It’s been a while since we crept over the crooked, creaky bridge into Creepsylvania, six years in fact. This time we approach the ghoulish sack-clothed faced wearers lair with extreme caution. I nod acknowledgement to the headless horseman on the way, he does not return the favour for some reason, must be in a strop and approach the castle gates. There’s several Impaled corpses to navigate past and an air of danger is present. We have been informed that with this new five track EP we should be wary as “it will kill you” gulp. What monstrosities await inside?
First up and stirring things along in a cauldron of b-movie sampling complete with wispy Theremin, we have to escape from ‘The Eyes Of The Witch,’ no easy task at all. Rolling in with bouncy drum bombast enough to have the eyes of frogs popping out, the main song has plenty of melody about it as the guitars weave away and the vocals gurgle and slew away. Beastly and brash grooves along with rabid snarls, this one has a breakneck pace and just as well as we are after all trying to flee before being turned into a toad. Solo’s flail away and we are ensnared in the tumultuous and lengthy 7m:40s spell as the drums thump like coffin nails and all hell is literally let loose. It’s shorter slabs that follow such as the title track and before you can ask what the hell that rancid stink is we thrash into it and have no doubt why that horseman was headless if he tried to bang along to this. Some cool reverb added to the vocals and a speedy delivery to match the rattling velocity, this one kicks up a fetid stench that leaves you gasping for clean air.
‘Shotgun Gulch’ is a grizzly ambush and the rhythm and crunch is enough to blast your brains into oblivion. The gang shout out from behind the main vocals and we get some shadowy surfing guitar melody to coast along on. It’s somewhat strange but a lot of fun. All we need is blood and with this and follow up ‘Ratlicker’ one can’t help thinking what a fantastic tour it would be if Ghoul and GWAR combined bloody forces. The short, sharp and savage release culminates with a cover of Funerot number 1-900-DTH-LINE but after a couple of engaged attempts to get through we are asked to “Send more paramedics” and decide it’s high time to scarper… at least until an album hopefully follows. Till then GHOULunatics should be suitably appeased.
(7/10 Pete Woods)
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