They Live- No Escape

ARTIST: They Live
ALBUM: No Escape
LABEL: Self-released
REVIEWER: Matthew J.
DATE: 8-23-08

Based out of Minnesota, They Live do a great job putting some of the real threat back into horror-themed punk. You won't find any campy sing-alongs about your favorite B-movies on this short but intense EP; instead, they sing about Satanic blood sacrifice and make you believe it. Lead vocalist Casey Robert Boyd is a big part of the appeal; screaming his throat raw on "TVC" until his voice is little more than a blood-spattered moan, he brings a sincerity to the music that may not be catchy but is certainly more intense than the usual faux-Danzig crooning so omnipresent in the genre. That isn't to say that The Misfits' influence is entirely absent, of course, and "Fire" in particular recalls that seminal band's hardcore period with its staccato backing shouts and raw, speedy bass lines. "Pentagram" is old school punk at is most violent and abrasive, and title track "No Escape" finishes things off with screeching guitars, galloping drums, and more bellowed vocals. If you think horror punk is nothing but an endless rehash of three-minute three-chord songs about zombie flicks, They Live will convince you otherwise; these songs are scary because of their brutal intensity, not just their subject matter.

Check out They Live on MySpace at www.myspace.com/theylivewesleep.