The Spectremen Dark Holiday CD Review

*Originally written in 2008*

The murky swamplands of Georgia have once again spawned another release from the best Ghoul Rock band in the state! Yes, my dearest fiends, The Spectremen return to us with their fourth full length disc – Dark Holiday. Those who know me, know I never can get enough of this band, they just rock my face off.

Dark Holiday is the first long player to feature the band’s new guitarist, Evil Jim. There have been singles and compilation appearances with EJ, but never a full length. I gotta tell ya, the band has never sounded better! EJ’s guitar wizardry is legendary and boy, does he inject some serious mean into the band’s sound. Another strong point of the album is the production, it’s mixed heavy as all hell. The back beat is thunderous, making drummer Stench and bassist Dr. Syn sound larger than life. As far as the vocals go Danny Spectre is at his best here, I don’t think he could get any better at this point. He’s finally reached his full potential – Danzig, Screamin’ Lord Sutch, Elvis and Ian Astbury can all be heard in his voice. Spectacular!

The nine tracks compiled on Dark Holiday are without a doubt the band’s heaviest to date. I’m hard pressed to pick a favorite, there’s not a sleeper of the bunch. Every track just fucking slays! All the Horrorpunkers out there will eat up the eeriness of the mid-paced “Seventy-Two Inches Down” you do the math – and you’ll know what it’s all about. “Bone Dry” is another mid-paced tune that is just nasty! The vocals, lyrics along with the guitar riffs just churn and it runs chills up my spine. Other tracks that’ll put your head on a plate are “Down to The River”, “Ballad Of Bubba Zanetti” and “Bleed For Me”.

The Spectremen have more than proven themselves through the years and Dark Holiday is living proof of what this band capable of. This is the best Horror release I’ve heard in ’08! Go to the band’s facebook page and preview a few of the songs I’ve mentioned and pick up the cd, it’s only 8 bucks. Show some love for my fellow Southern Horror Rockers! 

~Black Angel