Calabrese – Dayglo Necros

Arizona horror-punks Calabrese continue to make a name for themselves with each subsequent release, showcasing their dedication to their fans in a genre often left for dead.  Now with their forth studio release, Dayglo Necros, the Calabrese brothers further entrench their legacy as one of the most hair-raising acts this side of the undertaker’s shovel.

After a moody organ intro serves homage to classic horror movies, Calabrese wastes no time sinking their teeth into the ears of expectant listeners, kicking off with howling vocals, screaming guitars, and hard-hitting drumming.  Bobby Calabrese’s pitchy wail soars high above the band’s edgiest musical inclusions to date, with Davey’s crashing beats slamming in hair-raisingly suspense – the type that makes you think twice before glancing over your shoulder before flicking the light switch and ascending your basement staircase.  “The Dead Don’t Rise” and “Coffin Ruins” explode with immediacy into catchy melodic choruses filled with the trademark “woahs” and backing vocals that put Calabrese on the map.  Likewise, their infamous wolfman-like strength pounces forth in the moonlight of the deathly tight riffs and suspenseful guitar solos of “Ghostwolves.”

But even through the slick, blackened coating of the Calabrese troupe the trio maintains the witty sense of tongue-in-cheek dark humour essential for any successful horror album.  “She Hasn’t Been Herself In Years” meshes women and demons, and “History Of Nothing” injects a few tasteful b-movie references into their striking imageries in the lines “Autopsy scar of a Hollywood death, Machines of crime at the jugular vein, Las Vegas highway of blood, With no easy way out, Hell is coming down.”  The band always respects the source material, but never trivializes or self-parodies itself like aging horror icons like The Misfits.

When it comes to horror, Calabrese knows their source material, audience, and how to put together a killer package.  Stylistically Dayglo Necros suggests that the band has hit somewhat of a musical plateau, but that shouldn’t be confused with the band resting on their laurels.  Fact is, the band sounds more confident then ever, tightening their coffin bound sound with well-paired production, bigger hooks, and edgier, more technically ambitious solos.  Like a zombie in pursuit of an unlucky survivor, Dayglo Necros is a no-brainer.  An essential addition to any Calabrese or horror fan’s collection.