The Other New Blood
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
Reviewing The Other is a somewhat difficult task, as it’s hard to separate the band from the influences they so clearly draw from. Similar to groups like Rhino Bucket and Naglfar (who essentially copied AC/DC and Dissection, respectively), The Other are so clearly a Misfits clone—both in look and sound—that it’s almost impossible to judge them as a unique entity. Sure, vocalist Rod Usher doesn’t sound exactly like Glenn Danzig or Michale Graves (in fact, he’s more closely a reincarnated Peter Steele), but the dissimilarities virtually end there. With that said, though, let’s attempt to look at New Blood as its own beast and see what it may look like to someone who has a basic knowledge of the horror punk (or rock—call it what you will) genre, but has avoided the Misfits, old A.F.I., and a number of other related bands and for whom The Other are more like “the Original.”
Opening in a splendid horror punk fashion, the title track “New Blood” kicks off the album with a brief piece plucked straight from any classic horror film, and it creates an eerie, albeit punk-free, overview of the album. Things are kicked into high gear on “Back to the Cemetery,” which features all of the classic horror punk trademarks—”whoa oh oh” chants and horror-kitsch lyrics, but mixes in some very metal double-bass drumming to give it a more original twist.
Beginning with “Transylvania,” everything falls much more in line with traditional horror punk—simple, dark, power chord riffing, crooned vocals, gang shouts of “go!” and ’50s horror-schlock lyrics. “Heir Kommt Die Dunkelheit” [“Here Comes the Darkness”], sung entirely in their native tongue, really adds to the scary vibe, as it’s virtually impossible for anything to sound less than terrifying in German. “The Burial” is a high-speed punk romp, and again brings in the classic “whoa oh oh” (of which another appearance is made in “Blood Runs Cold,” for those keeping track).
“Castle Rock” is a fairly standard number, but the chorus, “see the real nature of man,” may lead Colorado-based fans to question whether the real nature of man is, in fact, bargain shopping. [For those not from the Centennial State, Castle Rock is a town south of Denver known for its outlet shopping center.]
Other tracks of note include “The Lovesick Mind,” which almost comes off as a disco-influenced Type O Negative outtake, and “Howling at the Moon,” which resurrects a bit of the heavier, goth-side of ’80s new wave, with vocals strangely reminiscent of David Bowie.
As a whole, New Blood is a strong record, with well-written tunes, dark-yet-cheesy lyrics, and the generally fun “graveyard party” atmosphere more akin to the Addams Family than Saw’s Jigsaw Killer. Taken as a singular entity, it’s pretty damn great. However, as stated earlier, The Other are far from original, and the majority of the tracks sound like long-lost outtakes on the bridge from the ’90s Misfits’ American Psycho to Famous Monsters. Seeing as it’s unlikely we will ever see that [underrated] Misfits lineup together ever again, it’s even more unlikely that Glenn and Jerry will ever make amends, and that A.F.I. have somehow become a throwaway Hot Topic band, it’s good to know someone is still trying to scare the kids.
Genre: Horror Punk
Band:
Rod Usher (v)
Dr. Caligari (d)
Migore Drake (b)
Sarge von Rock (g)
Track Listing:
1. New Blood
2. Back to the Cemetery
3. Transylvania
4. Ghost Ride to Hell
5. Hier Kommt Die Dunkelheit
6. The Burial
7. Castle Rock
8. The Lovesick Mind
9. Talk To The Dead
10. Blood Runs Cold
11. In League With The Devil
12. Demons Walk The Earth
13. Howling At The Moon
14. We All Bleed Red
Label: SPV Records
Website: www.myspace.com/theother
Hardrock Haven rating: 7.7/10