ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS – “Mam w sobie diabła”, “Zombie”, “Listopadowa noc”, “Porque te vas”
Fancy some Polish psychobilly punk? Well, you’re in luck. This is for anyone who takes their classic rock ’n’ roll swing with a heavy dose of horror and dark Western twang, blending rockabilly elements with Slavic folk and chaotic yet mysterious post punk -– all as the clock hits midnight. Throw a female frontwoman duo and a melodic double bass to the mix and you’ve got Horrendum –- marking album number two from the Warsaw five-piece, joint-released through Trash Wax and White Riot Records. It’s a lightning-fast vampire Spaghetti Western –- with most track titles following that same undead, after-dark theme.
We begin with “Wskażę Ci droge”, a psychobilly “Ace of Spades” from the first beat that leads into playful snarls and half shrieks to emphasise line endings (twin vocals courtesy of Mona Pepper and Sugar Gabi). It's old-school '50s twang is elevated by a searing solo with plenty of bite -– weaving and winding its way around the rock-steady rhythm.
Onto “Mam w sobie diabła” (I Have a Devil Inside Me) -– an album highpoint –- starting off with another pounding riff and soon countered by melodic yet manically repetitive, chant-like vocals. After floods of reverb, the bridge slows to mid-tempo for some tension-wire guitar-picking before launching into an escalating surf-rock-style belter.
There’s more dark Western where all that came from. And if that’s your thing, then you’ll love “Listopadowa noc” (November Night) with its railroad chug steady pace. Backing vocals effectively strengthen the track and the jangling, echoey lead riff sounds vaguely familiar -– though I’m unsure whether to look toward Stevie Ray Vaughan or Spencer Tracy to determine where exactly I’ve heard it before.
Elsewhere, “Ze śmiercią gra” (Playing with Death) blends mystic Gretsch tones (from guitar-maestro Konrad) with delicate, soft vocal backing –- whilst “Z diabłem odejde dziś” (I’ll Leave with the Devil Today) has energetic, up-tempo slap bass, and just the right amount of reverb versus dampening across an epic solo.
If more obvious horror elements are what you’re after, then you’ll enjoy the delightfully ominous spookfest “Zombie”, with midpoint gutturals mirroring the sluggish rhythms of the title’s subject -– and the repetitive “Frankenstein”, delivering offkey, creeping melodies.
“Wilczy kłak” (Wolf’s Mane) continues very much in the same vein. There’s an eerie, grooving bass crawl that imagines a cinematic pistol-drawing duel, only backlit against a murky full moon –- as if the directorial worlds of Sergio Leone and Wes Craven have crashed together for some extreme genre-play. It’s something Psycho Beets do well: setting a scene perfectly with suspenseful storytelling and the soundtrack to match -– in very similar fashion to how rockabilly staples the Cramps and X did so well in their prime, with particular emphasis on the former. The twin vocals are at their most theatrical here –- mirroring werewolf howls and affecting piercing shrieks to add a more dynamic edge. The quickfire, infectious “On mnie zabija” (He’s Killing Me) also evokes a midnight duel, with similar shadowy atmosphere and jagged surf-rock riffs.
Lead single “RH+” is a bouncier rock-swing number with an on-the-money, vampire-focused music video. At times, it’s surprisingly upbeat, but has a gradual flavour of danger hinted at increasingly through Pepper and Gabi’s performances –- though still allows breathing space for the rest of the track. Most importantly, the band ensure their core identity isn’t compromised during these edgier moments.
“Ślepy los” (Blind Fate) contains emotive lyrics, an interlude of cavernous dark riffage and a bassline groove which lurches into some kind of freaky hoedown that meets the Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz” halfway.
Ending strong, “Porque te vas” (Because You’re Leaving) lifts the tone and tempo after some guitar-juddering and sweeping drums. It’s the one most likely to be stuck in your head afterwards: thanks to its even feistier attitude and shouts, competing with storming guitar as they race to the finish line.
Horrendum is an album with accomplished musicianship to be admired. Aside from their obvious technical skills, the record flows well as we move through it –- reading like a nightmarish fever dream on the evening of Halloween. Though it would be interesting to see Psycho Beets travel further from their rockabilly anchor, even if just fleetingly, it’s the perfect album to get you in the mood for spooky season, just around the corner.
