Nekromantix

Nekromantix: Dead Girls Don't CryDead Girls Don't Cry (2004)
Hellcat Records

Reviewer Rating: 3

Contributed by: adamAdam
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on April 27th 2004Unlike Tiger Army's affection for more cerebral Lovecraftian imagery, Nekromantix's take on the psychobilly horror theme is firmly rooted in the goofy irony of b-horror movies. The urge to write them off as a gimmick band is certainly there, but their songwriting has this way of transcending their i.

Unlike Tiger Army's affection for more cerebral Lovecraftian imagery, Nekromantix's take on the psychobilly horror theme is firmly rooted in the goofy irony of b-horror movies. The urge to write them off as a gimmick band is certainly there, but their songwriting has this way of transcending their image with really catchy pop hooks.

This happened with their previous album. I dug Return Of The Loving Dead at first but it didn't resonate and the album's life in my stereo rotation was a short one. Later that year the local club started playing it between sets at punk shows and that slowly embedded it in my consciousness. It might just be the very amicable mood that shows put me in, but I came to appreciate that record and all of it's silly "Dead Elvis singing about gargoyles" energy.

Maybe that's just the kind of treatment that Dead Girls Don't Cry needs to connect with me, because I'm not feeling this.

There's a lot of talk in the band's press bio about how this album was prepared and recorded quickly due to Kim Nekroman's relocation from Copenhagen to LA while the brothers Sandorff remained in Denmark. That may explain why some of this seems like a rush job; the band is as tight and proficient at their instrumentation as they've ever been, but the quality of lyrics and songwriting isn't consistent through the album.

"MoonChaser" is an exception. It has one of those melodic choruses' that sticks in your head for hours and it's high on the list of this band's best songs. The title track and "I'm A ShockStar" have similar mid-paced rockabilly vibes and both work extremely well. However the album's faster material like "Backstage Pass To Hell," "Where Do Monsters Go" or "Dead By Dawn" just don't sit right with me. The energy's there but the hooks seem nonexistent.

I lavished praise on Nekroman's other band the HorrorPops earlier this year and that opinion stands. It's a complement that one's songwriting is (usually) good enough to make the listener forget about a kitschy image and lyricism. Unfortunately Dead Girls Don't Cry only seems to get that right half the time.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

PsychoOS231 (June 17, 2004)

The guy below me was right on except he didnt mention the best psychobilly label that being Crazy Love Records.

Anonymous (June 16, 2004)

funny how most people that know virtually nothing about psychobilly seem to have all these big opinions as to what it is... or supposed to be. anyway, for those who are looking for more psycho stuff: 'Demons Are A Girls Best Friend' is a good album but by far the least 'psychobilliest'. check out 'Hellbound', 'Curse Of The Coffin', 'Brought Back To Life' and 'Undead Live'. those are the Nekro's claim to fame. and labels like Nervous, Lost Moments, Raucous Records have 100s of cd's of 80z and 90z psycho*

Anonymous (June 8, 2004)

yo i picked this up pn vinyl for 16$!! while it's 18 at hmv, booyah. The sound is great, better than my mp3s! this is a awesome album, go buy it

Anonymous (June 7, 2004)

I love the music ! im wanna get that cd =)

Anonymous (May 27, 2004)

They never come to montreal! *cries*

I've just been getting into this "psychobilly" stuff and i really dig it. Unlike most punk, or punk "subgenres" however u wanna classify it, i find that psychobilly is based around having fun and not caring about shit like being the most "hardcore" and that kinda shit. There isn't any latant animosity between psychobilly fans like there is with the punkers for instance hardcore kids dissing emo kids. And aother thing, i like the whole "fasion" behind this genre, cuz it's not like "ooh, i'm not cool unless i have a mohawk and a studded jacket" anyways, i'm just ranting now, all i really mean to say that we need to see more psychos and that these guys are pretty kikass and their older stuff rocks also.

i was also wondering about any other psychobilly bands that are more easy to find cuz most i hear about i can't find on kazaa or cost like 29.99 for an ep at HMV
(padon any typos)

1234go (May 4, 2004)

The Nekromantix have been at it a lot longer than their two CD's on Hellcat. So they aren't new jack goth whatever. I dare you to step up to any one of these dudes and call them goth pussies. At any rate I will say the quality of their albums has gone down over time. They have a great record called Curse Of The Coffin that blows everything else away. Excellent 90's psycho.

Anonymous (May 2, 2004)

EMO lame music and lame fashion those fucking hot topic fashion cunts

Anonymous (May 2, 2004)

love the music, hate the hairstyle!

Anonymous (May 1, 2004)

To the cunt below,right on except for the psychobilly addin you piece of Hot Topic emo SHIT!

Anonymous (April 30, 2004)

fuck all of you hot topic trend scene emo psychobilly goth trendies!

Anonymous (April 30, 2004)

The kid below me is lame. Go listen to your trendy Hot Topic Emo you depressed shit.

Anonymous (April 30, 2004)

When i read this comment below me i thought it said 'goats' i was like 'man whats this dudes problem'. it was a much funnier comment that way.

Oh yea this band is trendy hot topic poo poo

Anonymous (April 29, 2004)

Goths should fucking kill themselves. No one would miss them and we would get rid of a lot of useless wastes of space.

Anonymous (April 29, 2004)

goth is punk though. well, old goth is at least.

ThisBandSucks (April 29, 2004)

Next.

Anonymous (April 28, 2004)

If you like the Nekro's other disc's then you'll like this one.

Anonymous (April 28, 2004)

Kirby Puckett sucks big hairy balls

Anonymous (April 28, 2004)

meh, jesus has mewithoutYou. they are good.

Anonymous (April 28, 2004)

Bands Lucifer likes: SLAYER, CELTIC FROST, TOXIC NARCOTIC, LEFTOVER CRACK, DARKTHRONE, VENOM

Bands Jesus likes: creed

-BSD

PsychoOS231 (April 28, 2004)

I'd rather listen to psychobilly than hardcore

Anonymous (April 28, 2004)

Psychobilly sucks, for the simple reason that it's like a goth/punk version of Brian Setser, it's just nostalgia and romanticism of a bygone day. Plus, it's the "hip" version of streetpunk these days, taking all that time to look fucking stupid.

Bottom line, it still sounds stupid as shit. Whatever happened to hardcore? Go buy an old 88FL or Gorilla Biscuits album, instead.

Mr_Pink (April 28, 2004)

No music type has "a style of dress to go with it." Music is music. Any sort of uniform that people use to identify themselves as a fan of a particular genre, whether it's a zoot suit or gold chains or a gutterpunk getup is a matter of image, not sound. When you spike your hair up real nice or put on that studded belt or throw on that leather jacket with pinned-on patches proclaiming your favorite bands, all you're really doing is saying, "I fit in somewhere, I'm just like these guys." Which really isn't all that "punk rock" at all, if you think about it.

I wanna be stereotyped, I wanna be classified...