The Brains – Santana Tarantula

Montreal mainstays The Brains have become an institution in the Canadian psychobilly scene for at least the past decade.  Stomp Records supported them immensely throughout their rise, releasing five out of seven of their first full lengths, with the band becoming synonymous with the label, and vice versa. So colour me surprised when I discovered that the band’s eight full length, Satana Tarantula would be released by none other than global leader Cleopatra Records and smaller imprint Batcave Records.  

It’s been five years since The Brains’ previous release, which feels like forever considering that the band once went through a period of releasing albums annually.  Satana Tarantula opens with “Vindicta,” what is perhaps the band’s most atmospheric instrumental track to date, setting a dark and brooding tone with haunting piano notes and ominous, distorted guitar.  But much like former label mates The Creepshow, such a dark opener is quickly shattered by the lively thumping of a hip shaking rhythm and body quaking rumble of the band’s upright bass.  The title track roars open with Rene D La Muerte’s call to the dance floor. “Shake, shake, I wanna move ya, I wanna move ya, tonight,” sings the band in the track’s increasingly anthemic chorus line.  With plenty of speed and ambition the band erupts during the late song bridge into a mixture of rock fuelled passion.  

Satana Tarantula is nothing new for The Brains, but it does mark a reassuring continuation of the band’s incredible dedication to their craft.  The band sounds as tight and well composed as ever, even featuring a host of well known guests along the way.  The infectious thumping of Colin the Dead’s upright bass guides songs like “Hell” and “Come By My Side,” encapsulating everything that gives psychobilly that hip shaking essence rooted in the genre’s rockabilly roots.  Legendary Horrorpops vocalist Patricia Day comes out of the woodwork for a cameo on “Hellhounds,” singing alongside Rene both in sync and separately.  It’s the first time Day has turned up on a studio album in quite a while, and a real treat for anyone that has been starving for Horrorpops news for the past ten years.  “El Mariachi D La Muerte” is a particular highlight in fusing a rapidly paced punkabilly melody with a hint of latino inspired rhythms, featuring a grand brass finale. On the other end of the spectrum, “C’Mon Let’s Do It All Night” harkens back to the 50’s for a heavy dose of dance hall hellcats and hotrods.  And when they’re playing just good old modern psychobilly, tracks like “Swing It” and “Fire” feel like something akin to hometown inspirations The Gutter Demons, but with that signature Brains twist.

As fans have come to expect, The Brains straddle the line between European psychobilly (Nekromantix or Madsin) and their North American counterparts (The Creepshow or Rezurex).  Satana Tarantula is a strong return after an extended absence.  The Brains maintain all the psychobilly goodness that originally put them on the map, while maintaining their trend of raising the stakes with each new release. At its core, Satana Tarantula is a cohesive collection of hip shaking, upright bass thumping psychobilly tunes worthy of The Brains’ well earned reputation.