das GHOUL – The Video Nasty EP

By RingMaster Review on June 19, 2020 • ( 0 )

Whether through TV or experience few have escaped the beauty of UK city Oxford and the medieval architecture of its renowned educational establishments and of course, university. It must though also have plenty of untapped shadows and a dark breeding ground for the likes of das GHOUL…

Recently introduced to the band through its vocalist/guitarist Craig The Plague, das GHOUL is a quartet creating a contagious form of horror punk fuelled rock ‘n’ roll. They are also a group which would not a surprise if found invading mausoleums and graveyards for inspirations for their horror hued, gothic flavoured songs. Last year’s album, Noise Das Noire, was a rousing mischievous adventure through the depraved and creepy, one sound-tracked by a punk hued sound equally as ghoulish as the masks the foursome don. Now the band completed by Bernard Ghoul-Hefner on bass, drummer Mary Ghoul, and the keys of Octavia Von Wakeman, has recently opened up the vault of The Video Nasty EP to again take the listener into a highly enjoyable humour laced dark place.

Recorded, mixed and produced by Steve Bernard, the new EP opens with the outstanding Behind The Cobweb Veil, a brief but manipulative instrumental opening the curtains on the gothic clad show. Keys cast drama soaked on ears and thoughts in intimation, its theatrical breath as intimate as it is gothic picturesque and a captivating start to the release.

The EP’s title track immediately breaks the seduction of its predecessor but replaces it with its own individual rock enticement as the guitar springs classic hard rock hued flames. Soon senses swiping beats land as the dark groan of bass aligns to similarly magnetic vocals. In full stride, the track is a blast of feral rock ‘n’ roll bred on horror punk instincts draped in the melodic suggestion of those gothic dwelling keys.

It is another moment which only held attention firmly though a moment soon eclipsed by the following Formaldehyde Girl. Our favourite track might only linger a few breaths past a minute but straightaway it was under the skin and causing havoc with our eager bodies. Like a fusion of Misfits, Autopsy Boys, and The Adicts, a short shrift on time brought richness in temptation and pleasure before the release comes to a potent close through Porcelain. Another embracing a more classic rock essence to its colourful rock ‘n’ roll without losing that punk abrasiveness, the track hugs ears with the melodic dexterity of keys to spark the imagination and please a now set keen appetite for the band’s dark realm.

Having now flirted with their album and the demos before that, das GHOUL have made a habit of unleashing ear grabbing songs but The Video Nasty EP is their most tempting offer yet and a lure to the kind of attention which will draw them fully out of those dark Oxford shadows.

The Video Nasty EP is available now @ https://ghoul1.bandcamp.com/album/the-video-nasty-ep