The Spooky We Have Risen CD Review
As we start to plow our way through some of our favorite Horrorpunk releases for the Halfway to Halloween extravaganza, I thought it would be a great opportunity to talk about an album/band that never really gets its due. The Spooky “We Have Risen”. I can’t explain why this band, or this album wasn’t the talk of the town, it came out in 2007 in a timeframe where Horrorpunk was alive and well. And given that the band was formed in 1995 it makes it even harder to believe – the band already had two releases under their belt when this full length was released.
I first got turned onto the band thanks to Disaster Records release of the “Ribcage” 7” in 1997. I’ve been a Duane Peters/U.S. Bombs fan since day one, so I grabbed the 7” because I figured it was as much fun as the Bombs, it was, but it was a different kind of fun – Horrorpunk FUN! Around that time, the 2nd wave of the Misfits was just getting kicked off and despite what anyone says, it wasn’t popular – nobody gave a flying shit back then unless you were already a Fiend. I was, so The Spooky had somewhat of a Misfits vibe that I was already used to. I loved the band instantly, so I followed them the best way I could which was extremely hard until I got a P.C. in 1999 and then I snatched up their new 7” “Dawn of the Dead”, another killer piece of Horrorpunk gold. That would be the last thing I’d get from the band until 2007 when they released “We Have Risen” on S.O.S. Records another Hardcore Punk label. By now the Horrorpunk vibes were all about the place and the kids were painting their faces and the woah woah’s were done to death by any and everybody. I never forgot about the band, I just kept my eyes peeled and when I saw that there was a new release, I jumped on it.
“We Have Risen” isn’t your typical Horrorpunk, there’s no Misfits stealing in any shape form or fashion – The Spooky stand on their own feet and serve up what I can best describe as Horror Rock with Punk tendencies. Maybe this was the cause for the band to be ignored in the scene, I’m not sure and I can’t speculate. Occasionally, I’d mention it to friends, but I’d never get any real interest, so I enjoyed the band on my own. And that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing this entire time. This album is loaded with some of the finest Horror tunes I’ve ever heard, seriously! “Wolfbanes Blood” gets the disc off to a fantastic start with a mid-tempo vibe, the melody line and hook is poppy enough to make you stand up and take notice. Lyrically, it ticks all the right boxes too – there’s just not enough songs about Werewolves, specifically with a sing-along chorus that’ll have you humming along in no time. “I Bury the Living” carries on in the same manner and it’s around this time that you realize that lead vocalist Mike Monster has quite the voice, it’s smooth and his tone is killer. He’s not necessarily crooning; he's just singing and emoting. It’s fucking brilliant for Horrorpunk and his voice stands out big time, that’s the thing I’ve always enjoyed the most about this band. The next tune that rings my bell is “Suicide on the 405”. We’re not talking go for the throat Punk vibes here either, it’s more of mid-tempo swinger that caters to the lyrics and storyline. I’m catching glimpses of Return of The Living Dead 3 here, but that’s my wild imagination getting carried away. HA! “Til Death Do Us Part (Black Orchid)” is another track similar in nature. The melodies and overall vibe just feel good, it’s one of those tunes you want to blast with the windows down while cruising on a hot summer day. For those that like their Horrorpunk mean, nasty and packed with intensity will lean more into tunes like “Evil Dead”, “Gore Gore Creepshow” and “Boggy Creek”.
There’s no way you can go wrong with this album – NO WAY! If you’re a Horrorpunk fan, this is an album you absolutely must have in your collection. I’m not sure if it’s still available, but I can tell you it was reissued back in 2017 via Nothing but a Nightmare Records. I strongly recommend checking it out and picking it up the first chance you get. Sadly, the band has called it a day, but Mike Monster has resurfaced in a Thrash Horror band called Devilhound. I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing them yet, but I’m really excited about it!