JOHNNY FLESH & THE REDNECK ZOMBIES is almost as cool a band name as Bloodsucking Zombies from outer Space. Johnny is said to make similar music with his zombies, and this is already the second installment.
“Back for Brains“ is the title of the album and could also be the title of a zombie movie.
What can the eager listener expect?
The band from Bavaria calls their sound Hellbilly Music. It is definitely Billy-Music, which is immediately noticeable in the song structure and the dominant double bass. The songs are catchy, although not really creative, but who wants that anyway? This is all about zombies, flesh, brains, death, blood, and all of it with a smile on the face. They don’t take themselves too seriously and feel comfortable in the genre. B-movies, horror films, quirky things of all kinds, and a bit of charming madness make up the genre that many call Horrorbilly. But let’s get back to the music. Not really creative, but with a knack for melodies, the songs stick in your ear and work their way to the brain, or what’s left of it. It’s all quite nice, but it doesn’t come close to the scene giants of Bloodsucking Zombies from outer Space from Vienna. Moreover, the recording lacks something important, namely pressure. The bass is somehow barely present, and the recording sounds as if it has to fight through a damp mush. This might be intentional, but it doesn’t come off as entirely positive.
Johnny Flesh also has a very unique singing style. It’s a vocal style I would expect more from a Gothic or Epic-Dark-Rock band than here. It’s a singing style that divides the spirits… uh, zombies.
I belong to those who would rather quickly put this record back in its packaging (a really nice digipack). If I feel like this kind of music, I’ll listen to the aforementioned band from Vienna.
