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album, the movie excerpts, the lyrics and the melodies are catchy as hell. I’m not sure whether I want to binge on the movie or just keep hitting repeat on the song, it’s ridiculously addictive. “The good news is your dates are here, the bad news is they’re dead”!
After one listen of this disc, you know these tracks were well rehearsed and no doubt played live at every dive bar in the band’s normal haunts. I’d like to think these guys were able to play a few Proms, Baptisms, BBQ’s, Ritual Killings and Goatfuckings in their area, they’d certainly be welcomed around here! I believe the band is still active here and there when the Jasons aren’t tearing it up all over the place – and if you don’t know who those dudes are, just go to youtube and type in “American Slasher”! As for the Renfields and their disc GO! I have to say this disc is every bit as good, if not better than a lot of the Horror Punk I’ve had to sit through over the years. I’m ashamed that I didn’t catch them when they were current and trying to push this album at every turn. I don’t have much info on how many presses are still available or if they’ll be a repress once this print goes out of print. I strongly suggest checking out some of the clips and ordering it ASAP. This is an essential Horror Punk release that comes across much like Pop Punk with big hooks and unforgettable melodies and lyrics! I’ve found myself listening to this CD much more than I have anything else Horror related since I got it last year.
~Black Angel
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