Heretic. One of those names that has so many entries in Metal Archives you get dizzy, but as this lot of Dutch degenerates have been trailing through the sleazy much since the late nineties they have a far better shout on the name than many. My first time with them though as with a PR band picture that looked like a Misfits tribute band and mutterings about Motorhead I thought should be good for a dirty grin.
Of course never judge by a picture and a PR sheet.
Except perhaps here.
‘Boys From The Void’ just cranks up a Motorhead meets d-beat riff and shouted lyrics that are right on that black n roll tip tottering into gleeful Misfits gone Satanic. It’s a fun opener; basic punk metal party riot stuff. Cool. ‘Pandemonium Nights’ has a little more goth tinge to the riff but the vocals and the bounce comes back and it’s kind of a blackened punk take on some hair metal party rager just with more Satan and less booze an’ broads. It has a very Misfits slow section here and there too.
Basically by track two you pretty much have the hang of Heretic 2024.
‘Demonizing Womanizer’ is a scampering, indeed scamp of a song. A nice downbeat urgent riff with all the stockings and garters references a horny devil worshipper needs. Again it’s fun and definitely a JD swigging kind of song.
‘Holy Death Awaits’ tries to go slower. Basically for me the unvaried vocals which work fine in the fast lane don’t gel with me in the slow one; it does briefly find a faster gear towards the end but it’s pretty much filler for my ears. ‘Born To Burn’ balances the speed deficit nicely however; a straight forward Misfits racer with that layer of black n roll mixed in.
This is pretty much how it goes throughout the album. ‘Ritual Girl’ has a bit of a Horror Western vibe to it which makes it stand out, think some early Ghoultown or something like the Cramps partying with them.
The good side is that this is not a boring album; it has a nicely horror punk vibe more than anything and the lyrics therefore, regardless how serious they may be, come across as far more fun than hideous abomination and the riffs match that nicely. The downside is that the vocals are unvaried on the whole and there is a sameness to a lot of the album. But hey, it’s not long really so shouldn’t be a problem. I do wonder if they would like to try going full on psychobilly when no one is looking, but what they do here is good enjoyable drunk and devils kinda stuff.
So when you feel like going on a bender there are far worse things to fire you and your buddies up for the festivities ahead.
It’s Ok, man, it’s OK.
(6/10 Gizmo)
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