Deadbolt- I Should Have Killed You

Described as "the scariest band in the world," Deadbolt's sound is more campy than truly scary, but their combination of deadpan horror stories and laid back surf guitar should appeal to horror punk fans in a more laid back state of mind. Their latest release starts off strong with the titular "I Should Have Killed You," which comes off like a homicidal version of Johnny Cash; at least when Cash sang about how he "Shot a man in Reno/Just to watch him die," he sounded repentant about it. "Scary Voodoo Girl" is more lighthearted, a spooky Tiki romp for a hot night, while "Telephone The Dead" and is a fun ghost story told in simplistic rhyming couplets. Musically, this is on the mellow end, driven by stony guitars that hint at country-western, rockabilly and surf music influences. It's a bit like the Cramps' early material, only less frantic and unpredictable. Although "Big John" employs some great tribal drumming, this is for the most part music for sipping tequila, not cutting up the dance floor. The real appeal isn't the music, anyway; it's the story each song tells, whether it's keeping voodoo zombies in the ground on "Tell Me Where He Lies" or stalking hippie ex-girlfriends on "She Ran Away." Predating the psychobilly resurgence by over a decade, Deadbolt have an original sound and plenty of weird tales to tell.

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