Album Review: The Dead Beats - "Die Screaming, Marianne!"

 

From its B-movie horror style cover (Vince Ray artwork unless I'm mistaken?) and title, you pretty much know what you're getting with this offering from Manchester residents the Dead Beats. Fronted by ex-Goldblade/current Kopek Millionaires frontman Johny Skullknuckles, their sound is reminiscent of Wednesday 13 fronting the Ramones and there's certainly worse places to be.

Certainly the gleefully OTT Motorhead style riffing, breakneck drums and howling vocals on the likes of Flatliner and Necro Nina remind you of Wednesday 13 back in his prime while the creeping style lurch of Sweet Tooth Sickness and The Devil Rides Out are pure Cramps and the almost thrash-punk Drag Me To Hell comes on like a cross between Venom and the Damned. It'd certainly be quite easy for something like this to start repeating itself but there's a gleefully sicko approach to it that means you'll happily be cueing this one up for a second listen once you've blasted through it the first time.

Die Screaming Marianne! is anything but big and clever but there's something deeply primal about its no-nonsense approach to horror-punk that'll make your head nod, your toe tap and big grin split across your mush, Evil Dead samples an' all. For some gleefully OTT bloodlust thrills, the Dead Beats have definitely come up with something that's hard to beat here. Recommended.

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NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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