I
should warn you that I'm under the extreme prejudice that if you don't
love Horror Metal you're a wimp and an idiot. If you feel offended by
that position I suggest you skip this review.
Writing a MANIMALS review without mentioning THE MISFITS would be original,
yes, but really foolish. It doesn't take many seconds of listening or
watching the sleeve to figure out these guys all-time favorite band. The
main thing that set them apart is of course that MANIMALS are more metallic
(and no, that does NOT make them sound like DANZIG!), with longer songs
and more advanced song structures Their gloomy Power/Speed has some punk
elements, but not in a tacky hc/crossover way that would repel metalheads
with a taste for catchy choruses and tasty "aaaah's" and "Wooh-hoo's".
Then again THE MISFITS always were the one punk band that even the most
narrow-minded metal-fan would get off on.
The epic title track is by far their greatest moment, and at first listenings
it almost makes MANIMALS sound like a one-hit wonder. Now this is not
due to the rest of the songs lacking in quality, but rather because "Blood
Is The Harvest" is a bone-chillingly catchy hit of monstrous (pardon
the pun) proportions! The very last chords and vocal harmonies will give
goosebumps to the dead, no doubt. "White Zombie" is perhaps
the weakest song on the album, but after that they're back in the saddle
again. The howling Speed Metal of "Monster Nation" sound like
MOTÖRHEAD on a particularly dark and stormy night, "Burn Witch
Burn" combines fast chainsaw-riffing with a great singalong chorus,
and the 'Wailing Wolf-Metal' of "Outside Your Window" does a
significantly better job of projecting images of gloomy forests and white
fangs gleaming in the moonlight than a dozen Norwegian Grim Black Metal-bands
combined. The closing "Island Of Lost Souls" is based on the
classic horror/sci-fi flix with the same name (aka "Island of Dr.
Moreau"), from which the band also took it's name. Here they return
to the instant hit-factor of the title-track, which thoroughly cements
this very unique HORROR METAL album into your bones forever.
The band seem to be at least semi-active still and there's a
webpage
that you can check out for further trivia. Tell 'em who sent you!