If Nashville Pussy or Alice Cooper were to play rockabilly instead of sleazy rock and roll, you’d have Lethbridge punk/psychobilly/ hellbilly trio the Phantom Creeps.
The Phantom Creeps have just released their self titled debut CD and it is lewd, crude and fantastic.
There is plenty of slick, raunchy Gretsch powered mayhem from former guitarist Evan Herbst throughout the CD and snarling lyrics plus intense stand up bass playing from singer Tyler Brownfield, whose voice is the perfect blend of demonic and demented, not to mention a dead ringer for Nashville Pussy singer Blaine Cartwright especially on ‘the Bottle is God.’
The lyrics are dark and disturbed, and while there is a little talk of evil, zombies and murder and monsters and eating brains, it is more punk than psychobilly.
It is also darkly catchy especially the first few, up tempo tracks ‘Cold Hearted Man,’ Route 666 and ‘Pretty Little Head.’
It slows down a bit on ‘The Bright Side,’ but not much. Ditto for ‘Dust and Blood’, whose dark lyrics are enhanced by the slower tempo and melodic solo.
Drummer Dean Wilson keeps the beat going steady throughout 40 minutes of dirty, twisted rock.
‘Hell To Pay’ has the most hellacious opening riff of the CD and a real Reverend Horton Heat feel.
Overall the Phantom Creeps will get you moving and/or moshing with their psychotic muse.
Band: The Phantom Creeps
Genre; rock/punk/ psychobilly
Record label: indie