Review - VAMPIR - 'BEATNGU' single

VAMPIR

BEATNGU

Single, September 26th 2026, We Are Horror Records

It's gonna be a busy couple of weeks for horror punk fans. As well as a new Boogeyman EP, and a remastered, anniversary edition of The Crimson Ghosts Carpe Mortem we're all waiting in anticipation for the brand new Blitzkid album Modern Hell (and for those in the States, their upcoming tour) and in the UK, the upcoming Horror Punk Fest 2026. To release a single as a new-on-the-scene horror punk band during this period is a brave move - but Ukrainian band VAMPIR have done just that (through We Are Horror Records). Does their bravery pay off? Let's take a listen...

Hailing from Odesa, Ukraine VAMPIR is the work of Nefarious (who was also behind Ukrainian horror punk band THE NIGHT), who states that 90s horror movies and TV shows are the main influence on the band's output. BEATNGU is their first release, a two song single released through WAHR with some frankly incredible artwork. You are spoiled for choice in the annals of horror punk artwork history but this is up there with the best - and you can grab a t-shirt with the design on too! 

The music is what matters though, and first song 'Dance of Death' is a dark, rampaging horror punk song which melds a hardcore sensibility with deathrock-like atmosphere and melodic punk rock. It's short, sweet and a great introduction to the band. Second song 'Queen of cold' is another dark one; it has the vibe of a dark, damp cave somewhere, where the horrors hide from the sunlight. Whilst this is very much hardcore horror punk like the first song, there is a permeating sense of terror to the song and feels a little like an underground melodic black metal band in the atmosphere it creates - very much a compliment as my library of one-man black atmospheric black metal records will attest too. The sound though is very much in the dark horror punk style.

As a short taster of the band this is pretty awesome. Whilst it doesn't depend too heavily on the traditional horror punk sound it has heaps of atmosphere and takes the genre in a darker direction, a direction that is never unwelcome.

Grab the band's release over on WAHR's website or Bandcamp and the band can be followed on Instagram. 

Discography Review - Boogeyman

 

Rising from the dusty desert crypts of Phoenix, Arizona, Boogeyman are one of the finest horror punk bands currently around; macabre storytellers who deliver infectious punk rock and weave tales of horror through a thoroughly mesmerising connected series of songs in the bands 'Devils Song' saga. As another band that has come to my attention largely through their being on the We Are Horror Records label, and with a brand new EP released, which itself serves as a prequel to the tales told on their first two albums, I thought it was about time to dip into the second of the 'discography' reviews on this blog - a look back at their past releases whilst featuring the new EP in it's own review which you can read here. 

In the post-pandemic years the band have really emerged as a band to watch closely. Appearances on compilations, some excellent videos and two great full length releases - as well as some glorious artwork and iconic logo and merch - have started giving the band the recognition they deserve. The three piece band is made of Jason Payne on vocals and keyboard/piano/organ, Eric Zellmer on drums and Ryan Zellmer on guitar and bass for their releases. 

Review - Boogeyman - 'Nightmare Begins' EP

 

Boogeyman

Nightmare Begins

EP, released 26th September 2026

The third 'proper' release from Arizona's Boogeyman (after a few singles), Nightmare Begins is self-described as the band's 'Earth A.D.' - a move away from the more melodic, early 80s hardcore punk influenced horror punk of the band's two albums into shorter, sharper and altogether more thrashier territory. It also serves as a prequel to those releases, setting the scene on how the evil came to haunt the town of Whisper Creek in their 'Devils Song' story. It's a bold move - many diehard fans of the genre aren't exactly enamoured by the Misfits move into the faster thrash sound that American hardcore morphed into; however I for one am a fan of that style, so the concept of this EP is an intriguing one for me.

Immediately you can hear the shift in styles. The TSOL influenced gothic horror punk of Rotten Leaves is blown away by the rage and velocity of first track 'Foresee'. It's still melodic horror punk, just played at a faster pace; a raging and menacing sound that still paints the vivid images in your mind the band are so good at. This is fast, balls out hardcore rather than metal too - and the comparisons to Earth A.D. are immediately evident. '1713' appeared on the 'The Kids are All Fright!!!' compilation last year and follows the same formula - this is spooky, gothic-tinged, fast hardcore horror punk which despite the speed never loses the sense of melody and storytelling. It's a belter this.

'Shadows' has a more gothic sound wrapping it's thrash assault; whilst the band have shown their mastery of epic, narrative driven melodic horror punk before, this EP is showcasing another side, and it's pretty excellent. There's no let up in the speed here but the atmosphere remains chillingly macabre. 'One by One' is another excellent song - sub-2 minute thrashy horror punk which is instantly memorable. 

'The Widow' has a hint of late 90s AFI to it but is just another all out sonic attack of a track, atmospheric but unrelenting; whilst EP closer 'Frostbite' reminds me a bit of The Nerve Agents. I'm probably stretching a little bit in comparisons to either of those bands, but like both of those legends, Boogeyman are going down that hardcore route of horror punk on this release and have realised it beautifully. 

It may only be 12 minutes long but Nightmare Begins has a big impact. A departure from their earlier gothic-driven epic horror punk storytelling (although this does still form part of their self-created horror universe), there are those who may not be fans of the move towards the hardcore thrash - but for me, someone who can happily listen to Bedtime for Democracy and Fresh Fruit... and get much from both, this move adds another aspect to a band that already has delivered some fantastic horror punk.

You can follow the band over on Instagram and Facebook, and the EP should be available on the band's Bandcamp page from release day.

As part of their build up to release the band released two videos, for '1713' and 'Shadows'. I've embedded both below, and they're well worth a watch!

Review - Gatlin - Horror Town Single

 

Gatlin

Horror Town Single

2026, releasing as 7 inch vinyl on Halloween

Horror punk is a universal language. Whatever corner of the world a band is from, and whether I understand their lyrics or not, the vibe of it all is unmistakable. A love for the macabre, spooky sounds and just having a bit of fun in this crazy world. Gatlin are a Polish horror punk powerhouse - they've been around for more than a decade now, with several releases under their belt (including a split 7 inch with Necrotones and the excellent, perfect sounding 'The Thing' single) - and their latest EP/Single is now with us, and with the promise of a physical release near Halloween. Only fitting to take a listen!

The title track opens up with a spooky, neo-Western sort of sound before bludgeoning into a slow, pounding beat with exciting use of the theremin that featured so heavily on The Thing single. Quite simply the perfect instrument to create a spooky atmosphere, it plays here behind some heavy hitting punk rock which delivers menace, horror and a pretty unique sound. 'Prince' follows this up, a short and sharp punk song which is a bit of a change of pace. A censored version of the title track is up next before Kołysanka (Lullaby in Polish) ends things with a nightmare instrumental soundscape that is a must to play as a part of any self-respecting Halloween playlist. 

A short release then, with only really two songs, but the title song carves out a unique sound that sets it apart from it's peers and is definitely worth a listen as we descend into Autumn.

Gatlin hail from Brzozow, and are Arkadiusz Sikora, Tomasz Kotulak, Łukasz Tercha, Kamil Tercha and Mike Koneful on theremin. You can follow them on Instagram, give them a listen on Spotify and buy their stuff through their social media channels - the split with Necrotones and a rather fetching pair of t-shirts (of which I've just grabbed myself one)!

Review - Rise From Your Grave - Choose Your Scare - Album

Rise From Your Grave

Choose Your Scare

2026, Album (releases 18th September)

The newest release from Pittsburgh's Rise From Your Grave (for the band's past discography click here) emerges from the depths on the 18th September. I recently did a 'deep dive' into their past releases so am hyped to listen to their latest output. Their journey from really heavy, oppressive atmosphere-laden Lovecraftian horror punk metal to their more 'traditional' horror punk sound on more recent releases (whilst still retaining some of that cosmic horror feel) has been exciting and with this latest album, and the singles which were released to prepare for it, their is a massive promise of something extraordinary. So let's take a look at this their seventh major release.

Opening up the album is the appropriately named 'Rise', a great example of RFYG's sound - powerful metal infused horror punk based on The Call of Cthulhu which stampedes it's way across your face, a barnstorming way to open the album dripping with the dark atmosphere and impending terror of the the band do so well, whilst still being sublimely catchy and memorable, resplendent with horror punk hooks. 'Nevermore' follows on, a horror punk retelling of arguably Poe's greatest work, this is a slower paced gothic-horror-punk song which still retains a certain upbeat, fun feeling and hits all the right notes for fans of the genre. Up there with The Simpsons for me in bringing this classic tale to life. 

The Freddy Kreuger inspiration on 'Stay Awake', which was the first single release in the build up to this album, may not be unknown territory for horror punk but RFYG deliver an utterly irresistible, catchy-as-hell melodic punk assault with soaring vocals and singalong woah-oh's which leaves this as one of the prime examples of Nightmare on Elm Street referencing songs in the genre. 'Blood(That's All I Want)' follows on with another track that will fester in your skull, pulsating and driven, immensely enjoyable horror punk that does everything right. It certainly shows the change in the band since their earlier releases, where the terror lived in the abyss and in the shadows - this is another (relatively) upbeat song that still delivers the horror and, in this case, Vampire elements so well.

'Live Again' first appeared on the We Are Horror Records compilation 'The Kids Are All Fright!!!'; another excellent slab of melodic horror punk, a pinch of that nostalgic genre-vibe, plenty of horror punk singalong bits, and a touch more of the thrash metal influence the band has always displayed. Serving as a follow up to 'Pieces of You', and set in RFYG's 'The Lake' universe, it serves as inspiration for the album's cover art. 'Like Mother Said' follows on and - for me - is the standout track here, amongst some very strong contenders. It's take on the internal struggles of Norman Bates during Psycho results in a soaring horror punk masterpiece, insanely catchy, a crunching metal sound and loads of atmosphere dripping from the shadows in this tale of murder, madness and motherhood. The single release of this one instantly grabbed my attention and it is perhaps the single best song the band have released - high praise when you look at their discography. 

'Dancing On My Grave' is another immediately likeable song; it's got an upbeat sound again, contrasted with the darkness of the lyrics and themes of lost love and the promise of reuniting, bounding along on a punk and metal base. The band's musicianship is always top class, but this release really is polished to perfection, alongside the always superb lyrics. 'We Feast' kicks straight into the 'woah-ohs' (which we all love) before expanding into another one of those sorta-50s prom night nostalgia feeling tracks that permeate the horror punk scene, a bittersweet horror tale (based on the story of Red Dragon) that showcases the ever-present conflict in the genre which some don't quite 'get' but which many of us are absolute suckers for.

The album draws to a close with track 9, an instrumental (and a very well done organ-driven gothic instrumental at that) 'Prelude to Darkness', complete with cracking thunder, which immediately kicks into the final track, the near gothic metal-inspired track 'The Phantom' which features vocals from Katie Garner from Freddy Vs. This is perhaps the most un-RFYG song so far released - and at the same time, one of my favourites. This is just pure Hammer Horror territory, dripping with evocative gothic splendour. It wouldn't sound out of place on a modern day Castlevania remake - you can positively hear the beating of bats wings, the wail of werewolves in the distance and the swishing of the Count's cape. Katie Garner's vocals are delectable, the metal is pronounced, but there's still an underlying horror punk feel to things - which is difficult to do in the genre, but done remarkably well here. A captivating and hugely atmospheric song to end the album on.

I've been a bit obsessed with RFYG in recent weeks. A deep dive into their back catalogue has brought me new appreciation for the band and I was really looking forward to this release. Possibly their most diverse album both musically and lyrically, it does everything right and should be held up as one of the best horror punk releases of the year. For fans of the band's earlier, darker sounds their is still plenty to love here - RFYG never completely lose that terror in the cosmic vastness feel - although I have to admit the journey they have been on has taken them away from some of that very unique sound they had. But when you're left with absolute top-tier horror punk, some incredibly catchy songs including some of the band's very best, and even an epic tale of gothic-romance, you realise that this is a musical journey which has been well worth the time.  

You can pre-order the album on Bandcamp both physically and digitally Give the band a follow over on Instagram and Facebook.

Discography Review - Rise From Your Grave

With the pending release of the bands new album (Choose Your Scare, the review of which you can check out here) I thought it was about time I did the first deep dive into a band's past discography, something I will be doing more of in future - and there are few better bands to do that with than Rise From Your Grave. Sporting an inspired choice of a name (and throwing up memories of the classic Sega arcade game Altered Beast alongside the band's frequent referencing to classic horror video gaming), consistently excellent artwork and most importantly some great horror punk, a proper look at what is a very respectable - and pretty extensive - back catalogue from a band that deserves the attention of any self respecting horror punk fan, was definitely due.

Rise From Your Grave hail from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and for a decade now have been releasing horror punk with a pronounced metal influence. Thematically there's plenty of cosmic horror monstrosities and a sense of dread running through their library, especially in their earlier releases, with plenty of other horror movies, literature and games popping up, especially in later releases. Vocalist Tom Gaffron, guitarist Brandon DeLanzo, bassist Adam Kephart and drummer Justin Fantuzzo combine horror punk harmonies with a thrash metal backbone, painting vivid aural pictures positively dripping with terror and unnerving atmosphere. Let's take a look at RFYG's releases through the years - I'll pre-warn that almost certainly I've missed some references through these releases, made some mistakes, probably repeat my words too often as I grapple from talking about games for over a decade to music, as a complete non-musician. Feel free to send corrections over to me!

Review - Acid Cauldron 'Haunted House' EP

 

Acid Cauldron

Haunted House EP

Self-released, 2026

One of the newest UK horror punk bands on the scene, I happened across Acid Cauldron from the South East of England whilst on a Bandcamp tag crawl - and I'm very thankful that I did. Perhaps labelling them as just 'horror punk' though is a disservice to the band. There's obviously nothing wrong with the genre (if there was, this blog would really be some sort of self-flagellation on my part) but there's so many influences and musical sub-genres thrown into the mix that it feels to constricting. From the sub-minute opening track of the same name as the EP, with it's 'This place is haunted and I'm scared' repeated lyric over horror sounds, vocal delivery ranging from spookily soft to hardcore screaming and a metal twang in the air, you know it's going to be a bit different. 'Poltergeist' follows on with the same sort of mix; near four minutes of horror punk metal with a creepy and menacing vibe. It's not straight ahead punk or metal, and there's plenty of hardcore influence thrown around as well, although there's an undeniable horror punk influence about half way through the song. It's all about atmosphere though - and this hits the mark. Great start to the EP. 

The short third track 'Trip To The Morgue' is much more in the horror punk vibe - fast melodic and fun punk rock, it packs a punch early on. Even here though the band don't play it safe - a breakdown into a pounding hardcore and metal sound is finished off with a suitably macabre and gothic spoken word ending. Quite an achievement to pack so much into less than two minutes, but it's a bit of a banger again. That spoken word ending though tells us of what is to come - 'Graveyard Stomp' builds up with stripped back and suitably gloomy drums and bass and lyrics that sound like they're delivered by a TV horror host of a bygone age, before the gates of hell themselves are broken open (twice) and the band knock you out with a swift hardcore punk punch to the guts with agonised vocals and a touch of distortion. It's the one song I hadn't heard before the EP's release, and it doesn't disappoint.

Finishing off the record is 'Moonlight Waltz'. Similar in style to what came before it, it builds up the horror on a bed of metal sounding punk and throws some tortured gothic hardcore into the mix, ratcheting up the terror by the end and leaving you in no doubt that this is a band who do things dark. A very good debut release for the band, dark, gothic and twisted hardcore punk and metal with a menacing atmosphere.

You can grab the physical (or digital) release over on Bandcamp and follow the band over on Instagram. I've popped the Spotify embed of the EP at the bottom of the page, but please if you can go and support yet another great UK horror punk band.