Review: “Master Of Giallo” by Obszön Geschöpf

Released for Halloween on 31st October by Dark Star Records, “Master Of Giallo” by Obszön Geschöpf is not only the 8th full length release but also celebrates a 20th Anniversary! It’s an album that features a huge cast of 46 international guests musicians, including ex-Megadeth pair James Lomenzo and Glen Drover, former Fear Factory bassist Christian Olde Wolber and Cradle Of Filth‘s Daniel Firth. It’s an album produced by Zeuss with artwork from Mario Lopez… so what does it sound like?!

Starting with the longest track on the album at 6 and a half minutes with “The New York Ripper” may seem like an odd choice on the face of it but it’s extended introduction gives notes of mid career Wednesday 13 before bursting into some Pantera esq groove Metal straight out of the mid 90s. There is a classic sound to proceedings with a tasteful bassline and big drum work. Even the guitar solo is of that time. The interesting part is the vocals which are clean and part buried in the mix. Almost a harsh whisper that builds but stays part of the mix rather than standing on top of it. “April Fool’s Massacre” continues the vibe of the album opener, sharing the same acoustic intro that builds into a groove that runs the course of the song. The vocals are more varied on this cut with a couple of growls but the bassline is what shines and underpins everything nicely.
The third tune is “Body Pieces”, which brings into play another step up in terms of the vocal variety. The drum sound on the album to this point is huge, it’s clean and crisp with clear intended at being the driving force behind the sonics. The guitars have the familiarity of a cheesy horror film and the song could easily be one that fitted well into one. You can sense what’s coming but it’s still fun!

“Murderock” has hints of 80s Megadeth about it with a twang to the vocals that helps deliver a bit more lyrical clarity than some of the earlier tunes. It features an epic solo that builds off the main riff to close things out on a high. “The Moon Watches Me When I Kill” may make you think of Billy Idol during its bass driven opening attack, especially when the keyboards come in. There is an almost 80s industrial groove element that stands the song apart from the earlier material even when the more organic guitar work appears. The song is a very bio-mechanical one for the most part, though it has to be said that the epic guitar solo that closes out the song is one that is so good it cries out to be extended! “The Black Gloves Of Terror” keeps the synths in the sound and provides the intro that the guitars and drums build from. Fortunately this cut is less bio-mechanical than its predecessor and even busts out a solo before the vocals appear. Mastermind Kelleci Remzi clealy knows what he’s trying to embrace with his solo band and takes it to where it needs to go!

There is something of the Type O Negative in “My Scalpel Dances At Midnight”. The track is more than half way through before the vocals start and if it wasn’t obvious already, the interest in horror films up to the late 80s is right there. We’re talking pre-CGI all makeup with the odd animatronic. It’s also a song that lends itself to a remix, something which they also have plenty of in their back catalogue. “The Death Kiss” takes out the synths and instead opts for some heavier guitar tones. The heavily accented vocals sit better in the mix on this one and help create a spooky Halloween atmosphere. The guitars build into that classic late 80’s early 90’s groove and end things on a high. That same high continues into the introduction of  “Shadow Of The Hat Killer’s Knife” which is a return to the material that made the first half of the album good, fusing Megadeth and Pantera guitar work with a Euro Metal sound that delivers. It’s pretty obvious looking at the guests on each track, who fits where and what they bring to the plate. “Giallo Forever” brings back the 80s synth pop sound with a programmed drum loop and spooky synths that are overlayed by some darker vocal delivery than we have heard on the album to this point. Guitar work adds an extra layer and adding whammy bar action to create a scream effect rather than being part of the main sound. If you’re looking for an unapologetic throwback album that will fill you full of nostalgia for Wes Craven and John Carpenter films then this is what you’re looking for. There isn’t a single track here that wouldn’t be out of place in the soundtrack to a film of that variety [7/10].

  1. “The New York Ripper”
  2. “April Fool’s Massacre”
  3. “Body Pieces”
  4. “Murderock”
  5. “The Moon Watches Me When I Kill”
  6. “The Black Gloves Of Terror”
  7. “My Scalpel Dances At Midnight”
  8. “The Death Kiss”
  9. “Shadow Of The Hat Killer’s Knife”
  10. “Giallo Forever”

“Master of Giallo” by Obszön Geschöpf is out now!

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