The Atomic Bats Bat Attack Review
The Atomic Bats
Bat Attack
Self-Released
2025
Every now and then, an album sneaks out of the underground and slaps you right across the face, not with brute force, but with style, swagger, and that unholy bite that only Psychobilly music delivers. Bat Attack, the debut from New Jersey’s Atomic Bats, dropped in July 2025 and it’s a wickedly fun, twisted ride straight through the heart of a carnival freakshow from Hell.
The first thing that hits you is how clean it sounds for an indy release in spots, not sterile, but sharp. The vocalist doesn’t exactly growl with the typical Psychobilly flavor the entire way through, I don’t want to say the vocalist is a crooner, but there are moments and when he’s on, he’s on.
Musically, the Atomic Bats have their claws sunk deep into the roots: greasy upright bass runs, reverb-dripping guitar twang, and that slap-happy drum sound that keeps the engine sputtering and alive. But instead of playing it safe, they twist the formula into something that feels like a carnival gone off the rails, spinning lights, cracked mirrors, and the faint echo of laughter that doesn’t sound entirely human. Tracks shift from high-octane boppers to eerie mid-tempo groovers that could soundtrack your next haunted back-alley drag race. The only low point is a cover of the Animals classic “House Of The Rising Sun”. I’m not sure what happened here, but it doesn’t match the rest of the record much at all, it feels more like an intermission and probably should’ve been left as a hidden track or left off all together. Of course that’s just my opinion, it doesn’t ruin the album.
What does set Bat Attack apart is its atmosphere. There’s Horror here, sure, but it’s more funhouse than graveyard. Think horror comic panels come to life, bright colors masking something rotten underneath. The songwriting has that sense of mischief and showmanship that’s missing from a lot of modern Psychobilly. You can tell these guys aren’t trying to copy anyone, they’re just throwing everything they love about the genre into the pot and lighting a fuse under it.
The result is a record that’s both catchy and sinister, playful but still has teeth. It’s Psychobilly for the midnight carnival crowd, the ones still awake after the rides stop, drinking warm beer and grinning at the left-over chaos.
If you’ve been craving something with the swagger of the old school but has the guts to carve its own path, Bat Attack is your invitation to step right up. Just don’t be surprised if you come out the other side a little more twisted than when you went in.
I’m mad excited that there’s a band like this in the USA, we need it over here badly! I can’t wait to see how much the band grows on their next effort, which I hope is soon!
Standouts – “Red Fang Girls”, “Awoke In My Grave”, “Les Revenants” and “Fires Below”.