Thee Cormans
Halloween Record w/ Sound Effects

THE REVIEW

I haven't slept a wink since we made this record for FEAR of "FANGS that go MUNCH in the NIGHT!" Larry Hardy

What is the ideal soundtrack for a horror movie? I've always thought that surf and garage music, with those reverberated sounds and fuzz guitars, were best suited to accompany some good horror, of course those Z-grade ones with zombies, werewolves, various monsters chasing beautiful girls in bikinis. Just think of bands like Fuzztones, Gravedigger 5, Cramps, or lesser-known bands from compilations like Back From The Grave, to understand how the passion for a certain horror aesthetic is well present in the genre.

It is, therefore, no surprise that an instrumental surf (and garage) band like Thee Cormans decided to create an entire LP dedicated to horror movie music, including sound effects, released on the always excellent In The Red label, only on vinyl.

Right from the "Halloween Records w/ Sound Effects" aesthetic, it is a tribute to Z-grade horror: the greenish cover ("which seems to glow in the dark but doesn't," as stated on the In The Red site) is crowded with drawings of various monsters, clawed hands, spiders and similar junk, from minimalist quality black and white photos, and even the back cover notes (written by Larry Hardy, the head of In The Red) fully reflect that typical aesthetic of this film genre and not only, just think of comics like Tales From The Crypt.
Then, just scroll through the track titles (each accompanied by a brief description like "the creature has awoken and is now ready to feed") to understand what we're dealing with, for example: "Haunted Sea," "Creature's Crawl," "The Creep," "Satanismo," "Surf Shack Of Doom," "Werewolves In Heels."
Further proof of the silliness of the group within the record, you'll find a huge poster for "Order monsters! We have 'em all," featuring, among Frankenstein, zombies, Godzilla, etc., Rat Fink and if you have any knowledge of Z-grade horror, you'll understand what I mean and you'll appreciate the spirit of the record.

As for the music, it's an excellent instrumental surf garage that alternates between reverberated tracks and others dominated by the gritty sound of an ultra fuzz guitar, introduced by classic horror movie effects (creaking doors, women's screams, shuffling footsteps, growls, etc.).

Thee Cormans bring to mind, besides the bands I mentioned earlier, people of the caliber of Dick Dale, Davie Allan, or Link Wray and especially a band from the past decade like the great Phantom Surfers. Imagine the Phantom Surfers tackling an album of horror movie covers, and you'll have an idea of what Thee Cormans sound like.

Shaved Ape, Creature, Fagenstein, and Tadpole, these are the names of the four Cormans, and they ooze irony and silliness from every pore, making them one of the best novelties of 2011 and "Halloween Records" one of the best garage releases of the year.

Will you dare to face the dark and eerie atmospheres of this record? Will you have the courage to challenge the monsters and demons contained within it? If you do, and if you survive the terror etched in the vinyl grooves, you won't regret it!