Lugosi's Morphine- With a Demoral Chaser

Everything on the debut album from Pennsylvania horror punks Lugosi’s Morphine screams amateurish, from little things like misspelling “Demerol” in the album title to big things like the band’s overall production values. It’s OK, though, because this isn’t the deluded amateurishness of some crappy pop punk band that thinks they’re going to be the next Good Charlotte. No, this is the old-fashioned, DIY “screw it, we’re putting out a record” attitude that makes old Misfits and 45 Grave records such a joy to listen to. A lot of this is hardcore horror punk in the Misfits vein, of course, with “The Ugly” and “Full Moon Fever” standing out as the best of the bunch. “Igor’s Eyeball” is a great one, too, derivative but not an actual rip-off, since lead singer D.F. Lazarus has a good enough set of punk rock pipes not to have to ape Glenn Danzig’s dark Elvis routine. “The Devil Bat” adds a little rockabilly to the rhythm, while “Surf Scum” is spooky instrumental rock in all its low-fi, fuzz-tone glory. Lugosi’s Morphine even delve into country punk a little on “We Die Young,” a song reminiscent of X gone goth, with rhythm guitarist AnastasiA lending her voice to the mix like an undead Exene Cervenka. These songs might not be as groundbreaking now as the original death rock anthems like “Black Cross” and “Halloween” were in the ‘70s, but Lugosi’s Morphine carry the torch of tradition and they do it with style.

Check them out at www.lugosismorphine.com.