Did you ever think when a hearse rolls by that someday you are going to die?
Oh yes. Time to stop weaving bleak tapestries on your gloom loom, apply your black nail varnish, leap into your snug black velvet underpants, don your cloak of deepest night, pick your skull-topped cane out of the umbrella rack and step out into the fog-shrouded moonlit night to roam the cobbled streets of your Transylvanian town.
Ladies and gentlemen, please rattle your bones and make assorted spooky noises in appreciation of the Bloody Hammers Under Satan’s Sun; 2014 didn’t get any more gothic than this.
I had no idea that opener ‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown’ was a film, let alone two films, until minutes ago. Based on the unsolved 1946 Texarkana Moonlight Murders. It’s a great opening track, stately and purposeful right from the off, a whole B-movie in a song.
Under Satan’s Sun gets gnarlier by turning up the Hammer Horror factor to 13 for ‘Spearfinger’, a local legend about a witch picking off unwary country folk. There’s real metal bite here, a song to punch the air to; although not while you’re driving in heavy traffic, as I now know. The atmospheric lovers-over-a-cliff* ‘Death Does Us Part’ is a good change of pace, pretty and melodic with some very good black lacy keyboard touches by Devallia**.
I am very taken with the slo-mo metal of ‘Moon-Eyed People’, which is a great track with lyrics of pure gibberish, but hey, they sound good in situ which is the point. I like the guitar growl here. Unfortunately the cover of Alice Cooper’s ‘Second Coming’ is a misstep.
Bloody Hammers nail down the lid on Under Satan’s Sun with three great tracks^. ‘Welcome To The Horror Show’ is everything I want them to be, fantastically serious, fantastically silly and very overwrought – music to Munsters cosplay to.
The title track is another goodie, with more metallic crunch stirred into the mix. The production is particularly good on this track which highlights Anders Manga’s dark vocals. ‘Dead Man’s Shadow On The Wall’ ups the tempo to good affect as the riffs get crunchier.
I really enjoy Bloody Hammers, their sound is great, just enough sweetness to help tamp the grave dirt down. This is music that I love now and I wish I could have had as a teenager, it would have extended my goth phase from 6 months unto infinity. It is intrinsically daft, impeccably played and excellently crafted. It makes me want to drink pints of cider and black for the first time in 28 years^^ and squeeze into my black jeans.
Under Satan’s Sun is a really good LP, I would rate it a notch below Lovely Sort Of Death and not just because of the cover nudity^*. If you like your music moody and your horror hammy, then don’t hesitate – just be sure you’re back indoors before sundown.
1053 Down.
PS: Because I like you:
PPS: because I ordered this direct from Napalm Records back in 2016 there’s an awesomely Germanic Napalm Records catalogue inside. My eye was taken by the astoundingly metal liederhosen and dirndls. How cool?
*retrospective spoiler alert!
**the lady half of the husband and wife duo.
^that’s a passive aggressive way of me saying that the last two tracks on Side 2 are bobbins.
^^a tipple that I abandoned after throwing up all over my favourite 2000AD T-shirt and staining it beyond repair. I blamed the blackcurrant juice and to this very day I have eschewed it.
^*9 nipples, 4 lady gardens. Just saying.
Love the bans name (Just watched Ingrid Pitt as Countess Dracula. Queen Hammer). Also have a take coming up on one of the actors in those films you mentioned. You sure “dig” up some beauties.
I love Hammer Horror CB. You can see my box set of them in the photographs.
I seen those. Where did a preadolescent CB go for cheap thrills? Hammer Horrors. Plus some great work from very cool actors.
I own a couple of very good books on HH too. They specialised on quality on a tight budget, managed it mostly too.
I think filmmakers and film fans are coming to appreciate what Hammer did. The production values went way beyond their budgets. The casts that they assembled with Cushing, Lee and others were always committed to the work. Plus the erotica didnt hurt. I seen Pitt in ‘Where Eagles Dare’ away from Hammer. I love her especially toting a machine gun.
Oh! I like this… very much a Rob Zombie that’s influenced by, eh, Hammer Horror more than Chamber of Chills.
It’s a bit smoother than Rob, a bit more 80’s goth I reckon. You’ve tried it now, what did you reckon?
Definitely smoother than Rob. Some doomy and stoner rock elements in there (I guess not too surprising given that stoner rock effectively stems from doom) that appeal to me, but while I enjoyed it, it did get a bit samey after a while…
Like death …
Haha! Indeed!
Motivated by your post, I chose Under Satan’s Sun to soundtrack the second half of my night walk this evening. It combined well with the empty, ice-laden path. I am anxiously awaiting the delivery of the B-Hamms latest album direct from Napalm any day now.
Of note, MaryAnn from Gilligan’s Island, who sadly passed away recently, had previously passed away in that earlier Town that Dreaded Sundown movie.
It’s thanks to you that I first heard them. Was your walk shrouded in a dread mist, half-seen figures manifesting themselves throughout? Did your walk take you to an unexplained monolith that you would have sworn wasn’t there last night?
No monolith but playful spectres abounded.
Like Caspar the friendly ghost type thing?
Like Rob Zombie stole Marilyn Manson’s voice and went deep end goth. Interesting!
Perfect Aaron.
I like the song you posted so maybe I should give this a try. These guys either just put out a new album or have one coming, I can’t remember. I just remember adding to my New Release pages recently.
It’s time for you to have a teenage emo phase John! I really like how melodic their stuff is.
I think the new one is out now, I’m about 3 LPS behind.
I’ll go get some black eyeliner…that’s Emo right?? I have no idea.
Yup, I can see you now. Just remember graveyards are cool and no one understands you. You’ll get the hang of it.
Funny thing…I already think graveyards are kinda cool. And my kids definitely don’t understand me, so I have been emo and didn’t even know.
I feel like a life coach! You owe me $400.
Check’s in the mail!!
A kind of Hammer Horror Moon Duo? Love the visuals.
Talking of which, a photo of you in metal lederhosen is herewith required, or I’ll demand a refund.
Damnit, I better send the dirndl back then.
Got to love some Hammer Horror. The Reptile is my fave.
Are Moon Duo still a going concern? You were pretty sweet on them for a while.
They are, when Ripley isn’t doing Wooden Shjips and Rose City Band (you’d like them). The last LP of theirs was a bit samey for me, so they’re off the auto-buy list. I’d love to go and see them live again, if such things ever happen. It’s miserable over here.
I bet it is. Hopefully Spring with bring some relief.
Never heard of this hysterical bunch. Shall play it next full moon, if I’m in off the moors in time.
Sorry that was rude of me not to reply.
I love some goth, either of the mournful consumptive variety, or the full-on Alien Sex Fiend frantic type. Release the bats!!
That was pretty good, me likes a bit of good horror rock! I feel like sacrificing some chickens now.
Maybe sacrifice some soya? It’s more vegan friendly!
Why do I suddenly feel like dining upon a young rabbit?
Bye bye bunnykins!
Maybe there’s a vegan soya equivalent?