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.
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