Being a notorious fan of the horror genre, CONCERTO FOR THE UNDEAD by Italian metallers STIGMA intrigued me right away. You see, this entire album has a theme… it revolves around TALES FROM THE CRYPT. Although it opens with a likely-unlicensed sample of John Kassir doing his Crypt Keeper laugh from the HBO Series, “Chop His Head Off!” is a hardcore opening for an album not based on the series, but inspired by the EC COMICS series from the 1950’s.
CONCERTO is an entry into the “modern hardcore metal” realm populated by bands such as LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and DARKEST HOUR. Hell, Jon Hunt formerly of DEAD TO FALL (a local favorite here in Illinois) even makes a guest appearance to offer vocals to “Prove You Are A Man!” While the band claims that they “defy any ‘core’ branding,” elements of several noisier cores are present throughout – and that’s not a bad thing.
You can picture the formation of a circle pit on tracks like “What About a Terror Ride?” and “A Monstrous Feeling.”
The lyrical imagery is gruesome and delicious. If you’re into both horror and metal, CONCERTO FOR THE UNDEAD is definitely worth a listen. If you’re not a fan of both – you’ll probably want to skip this one.
Check out the Tracklist:
- Chop His Head Off!
- Prove You Are a Man!
- …And They Died Happily Ever After!
- A Monstrous Feeling
- The Undertaker
- What About a Terror Ride
- 3000 Years and Still Keeping it Real
- A Grave Situation
- Beat Me Maestro, Eight to the Dead!
- Doctor Skeleton
Rating: 4/5 Stars
