The fact that this band had the gall to name the first song on their first record after themselves foreshadows what a great band they would grow to be. However, at this stage of the game, their greatness is heavily overshadowed by low-budget production. Hellbound has all the catchy sing-alongs that would quickly become the Nekromantix trademarks, like "Ride Danny Ride," and the title track "Hellbound," which is quite possibly the most cheerful song about being tortured ever written.
However, tracks like "Brain Error" and "Electric Chair," while sounding kinda cool and catchy, just don't have the punch they might pack with some extra production. The whole thing sorta sounds like it was recorded in a gutter, which while awesome at first, severly saps its replay value. However, if you're already a psychobilly fan, you'll probably get a huge kick out of Kim Nekroman and Peter Sandorff trading snarling vocals over tongue-in-cheek horror anthems.
Oh man, is this ever one hell of an album. The Nekromantix have busted out the listenable production, but without making it sound slick and overproduced. It's still got that raw psychobilly quality, while still being listenable. And man, will you want to listen to this one over and over. Opener "Devil Smile," with its creepy distorted intro, sets the stage for the album, then we're into title track "Curse of the Coffin," which is more or less the band bragging about themselves ("Nekromantix on the run and reachin' out for you!"). This one opens with one of the most instantly addictive intros I've ever heard - creeping along like a horror movie soundtrack before bustin' out the rock.
That's a good adage for the rest of the CD, too, as it's very fast-paced and catchy. Tracks like "Howlin' at the Moon," "Rockin' Reptile," fan favourite "Survive or Die" (about getting an STD and not knowing if it will kill you or not), "Alice in Psycholand" and the blues groove of "S&M" will make you want to get wreckin' in the pit. Hell, I could have put any of the tracks in there - there are no low moments or filler on the entire CD. Even the instrumental "Drugshock" has an amazing amount of replay value. This is the Nekromantix classic album, and just one listen will convince you too. If you like lo-fi punk and good, fast psychobilly - this is a CD you need to check out.
So sometime between Curse of the Coffin and Brought Back to Life, Peter Sandorff left for some reason. I don't know these things, I just own the CDs. Lyrically, this song is stronger than Curse of the Coffin, but the new guitarist's riffs and hooks just aren't as catchy and interesting as Sandorff could make them. However, they're still pretty decent, with songs like "Bloody Holiday," "Monster Movie Fan," and "Nekrofelia" standing out above the rest. Nekroman is in top form with his vocal delivery and harmonies, too. However, one thing kept this album from getting an 8 - the fact that Peter Sandorff's replacement is allowed to sing.
While Sandorff sort of comes off as psychobilly's equivalent of Tom Delonge at first glance, you quickly realize he can both sing and add great-sounding background harmonies. However, everytime *this* guy opens his mouth, I just want to throttle him. When he isn't randomly cutting in with his grating hick laugh, he's attempting to sing back-up or choruses. You know that nasally-voiced kid who thinks they're cool and insists upon following you around? Imagine that kid joined a Nekromantix cover band. That's what this guy sounds like. If he had just kept his mouth shut, this would have easily gotten an 8.
The Nekromantix retain their 50's rock bite on "Night Nurse" and "Beelzebub," a tale of a girl who ends up murdered by her date. While this album keeps the ethereal imagery, it's less focused on slash-and-gore and more on spiritual sides of things, like angels and demons. Opening track "Demons are a Girl's Best Friend," with its creepy back-up funeral choir, shows off the mood of this album. Even the horror-themed songs are less threatening, like vampire love song "Love at First Bite." If you're used to psychobilly, you should probably avoid this one, but if you're just a Nekromantix fan, it holds up.
And what a live record this one is! The brothers Sandorff are back, and in full form. Man, did I ever miss them. This one features the Nekromantix performing in their hometown of Copenhagen, Denmark. The songs are still in English, but all the between-song banter is in Danish, so I have no idea what's going on there. They open with the eerie sounding rock number of "Nice Day for a Resurrection," which would later be recorded for their next release with COMPLETELY different lyrics. (From what I can gather, this version is about a guy resurrecting his dead girlfriend, while the Loving Dead version is about the guy himself being resurrected.)
The Hellbound tracks sound great live. "Brain Error" sounds twice as creepy, especially with the added saxophone, and "Graveyard in Your Memory" and "Helllbound" deliver the psychobilly fury they should have. The band is in top form, such as getting the crowd to sing the "Ride Danny Ride" chorus, and the random disco intro to set closer "Survive or Die" is sure to put a smile on your face. They skim over most of the Brought Back to Life and Demons are a Girl's Best Friend tracks to focus on the one-two punch of Hellbound and Curse of the Coffin. This is one solid live album, and a must have for any Nekromantix fan.
Nearly every track on this album is a stand-out, from the hilarious "Who Killed the Cheerleader?" (apparantly, while recording in America for the first time, the band was shocked by the US media's beauty standards and wrote the song in response) to "Haunted Cathouse," which appears to be a country-themed horror tale but really name-drops other psychobilly bands left and right. The band continues to show their introspective melodies on title track "Return of the Loving Dead," while exploring a cool creepy surf punk sound on "Rubbermonks and Leathernuns," which is probably one of the best Nekromantix songs ever. A combination of smooth production and good song-writing makes this one a keeper.
The album opens with "Black Wedding," a prelude track featuring a macabre-sounding choir, before flying right into the catchy "Backstage Pass to Hell." The melodic "Moonchaser" and "A Stone With Your/My Name," boasting a cool guitar solo midway, are probably the standout tracks on this one. Title track "Dead Girls Don't Cry," about killing a cheating girlfriend, and "What's On Your Neighbor's BBQ," featuring a cannibalistic next-door neighbor, continue to show off the Nekromantix black humour that's typical of psychobilly. This is still a solid record, and will keep you interested.