BAD FOR LAZARUS

What we have here are new arrivals on the scene Bad for Lazarus with their debut single, 'Old Rats on a New Ship'. Fronted by one Rich Fownes, the guitarist/vocalist is perhaps already notable within the scene for a three year stint in psychobilly rocksters The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster and a (very) brief spell as live session bassist for Nine Inch Nails (albeit never actually making it to the stage with Trent Reznor & co before departing). With the band's own MySpace page and press blurb rather ambiguously likening their sound to "Slayer spit roasting Elvis", apart from the surreal image such a claim conjures in the mind's eye, we're not talking an overt metal/Presley fusion here à la legendary American nutters Dread Zeppelin. Instead, we have two cuts of psychobilly punk infused with a plethora of other influences with an underlying melodically dark vibe. Of the two tracks on offer, my preference is probably for B-side 'Kemptown Animals', a more up-tempo quasi-stomp number that fuses the retro and the contemporary to better effect than its counterpart. The production is raw on both, and I mean grimy, dirty, and pure filthy sludge, but that fits the essence of the compositions perfectly and is indubitably part of the intended overall effect. Forget the "Slayer spit roasting Elvis" analogy (be it a sexual metaphor or not), for this is more like Tom Waits fronting The Cramps at a psychobilly party in hell. And, believe me, it sounds like one fuck of a party.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Shit Chic

Single

OLD RATS ON A NEW SHIP

Review by Mark Holmes

RUNNING TIME:

6:26

RELEASE DATE:

30th Nov 2009

TRACK LISTING

1) Old Rats on a New Ship
2) Kemptown Animals

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

UK

"...like Tom Waits fronting The Cramps at a psychobilly party in hell."