Batshit Crazy – Bat​$​hit​!​crazy CD (Basement Records)

I can’t even remember if I have ever written a review for a horror punk band on these pages until now, so I will mark this release as the first horror punk review at Thoughts Words Acton. I have to admit I heard for this band before but never really paid any attention to their music. It’s not that they seemed uninteresting to me or anything like that. For some reason, I forgot to check them out before. As usual, I made a big mistake because Batshit Crazy sounds rad! Their music differs from the vast sea of other horror punk bands who, unfortunately, try to mimic the sound of Misfits. Their debut full-length release came along with a couple of tremendous Bullet Treatment releases, so let’s dive deep into this record.

As I said before, Bat​$​hit​!​crazy sounds nothing like other horror punk releases you stumble upon the web nowadays. Of course, there are some hints of that recognizable, traditional, classic punk rock sound covered by regular horror themes, but Batshit Crazy are leaning much more towards hardcore punk and melodic punk rock sound. Just think of the best Epitaph and Fat Wreck releases that emerged out of nowhere during the nineties and created such a blast on the punk rock scene. Batshit Crazy are thoroughly exploring that particular sound, but you may also stumble upon some eighties hardcore punk along the way. It’s vividly hearable these guys are profoundly into these eras when hardcore and punk rock were much more aggressive and threatening.

Of course, Batshit Crazy wouldn’t classify as a horror punk without the classic topics explored through the lyrics. As soon as you check out the tracklist, you’ll know what are you dealing with. Bats In The Belfry, They Live We Sleep, Diabolic, Such A Waste Of Good Suffering, Ravager, Stare Into Fire, The Man Who Was Death, The Babysitter Murders, Ellen’s Grave are just some of the song titles and you’ll notice quotations from many classic horror movies along the way. Still, their music is what will keep you entertained the most because these guys know how to write proper classic Californian hardcore punk songs. To be honest, this particular CD is one of those releases that’s kept spinning since I got it, so you know what I am talking about. What I really dig about Batshit Crazy is how they keep their songs aggressive, but you may also stumble upon some more pop-punk tunes here and there. Bat​$​hit​!​crazy rips hard from scratch to finish. It’s available on vinyl and CD, so head over to their Bandcamp page and pick up your weapon of choice.