Sunday 5 January 2014

REVIEW: There's No Escape From Governer Grimm and the Ghastly Ghouls


Governor Grimm and the Ghastly Ghouls - There's No Escape From..., the debut EP from Ohio based horrorbilly band Governor Grimm and the Ghastly Ghouls, is an impressive first-outing, featuring five original songs. In an already crowded genre they don't add anything particularly new to the mix, but what they do offer is a high level of musicianship and solid songwriting.

The lyrical themes are as expected for the genre, but the stories they tell are well constructed and don't feel forced in any way. The balance between simplicity and storytelling is perfectly struck and the music itself is the same; cool guitar riffs, pounding bass lines and excellent use of the moog, which is easy to overdo in this genre. "Raise the Dead" and "I've Seen Myself Die" are stand out tracks, especially the former which features a seriously awesome guitar lick and verses that almost forcibly drag you up to stomp and clap along. The rest of the tunes are certainly solid, if not a bit forgettable.
Quality vocals are another area where many horror/psychobilly bands are found lacking, and I'm pleased to report that this is definitely not the case with GG & The GGs. James Madison follows the Glenn Danzig school of vocals, but that's no bad thing– his vocals really elevate this band above the pack.

7/10 Skulls


Available on CD/digital from:
http://governorgrimmandtheghastlyghouls.bandcamp.com/

Reviewed by Steven Farkas