Zombina and the Skeletones
The Call of Zombina
*** out of *****
Of course the first album in over a decade from the Liverpool based Zombina and the Skeletones arrives just in time for Halloween as The Call of Zombina finds the outfit rising from the grave to howl at the moon on All Hallows Eve.
The band for this release are Zombina - Lead Vocals, "All Hallows" Eve - Drums, Kyle K'thulu - Bass, Doc Horror - Guitar / backing vocals, X-Ray Speck - Saxophone and they get sonic support throughout the release from Glowy Skullet - Keys / backing vocals, Rev Roman Remains - backing vocals, Heathen Soul - Percussion / Synth / Banjo and Chopin Bloc - Keys on "A Little Slice Of Death".
After an eerie scene setting intro the group drops into it with one of the best tracks on the album, "Cemetery World". The offering sums up the outfit well as the group dishes out saccharin sweet poppy punk with flashes of heavy low end, and a burning guitar solo adding tricks to the treats. The group can also go the retro garage rocking way as "Valley of the Shadow" combines hip swinging swagger, sludgy bass, hand claps and organ bubbling in spooky yet successful 50's fashion.
When the band plays up the fun aspects of the horror films such as on the rumbling reimagining of The Amityville Horror turned into a four minute rocker titled "The Black House" or the revved up "I'm Horrified!" solid results follow. When they try to move into more 'serious' areas, like the theatrical harpsichord accented "No Wonder I'm Always Anxious" or heavy metal lands of "Dead Birds", things are less successful. Lead single "Don't Kick My Coffin" is a solid effort, but feels overloaded and a touch over produced.
Much better is when the band drops into psychobilly realms with a pair of dynamite offerings. "Vampire's Kiss" is a great galloping ghoul of a tune with slashing guitars, banjo and a piano outro as the band careens forward while the pumping "Ghost Train II: Oblivion" sounds like it could ride the rails all night with supped up energy, expanded percussion and a real sense of adventure.
The group mixes up genres such as pop punk, psychobilly, metal, gothic horror and more with ease throughout this fun return to form offering, The Call of Zombina. In the end, Zombina and the Skeletones newest album plays like a well loved cheesy horror flick.
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