Review: Calabrese – They Call Us Dead

Sergio reviews Calabrese’s They Call Us Dead.

Artist Name: Calabrese
Album Name: They Call Us Dead
Year: 2010
Genre: Horror Punk/Rock

Whenever someone mentions the words ‘horror punk’, immediately everyone thinks of The Misfits. Such is the legacy of the New Jersey band, that every band will always be judged by their standard. Having already supported Jerry Only’s boys and other top horror rock bands, such as Tiger Army and 45 Grave, Calabrese are steadily on the right path to cementing their name as one of the top acts on the scene.

Being the ultimate ghouls – and absolute nice guys – they are, Calabrese sent MusicReview an advance copy of their new album, They Call Us Dead, set for release on the 20^th March 2010.

They Call Us Dead is placed into the CD player and the first song, ‘They Call Us Dead’, starts off with an expected horror movie sample. Next thing, a treble-charged guitar riff erupts (simply smashing your face in), the drums begin to pound to tribal ferocity, and Bobby Calabrese finally creeps in as the necromancer – using his baritone pipes to undoubtedly wake the dead.

Featuring spooky samples and guitar effects that are sure to scare the sparkle off of Edward Cullen, the sonic carnage ensues with a mash-up of horror-themed lyrics and unadulterated punk-inspired rock – in other words, the perfect soundtrack for a cool monster film. No song ever touches the 4 minute mark and you’re treated to a fast-paced assault from beginning to end – ah, brings back good memories of Black Flag.

Another thing I particularly liked about They Call Us Dead is that it features some fancy fret-work and not just an abundance of power-chords, proving that Calabrese are indeed well schooled in the art of harder music.

To say Calabrese have not been influenced in some way by the kings of the devil lock would be a lie, but if you listen a bit closer you’ll also find a lot more current influences, such as Zombeast and Blitzkid. Personally, I love this album. It brings back the fun to rock ’n roll – just with a sprinkle of werewolves and death!

Best Tracks: ‘They Call Us Dead’, ‘Deep in the Red’, ‘Near Twilight’, and ‘The Machine of Instant Death’

87/100

- Sergio Pereira
sergio@musicreview.co.za
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