Dark Ride Blade Manor Review
Dark Ride
Blade Manor
Fiendforce/Massacre Records
2026
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to modern horror punk. As someone who was there to see the inception of labels like @ntidote, Fiend Force, Horror High, Blood and Guts and others that shined a blinding and blistering spotlight on horror punk/rock artists, I know talented bands when I hear them. Back then I ate well. Today, ehh, not so much. A lot of it I find boring, uninspired and flat. It doesn't reanimate me the way I felt 20+ years ago. There are, however, rare instances when I am introduced to or stumble upon something that harkens back to the good ol' days. Goddamn, I'm getting old.
That being said, I can only try to explain how excited I was when I ran across Dark Ride's BLADE MANOR. Fronted by Emilio Menze, who has been a stalwart of the genre and has been one of the hardest workers in the scene by means of his contributions with Stellar Corpses, Mister Monster and Plan 9, it is no surprise this album feels as legitimate as they come, as there's true heart and passion on display. The self-titled opener immediately hits home as it reminds me of the theme to Tales From the Crypt and then sinks its hooks into you with some old-school (and dearly missed) AFI with a chorus that you cannot shake."Rewind" throws me back to the 80's as I see a slideshow of classic horror films playing in my mind like Re-Animator, The Howling and Maniac. It also has some really well placed synth parts that stitch it all together like Captain Howdy.
"Life at the End of October" feels like a crisp autumn breeze on your face as blood rains down and pools at your feet. I always appreciate the traumatic/unrequited or disturbing love song, but so much more so when it's catchy and you want to sing along to it. And this has all that in spades. And while each track is single worthy, it's easy to see why this one has received extra attention, especially with the operatic female vocals. The synth on "Psycho Summer" reminds me of something from Stranger Things and builds up into some straight-forward punk rock with lyrics that paint a picture that'd fit perfectly during the credit scroll of The Burning.
BLADE MANOR is like washing your bloodstained hands - you can try to wash it away, but it'll stick with you long after you've removed yourself from it. Even if you're not a horror punk fan, I would still suggest giving this a shot because it's melodic, catchy and fun. And I think that's one of the key takeaways from BLADE MANOR is that each track will burrow itself into your brain, dig its own grave and rest in peace.
~TJ