Some bands are seemingly constantly on the road, while others release a studio album every 2-3 years. Demented Are Go are clearly in the former category, and, as any glance at their recent gigs on YouTube will testify, they are on fine form. So, a mere 13 years since ‘Welcome Back To Insanity Hall’, it is a pleasure to listen in advance to ‘Psychotic Mutilation’ (having preordered it, obviously).

No one can say that Mark ‘Sparky’ Phillips hasn’t lived an interesting life. That’s an autobiography I’d love to read, though I doubt he’s interested in putting pen to paper, memory notwithstanding. He’s too busy living it. And that’s one reason why it’s a pleasant surprise that his voice has matured into a wonderful thing. Battered and raw, but with a gravitas you can’t fake.

So, what do we have here? A slew of new songs, plus two covers. You may well have heard the lead track ‘Black Valium’ already. A swampy, mid-paced riff, until it picks up speed and rattles along. Dark and classy. And that, for me, is the thread between the tunes; even the faster ones have a more classic, less metallic edge than on the previous album. Don’t worry, the likes of ‘Out Of Reach’ and ‘Don’t Take Me Back’ would be at home on previous releases, yet ‘Chasing Rainbows’ (not the Shed Seven song) is almost optimistic in tone, musically not far removed from Johnny Cash.

And there are more country tinged tunes with a dark edge, like ‘Nasty Cindy’ with its acoustic intro, and ‘Wandering Hobo Blues’, with its story of “a gamblin’, travellin’ man”. And the cherry on top is, unsurprisingly for fans of Hillbilly Moon Explosion, ‘Cast A Lonesome Shadow’. Every time that Sparky and Emanuela Hutter duet, it is magical, and this even gives ‘My Love For Evermore’ a run for its money. Gothic in the old fashioned sense of the word, The Phantom Chords were the only other band who wrote songs of this quality.

Of the covers, ‘Spoonful’ is a gritty take on the Willie Dixon/Howling Wolf tune, while ‘Mr Pharmacist’ shows their garage credentials, being closer to the original by The Other Half than The Fall’s version. Throughout, they have gained maturity without compromising on power, when needed. ‘Dismembered Hand’ being a case in point; the lyrical imagery remains, but the riffs have a classic, 60s quality to them. And Holger, Grischa and Gaybeul are a line up to be reckoned with; tight, rocking and punchy. The solos are never overplayed and fit each song perfectly.

So, 2025 continues to surprise us. To these ears, Demented Are Go have come up with their best studio album to date. Fingers crossed they play somewhere near me soon.

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Author: Martin Charmarette