Calabrese- Midnight Spookshow

Track Listing:

1. Midnight Spookshow 2. Come Alive 3. Children of the Night 4. Crizila 5. Shrunken Head Kids 6. Blood in My Eyes

When I reviewed and opened the package from Arizona band Calabrese, I was expecting to find a CD. What I found was a plethora of odd Halloween novelty toys and candy. After sorting through Mummy finger puppets, plastic flies, pop-up bats, squishy ghosts, and a very weird Witches Brew Foaming Mouth Gum, I finally did manage to locate the actual disc.

While enjoying my new toys, I popped in the CD and was blown away. Right from the start, Calabrese run right up to you and scream in your face: "You are going to have a good time!" In the same vein of very early Misfits, Calabrese is a melodic, yet fiendishly good band. Combining B horror movie lyrics, an intense brand of Rock and Roll, and straight from the graveyard Gothabilly style, Calabrese know how to entertain. This is ultra fun Horror Punk Rock with catchy choruses and hook-laden danceable grooves. The infectious quality of Calabrese's sound is due their incredible harmonies, taking all of us over the age of 25 back to the "Whoa Whoa" days of Social Distortion, The Misfits, The Ramones, and other punk rock luminaries such as The Damned. But one thing really sets Calabrese apart from the artists that have inspired them. These guys are really talented! This isn't the basic three chord sloppy punk we grew up with. Musically, Bobby and Jim Calabrese are both extremely honed at their craft, and with Dave Calabrese at the helm on drums, expect nothing but a percussive battlefield. The Brothers Calabrese are no strangers to notoriety. The band has been featured in Fangoria and Rue Morgue magazines, various college and local newspapers, several Independent films such as "Zombie Punks From Beyond the Grave", and the documentary "Horror Film: The Movie". Their music can be found in regular rotation in California, Arizona, and New Jersey on some of the more progressive Punk radio shows. "Midnight Spookshow" was also the winner of the Best Album of the Year at the Arizona Ska/Punk Awards, so you get an idea of how dedicated to the music they are. This is not a cheesy or comical band and they are not to be ignored. Tiring of the encroaching offers of Indy music labels, Calabrese have created their own Horror Rock label: Spookshow Records to release their upcoming full length album. Look for the new release soon, and stay on the lookout for appearances on compilations such as AZ Punk Comp V2 and Hell-O-Rama 2. Calabrese are a band on the move, and I suggest you become one of The Shrunken Head Kids and join the Midnight Spookshow. But don't eat the gum, that stuff was awful...

Check out their website at: www.calabreserock.com

Rating: 9/10
- Jeremy Eckhart 8/26/2004

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