This four track EP is a collaboration of New Jersey's finest as seasoned punk/metal artistes Voice Of Doom and youngblood Robby Bloodshed battle it out to cover classic Misfits songs and then each others songs. Let the horrorpunk battle of the year so far, commence!!
Starting off with a sample from the 1938 radio adaptation of H.G Wells's War Of The Worlds is eerie and effective and not as odd as I first thought. I had thought it was a strange choice given the Misfits covers bore no relation yet once pointed out to me that this particular adaptation took place in the bands hometown I now get it. This EP see's Bloodshed as the artisan bread to Voice Of Doom's salt of the earth, meaty filling in this in this epic celebration of each others songs as well as an ode the main creators of the genre (plus I'm all out of sandwich references!). The first track from Robby Bloodshed is his take on "Teenagers From Mars" by Misfits. Originally released in 1979 as a b-side to "Horror Business" Robby and his band do a great job of bringing this track back up with a fresh, clean approach, impressive drums and a popping bassline. Robby's strong vocals lend themselves well to the vocal line. It sounds new yet still in keeping with an old school punk sound. The last track on the EP is Robby Bloodshed covering Voice Of Dooms song "Trilogy Of Terror" from their 2016 album Screams In Space. They give this track the same amount of energy that the original portrays yet manage to give it a youthful fresher sound in both musical and vocal style with a theatrical flourish and a cleaner finish than the original.
Voice Of Doom may have been doing this a wee bit longer than Robby Bloodshed but they still have to pull their fingers out to match the quality of his two tracks, and they do just that. Their chosen Misfits cover happens to be "Children In Heat" which incidentally is the other b-side to "Horror Business" 1979 (it's almost like they planned it!!). Voice Of Doom are a little heavier than Robby Bloodshed which is noticeable, the vocals are more gravelly and they definitely encapsulate Misfits style with a heavy, dark twist. From Bloodshed's back catalogue they choose to cover "Tell Tale Horror" from his 2014 album Main Street Of Betrayl. This is a great track to pick so they instantly get my approval, they manage to capture the energy of the original as well as bringing the extra rock n roll. They make it very difficult to decide which version I prefer. I love them both!
In short Robby Bloodshed vs Voice Of Doom is a great little EP showcasing that modern horrorpunk is really not that different to how it was 30 odd years ago when Voice Of Doom were first starting out AND that bands from both eras still have a strong love and respect for the godfathers of the genre the Misfits! The idea behind the EP can be summed in this one simple statement; "both being fans of each others bands Robby Bloodshed and Voice Of Doom wanted to produce something special together whilst exorcising some healthy rivalry/competition hence the vs part!!". I feel like they have succeeded in this mission and I feel bad that I was a little late to the party having only just checked it out when it was released at the beginning of June (sorry guys!!) I am really glad I checked it out though.
Robby Bloodshed vs Voice Of Doom is available right now as a digital download but if you want something that is extra special you can get it on 7" radioactive green vinyl complete with eye catching retro style caricature style artwork of both bands. It is a great collectors item. Check out Voice Of Doom and Robby Bloodshed on their bandcamp pages and social media platforms. Robby Bloodshed is also the vocalist in the newly revived Mourning Noise who will be opening for the ORIGINAL MISFITS at the Prudential Centre in New Jersey on July 8th so check them out if you can!
