Thanks to an Instagram post from Esmeralda's Ghost (check out the new album!) I felt I had to revisit the glory that is California's own weavers of tales of serial killers, gore and comic book horror Murderland. As a band which re-enforced my love for horror punk but offered something a little different, they remain close to my heart and a personal favourite.
Murderland - Lights Out (Album, 2007)
I first stumbled upon LA's Murderland some time between the release of this, their debut album, and 2011s 'Prelude To A Kill'. I don't remember how exactly - probably some random find when compiling a yearly Halloween mix CD - but I'm so thankful that I did, especially as this remains one of the very best the genre has to offer. At just 7 songs long it's a sharp, short, monstrous attack of fast and melodic So-Cal hardcore and a touch of metal influencing their tales which, fittingly for the superb artwork, could come straight out of an EC comic story. Every song lands brilliantly, each delivering 2 minutes-something of horror-pop-punk with memorable hooks and impeccable story telling. I love this album so much I had it played at my wedding as it was a fave of both myself and my wife, and whilst every track is a banger it's hard not to single out 'October Sky' - a song so near-perfect, so perfectly pitched between emotional resonance and comic book horror, that it deserves a place in any future Horror Punk Hall of Fame (and my love for it outlived my marriage - but we're both still big fans of the band!)
Murderland - Prelude To A Kill (Album, 2011)
Murderland's second album is a classic. Not just of the horror punk genre, but of punk more generally. It's a hill I will absolutely die on. Whilst it was no doubt hard to top 'Lights Out', which was seven songs of near perfection, taken as a whole this just about manages to do so. It's still comic book horror, fast and melodic punk rock that California is so good at producing, with fabulous lyrics, unrelenting hook-laden pop-punk with noticeable thrash elements, but there is so much more thrown in this time. From perfectly placed sound clips to a gore obsession that would not be out of place in the repertoire of your favourite death metal band, this is 13 songs of twisted tales of Americana, of late night seedy motels, dismembered bodies in the bathtub and smiling serial killers. It feels almost like horror punk noir - whilst 'Lights Out' dealt with the ghosts and ghouls, this is a more human sort of terror. Whilst nothing quite tops the glory of 'October Sky' as a stand out track, 'Hacksaw Romance' runs very close. A twisted tale of dismemberment and love, it's like a sickly sweet pop-punk cover of a goregrind track, a masterful macabre monstrosity told with the band's usual tongue-in-cheek humour. One of the very best horror punk releases of all time, an album I would include in a top ten of any punk releases and which was a major factor in me re-embracing the genre around 2011. And yes, this also played in full at my wedding.
Murderland - Splitsville (Album, 2016)
Described by the band itself as a move away from the pure horror punk of their earlier releases, Splitsville is definitely a more 'mature' third album, a more personal and introspective collection of songs that still pack a punch with solid, infectious punk rock. Being a bit of a fan of turn of the century (...well, that makes me feel old) pop-punk this is no bad thing and this would not look out of place as a Drive-Thru release circa 2001, with a touch of Alkaline Trio vibe running through it, an accomplished and well written album. However this isn't the short and sickly sweet deranged tales of before - whilst there's a splattering of horror punk themes it lacks the gruesome fun of either of it's predecessors and the change up from two minute storytelling perfection to longer more 'emotional' songs lessen it's impact. A solid and highly enjoyable release if you're missing the days of Midtown, The Starting Line, The Movielife and New Found Glory - but it's not the genre classic of either Prelude To A Kill or Lights Out. Must be noted though that there are few bands who could match the intensity and quality of either of those - and for most people who aren't as obsessed as we are with the horror element, Splitsville is a very good release indeed.
The band are on Instagram and Facebook as well as Bandcamp and Spotify.
