Demented Are Go – ‘Psycotic Mutilation’ (Sunny Bastard Records)

Demented Are Go – ‘Psycotic Mutilation’ (Sunny Bastard Records)

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.

Buy Here

Author: Martin Charmarette

The Hillbilly Moon Explosion – The Sparky Sessions (Jungle Records)

The Hillbilly Moon Explosion – The Sparky Sessions (Jungle Records)

Never mind Brexit this is the European Union, in session the Hillbilly Moon Explosion features two Englishmen currently residing in Switzerland A French Drummer and one Italian/Swiss to round it off oh and a guest from Deepest darkest Welsh Wales. Mixing up an eclectic blend of Roots Rock and Roll, some Dark Rock, a punk attitude at times with a healthy or should that be unhealthy dose of Rockabilly and throw in some swing, soul, ska, garage and pop  – I kid you not this really is a melting pot that can go anywhere they like and still come out sounding cohesive and well, bloody magic.

The ‘Sparky Sessions’ is the bands seventh album, yup I know what you’re thinking, I wasn’t sure how many I have either; a few but seven is remarkable. A band this good can’t go under the mainstream radar for so long (when I say so long the sixteen million views on youtube aren’t all bots I guess).  When I say mainstream, I mean I told a few people who I was listening to and they shrugged their shoulders, these are people who listen to a lot of underground music of all persuasions and they’d never heard the band.  So strap yourselves in and join me on a journey into the magic sprinkled ‘Sparky Sessions’ courtesy of The Hillbilly Moon Explosion.

What we have here is a whole long player of duets featuring the guest vocals of the one and only Mark Phillips he of the Demented Are Go parish here in South Wales. After dueting on the murder ballad from 2011’s ‘Beg Steal Or Borrow’ to be fair nobody in their right mind would have mixed the oil and water of Phillips vocal style with that of Emanuela Hutters – but it works and the choice of songs is inspired.  Forget Cave and Minogue or Jagger and Turner – its Phillips and Hutter that have the magic. This whole record will testify that from the rockers to the sultry smoldering murder ballads this is an exceptional piece of work. A magnificent eleven that is weaved into an exceptional record that is one of the finest I’ve heard all year thus far,  one I’m sure will be carried triumphantly into the end of year best of – easily.

 

The covers are stunning but the original songs stand shoulder to shoulder alongside such classics as ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ and ‘Baby I Love You’.  A total of seven new songs were recorded along with the four that had previously seen the light of day of the originals ‘Black Ghost’ builds and builds into a cacophony but it’s not the jarring racket but a harnessed noise that builds to an awesome climax.

 

It’s a bold and brave offering that has more than a sprinkling of magic throughout Hutter has a voice that can melt the ice caps of the north pole and Sparky has the vocal cords to rival a drilling from Thors hammer and put together it’s a beautiful thing brothers and sister trust me. ‘Northern Crown’ is smokey whilst ‘Jackson’ is just a total fuckin’ killer version.  I must have heard about a million covers of this one and this Hillbilly Moon Explosion take is head and shoulders the best yet even better than Carter and Cash in Fulsome Prison.  They absolutely take ownership and just kill it stone dead – sublime. and to end with that Murder Ballad ‘My Love For Evermore’ is still a spine-tingling classic that just works.

If there’s a better record released this month then I need to hear it but I seriously doubt it, folks, this is my album of the month maybe album of the summer – let’s see. Enough waffle from me pick it up and let the music do the talking this one just won’t shut up!  I only hope that this won’t be the end and one day like Skywalker on that mountain the Hillbilly Moon Explosion will come calling and Sparky will hear that call and once again record some new songs together but if that never happens (never say never) thank God we have this collection to live with. Love Songs And Murder Ballads a near-perfect collision of beauty and the beast, light and darkness.  Just buy it!

Author: Dom Daley

 

Buy the Sparky Sessions Here