ALBUM REVIEW: Headstone Horrors – Headstone Horrors (self-released)
Headstone Horrors are a punk band from the Midlands who have been growing steadily in popularity for more than a decade now.
Based in Nottingham and Northampton, they have played Rebellion Festival several times, and supported the likes of The Creepshow and Koffin Kats as well as headlining their own shows.
This self-titled album is their third full-length, after 2016 debut Tales From The Murder House and 2019’s This Town Called Purgatory. It’s 10 slices of pacey punk, not one of them reaching the three-minute mark, and a couple of them dipping in at below two.
It sees them step away slightly from the out-and-out horror punk of the first two albums, but if anything they play faster than ever, flying out of the traps with opener I Want To Be The Alien.
Resist, which is up next, is even faster, with an infectious call and response chorus. Vocally, singer Nat reminds me a bit of Beki Bondage from Vice Squad, aggressive but full of melody, and she can’t half hold a note.
The band’s not bad either, playing with bags of energy and no little musicianship. Originally a four-piece, they’re now five-strong, with Nat joined by Andy on bass, Jimi and James on guitars and new boy Luke on drums. There’s lots going on in these songs, but the production’s so good you can hear all the elements clearly.
The Horrors get all political on To Lighten The Weight Of Their Greed, which is a slice of social commentary on those who (mis)rule our country. It’s all pounding drums, rumbling bass and slashing guitars, as well as some great gang vocals.
One run-through of the album is all it takes to realise that Headstone Horrors don’t really do slow, and Loud & Clear is another pacey tune recalling good times.
The guitars are heavier than ever and the drums even more frantic on the warning of impending doom that is This Is Not A Test, which is one of the standout tracks – not that there’s a bad one.
Thumping drums and a great bassline kick-start Through The Vast Of Night before the guitars kick in, and it’s another full-throttle blazer, as is Silence Loves My Company, which sounds like a female-fronted Rancid, particularly the chorus.
We Called It Creeper, with its surging power chords and frantic drums, is one of the standouts, and things are brought to a close with another, Gone & Lost It All, another song about our looming eco-disaster. It reminds me In Evil Hour, which is a very good thing indeed.
This is an album which grows on you with every listen, and I can’t wait to catch the Headstone Horrors performing these songs live. 8/10
