I’m curious. How many metalheads, when asked the question, “What attracts you to heavy metal music?”, would answer with a simple and sound, “Fun”. Yet in reality, isn’t that the brass tax of it all? If the love we have for metal wasn’t, in the long run, “fun”,  would we indulge in it? Maybe it’s just me getting older, but fun is what I want most out of my listening experience. Whether it’s thrashy fun, brutal fun, technical fun, doomy or somber fun, or whatever sub-genre encased good time it is, I want fun. Entertainment, enjoyment, hell, even amusement, that’s what I want and that’s where Horrific and their recently re-issued sole 2009 album, Your Worst Nightmare, comes into play.

Essentially, a one man band with Acid Witch‘s Slasher Dave (what kind of parent names their kid Slasher?) handling all instrumentation and vocal duties, and originally released on Razorback Records (R.R. founder Billy Nocera penned the album’s lyrics), Horrific easily fits into the horror metal theme encapsulating most of Razorback’s signings. Where as the majority of horror metal achieves a sound with a strong influence infusion of a Repulsion–Carcass–Exhumed–Impaled type of style or vibe, Horrific eschews this approach in favor of a Judas Priest meets The Accused by way of Nasty Savage and Wolverine Blues-era Entombed. The result? A fun, exuberant take on horror metal, full of whammy and wah-wah filled solos; seriously, Kirk Hammett must be a big inspiration in the lead/solo department.

The band’s bio describes Horrific as “a bizarro mix  of ’80’s heavy metal, thrash, punk, and death metal”, and while it is a bit of a standard/generic description, it actually rings as true as can be, though I think “metal for spilling beer on your t-shirt” would have been a better tag line. The band reminds me of so many different acts at times, all while maintaining its own sound and identity; from Denial Fiend, Fetid Zombie, Crypticus, and Blood Freak, to Misfits, The Damned, and The Adverts, to the aforementioned Judas Priest and even October 31. The tracks are simple and effective, utilizing few change-ups (at least compared to the majority of bands today) and focusing on the meat and potatoes of the material. Individual songs mostly follow a repeated structure, never falling into anything remotely complex, technical, or atypical and successfully manage not to fall into dull predictability either, benefiting from working the less is more angle perfectly.

Most importantly though, the songs are straight up fun. I couldn’t even begin to pick an album highlight or personal favorite, as every single track on Your Worst Nightmare is a kick ass rocking and rollicking good time. Seriously, each song is simply a head banging smile inducer. Whether it’s the deathly thrash-rock of the aptly titled album opener, “Death Rock”, or the Judas Priest flavored greatness of “Dead at Midnight” (I see what ya did there Slasher, you’re a punny guy), or “Abnormal Energy” and “Ride on the Lunatic Side”, with their more overtly late ’80’s death metal flair leading the way, or even the catchy riff-tastic “The Ultimate Sacrifyx” or the sing along chorus of “Metal Cemetery”, a good time is guaranteed to be had. And if none of those tracks do it for you, then I suggest “Temptress of the Undead” to win you over, with the song’s wonderful mix of Swedeath heft and galloping Maiden-esque rhythms. And if that still doesn’t do the trick, then I suggest walking out into traffic.

I guess if I was forced to come up with a gripe or two, I would have to say that my biggest ones would be A.) the album does at times tend to have that one-man band sound to it, a bit of a beefier resonance to the production would help this, and B.) the songs sometimes end a bit too abruptly. I have to tell you though, that’s me really grabbing at straws with this one because I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of Your Worst Nightmare. Clocking in at just under the thirty minute mark, Horrific is destined to get many, many plays and much of your attention, for no other reason than the fact that this is an extremely fun listen.

[Visit the band's website]

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