Seattle underground horror rockers Schoolyard Heroes
return with their third record, Abominations, their
first for the Stolen Transmission label. If you have
never heard Schoolyard Heroes before and you love
bands like The Misfits, Blitzkid, and others that
focus their attention on Horror movies than you should
not miss this album because it’s probably the
best the genre has offered since Misfit American Psycho
record.
Fronted by the delightfully haunting vocal work of
she-wolf Ryann Donnelly, the band really steps it
up on Abominations. Admittedly, when you first hear
her voice it grates on you (but not as much as on
prior albums) and it’s a little unsettling to
hear a woman singing things like “You’re
so pretty and you’re so dead” and “I’ve
murdered you twice before my dear/If I’m not
mistaken I’ve torn your heart out three times
now” but once you get used to the idea you find
that this band is fairly incredible at delivering
the both horror and rock.
This entire album flows pretty well really so much
of the album stands out. The metal tinge of and epic
delivery of “Screaming ‘Theater’
in a Crowded Fire” is a brisk ending to the
Abominations but completely capitalizes on just how
much better this band could get. The sing-along “Cemetery
Girls” is another highlight boasting a chorus
so catchy that if it were played in a graveyard even
the dead would sing along (at least the ones whose
jaws were still connected). “Dude, Where’s
My Skin?” blends the darkness of Disco with
the uproar of Math Rock pretty brilliantly, as does
“Razorblade Kisses” and the enticing “Sometimes
They Come Back.”
I read once that the target demographic for Horror
genre movies is women between the ages of 18-25 and
Schoolyard Heroes are much the same. Of course I’m
sure they have many male fans but the ladies that
love Misfits inspired presentation will go crazy over
a female hero. Let’s not forget the band behind
her though because they exhibit a lot of versatility
and precision throughout Abominations as well. This
is my third time reviewing an album by this band and
this time they win. Abominations is a great album
that is well worth your time if you like edgy music
that’s in your face but still let’s you
participate in the festivities.
Key Tracks: “Cemetery Girls,” “Screaming
‘Theater’ in a Crowded Fire”
Reviewed by Mark Fisher |
