The Dead Beats – Die Screaming, Marianne!

The Dead Beats have been around in some form or another since 1998, the current line up is Johnny Skullknuckles, The Reverend Paul Confused, John “as advertised” and Ben Grim, coming from the likes of Goldblade, Anti Nowhere League, Jayne County, The Business, Poison Hearts, The Confused and Motivators the depth of influence, style and experience is enough to give you chills before the play button is even hit on this album!

The album it self has been out since around September, and strangely enough didn’t get my whole attention from the off, a mistake that is both regrettable and wonderful all at the same time, wonderful because now I get to give it the reverence it deserves!

Horror Punk / Rock n Roll is a genre that gets some stick from parts of the media, “a sick need to glorify horror” I’ve heard said in some parts.  This is not only naive but also totally CORRECT! and why not, as long as it’s glorification of the fantasy, a trip down to the bowls of what in reality is a world of subculture that feeds the hungry, and creates music like this, then why not?

The anticipation of feeding the ears with something that not only is dark, but also can have you dancing around like a loon, is palpable, so lets slap the forefinger on the play button and set off on the ride.  ‘Die Screaming,Marianne!’ Is first up, and the Goldblade/Johnny Skullknuckes influence hits you like a rush of blood to the head, a wonderful simple Misfits sounding Rock n Roll fest of horror.  

Yes you could easily be fooled into thinking that this might be just another B-Movie songs from the crypt album, and yes it is, but then no it isn’t, as soon as you hear the Motorhead that fills ‘Flatliner’ you know something greater is happening here.  

So let’s get all the rest of the name dropping out of the way and enjoy this album for what it actually is, a fest, a musical masterclass in how to have fun and entertain the masses of fans who will love this album, so who haven’t we mentioned?  Offspring, Ramones, Shangri Las oh and I hear a bit of The Cramps peering from under their gravestone.

A proper album is what your getting here, 14, yes 14 tracks of pure garage Rock n Roll, songs that have direct movie homages, like ‘Night Of The Living Dead’ and The Day The Earth Stood Still’, then there are songs like ‘Buried Alive My Baby’ a very tongue in cheek drive in horror movie song, showing the funnier side that filled some of the darkest movies like Evil Dead.

Beyond all the obvious yet perfectly celebrated 50’s/60’s grunge horror movie music, what this album has in spades (have to get a spade in there somewhere) is a love for fun, yes I did say fun!  Just imagine being in a dark and sweaty body filled crypt somewhere, voices of the crowd ringing in your ears, somehow your now only 16 and giving your every breath to the moment, yes we do need bands like The Dead Beats in this world, who knew death and horror could be so full of energy and life? 

The Dead Beats have so many comparisons, yet they are unique in their own way. 

Head over to thier BANDCAMP page for a boogie.

Or give the bands FACEBOOK a hug