Album Review: Lugosi – Video Nasty

Dublin, Ireland’s Lugosi released their sophomore full length “Video Nasty” just under a week ago, the album was recorded in the short breaks between lockdowns when things briefly opened back up in the UK and Ireland, only for them to have to close down again shortly afterwards and we return to endlessly perusing the assorted streaming platforms, including the dubious horror movies that are as much, if not more, of an influence on Lugosi as the more theatrical side of the horror rock and punk bands that we all know and love. Another quirk is there are eight tracks on “Video Nasty“, this is itself is not unusual, however, this is reportedly due to the band having an obsession with number eight, this might explain why there is an uncredited ninth track, the musical equivalent of not including the 13th floor in buildings.

‘Late Night Slasher Movie‘ kicks in with some schlock horror that resembles James Hetfield and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein reminiscing about a night in in the 80’s, you might think the template is set for this particular “Video Nasty” but you get the heavy theatrical rifferama of ‘They Came From Outer Space‘, that, like any good horror movie, throws a twist into the plot. ‘We’re Here To Drink Blood‘ returns to well established horror punk path laid down by the The Misfits, the starter is followed debut by the unhinged ‘Soylent Green‘ that incorporates that most beloved of b-movie sound effects, the theremin. ‘The Vampyre‘, ‘Hellfire Club‘ and ‘1313‘ are chugging metallic horror schlock before the ghost of Jerry Only rises once more on ‘Dawn Of The Dead‘, the album closes with the unlisted bonus track ‘Ouroboros‘ that resembles the trailer from a straight to video movie.

“Video Nasty” obviously pays homage to the golden, and some of the not so golden, eras of horror on the silver screen, the band’s name alone should tell you that, but across the album there are references to 80’s slasher flicks, 50’s b-movies, video nasties, Romero’s Zombie epics and famous monsters, to name but a few of the references peppered across the album. Lugosi‘s sound unsurprisingly incorporates the expected influences of horror punk such as The Misfits, Danzig and Black Sabbath, but refreshingly it also deviates from the expected course of the majority of heavy horror themed rock and punk acts takes by channelling left field acts such Rites Of Hadda, The Melvins, The Very Things and The Edgar Broughton Band. Lugosi are a band that sit between worlds, metal and punk are equal influences as are their theatrical tendencies, there is enough of the familiar to satisfy fans of the genre, but there is also enough of themselves to stop this being another budget version of The Misfits or a recycled Alice Cooper.

“Video Nasty” can be streamed here