PHANTOM ROCKERS
RISE UP
DRUNKABILLY
LINKS:
drunkabilly.be
With a line-up that features ex-members of The Krewmen (Mark Burke) and The Exploited (Karl Morris), Phantom Rockers have combined pyschobilly and punk’n’roll to make a great album of powerful, aggressive music. Long one of the originators of the scene and one of it’s most popular bands, it’s easy to see why.
For those unfamiliar with psychobilly, well…it’s a little bit of classic rockabilly (most easily referenced for you youngsters by early eighties revivalists The Stray Cats) and a bit of punk madness (represented by those who make sounds like the Misfits and the Cramps)…it’s that upright slappin’ bass and single kick drum with a nasty guitar riffage on top like a ragin’ cherry. There’s 13 tracks here, of which “Mexico”, “Psycho Sick Demon Rockers” and “Pain, Pain, Pain” really get me goin’. Of those 13, two are covers…The Ramones “Psycho Therapy” gets a jazzed up rockabilly touch, and “Brand New Cadillac” sounds awesome and fresh. For those not familiar with the scene, well…it’s just plain damn fun and what music should be. Personally, I like to put it on first thing in the morning and dance around my living room in my underwear slammin’ espresso and singin’ at the top of my lungs. (Sure beats the hell out of wakin' up to anything by Staind.)

----Christine Natanael