Review by Simon Verheijden a.k.a. Semen

Splatterhouse from Portland, (G)Oregon, USA is one of many great bands on Razorback Records (RBR.) A record company that seems to sign nothing but great bands. Every RBR-release I’ve heard so far is good. Most of the bands on RBR are in the same kind of genre: Trashing Death Metal with gory lyrics/vocals. A bit like Exhumed or early Carcass on cocaine. Some other great bands on RBR: Engorged, Ghoul, Lord Gore and many more…

 

Let’s go to the album: Splatterhouse sounds a bit like Exhumed mixed with Haemorrhage, but catchier and it has kind of a swing to it. This is the kind of music that makes me jump out of my chair, pick up my air-guitar and bang my shaved head harder than most long-hairs would!!! Trashing Death Metal with high screams and guttural grunts is what I want, and it’s exactly what I get!! Most parts sound pleasantly familiar, but there are some surprising moments witch make me let out a cry for joy. (A bit like Stimpy having fun: Oooooh yoy!!) Anyway: I love this album. The production is very good: transparent but ass-kicking and an overall natural sound. Not digital, but human, I like that. Done by Jesse Odonnell and the band at the Autopsy Room in Tacoma, WA. The (snare-) drum sounds a bit hollow which I personally like, because it sounds s bit Gore/Grind-ish. Fat guitar sound and a nice ground-shaking bass do the rest. And don’t forget those sick gargles and grunts (without effects) witch you can actually understand if you listen very well. But don’t worry: it’s brutal all right!!

 

The lyrics are worth mentioning: very long, detailed horror stories. Some of them inspired by obscure horror/splatter films, some of them made up by singer Timtim (especially mentioned in the booklet.) His “own” lyrics, I think, could easily form the base for a script for a horror film, or at least a music video.

 

There are some intros on the album. Splatter films of course…

I have to mention the awful sounding trailer for “Mutilator” on the song with the same title.

I haven’t seen the film yet, but I expect it to be extremely bad and therefore extremely funny!!

 

Last but not least: the artwork. Done by Guitar/Bass player and singer Jason V, and a great job he did!! The cover is exactly what the title say’s: The house that dead build. A scary, dark house on a hill at midnight, with some body’s and parts of body’s having a great time decaying with some bloody organs and ripped-out bones oozing through. The back-cover shows a demented axe-murderer with bad dentals and crossed eyes. If this is a self-portrait I can understand why there aren’t any band pictures in the booklet… There are a lot of pictures from (again) obscure splatter films and comics inside the booklet. Looks really cool, especially when you recognize some of them… This is an overall great album!! I love it! And if you like extreme Metal and splatter, you’ll love it too! Last thing I want to mention is “The Hillside Stranglers.” Originally recorded by legends Dahmer, brilliantly covered by Splatterhouse. It sounds fucking insane!!! Ok, that’s it. I’m gonna get me a beer, play me this album again and chop up some of the stiffs in my shed…