Splatterhouse "The House That Dead Built" CD
[Razorback]
Sweet Jesus! I figured this fucker was gonna rule based on the power of the first track ("Baptizing the Dead") alone, and damn right, the two-minute intro to this six-minute crusher that builds from eerie and doomy melodies to faster, crunchier gore grind/thrash riffing is a good indicator of what this disc has to offer. Expect a wide variety of tempos that tastefully fuse blasting speeds with midpaced rhythms and a good sense of melody, not to mention solid drumming that doesn't just blast away all the time. Hell, there are some really fucking catchy riffs on this motherfucker, there's no denying it. You'll also be in for tons and tons of vocal tradeoffs from sick sneers and low growls to various midrange deliveries that are somewhere in between. I'd be remiss not to mention the early Carcass/more recent Impaled ties in the Splatterhouse sound, but it's crucial to mention that this band really is working on things from their own angles, because some of the more discernible vocals have a hoarse sort of death metal accent, and the music is a lot more diverse and memorable than most of what you'll hear from the fabled "Carcass worship" genre. So, while contemporaries, I wouldn't feel totally comfortable tossing Splatterhouse into that niche at all. A couple of your typical movie sample uses do present themselves too, but they keep it under control as far as not layering them in all over the place or letting them run on for too long, so it's okay. These songs just kill, though. Everything is very well balanced and fluidly written, from energetic tracks like "Warmest Place to Hide" to the more midpaced and dense "Somewhere in the Yard". And check out the tapping solo in "Night of the Creeps"! I hate using the term "groove" because it so often carries a negative connotation, but there really is a powerful sense of chugging groove in here, and I mean that in the best possible manner. They even close things out with a cover of Dahmer's "The Hillside Stranglers". Another strong point here is that the recording is far superior to most of this stuff. It's not totally polished and all that stuff, but its rawness is minimal, and the mix is quite effective. The guitar tone is chunky as hell with a really nice texture to the palm-muting, the bass peeks through a touch, and the percussion sounds fine. I have no quarrels with the vocals either, every now and then they inch up towards the front, but it's not a bother to me in the least. I think what they've got here is a very effective sound for this style of metal. I don't care much for the layout because the typical horror styled fonts just aren't doing much for me and all the blocky text and whatnot just makes things look too cluttered and almost plain. I prefer the inner spread's imagery, borrowed from movie posters, comics, screen captures, etc. The lyrics are fairly expected tales of horror, but I enjoy the fact that they're handled in more of a storytelling manner than many of these bands, which is cool. Overall things just look a little hurried and inconsistent, though. But that's the only area in which this needs improving. There are of course a couple of songs that aren't as interesting as the others, but all in all this is a damn fine piece of work that should certainly please any fan of the genre. Short but sweet. Razorback's definitely still at the top in this game, there's no question. (8/10)
Running time - 34:01, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Baptizing the Dead, Confessions of a Grave Robber, Somewhere in the Yard]
Razorback Records - http://www.razorbackrecords.com

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