| Schoolyard Heroes: Abominations |
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| Posted by Mark Fisher |
12:00 PM Tuesday, 01 January 2008 |
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 Seattle underground horror rockers Schoolyard Heroes return with their third record, Abominations, their first for the Stolen Transmission label. If you have never heard Schoolyard Heroes before and you love bands like The Misfits, Blitzkid, and others that focus their attention on horror movies than you should not miss this album because it's probably the best the genre has offered since Misfit's American Psycho record.
There are a few things you have to accept when considering this album. The first is that music is entertainment and if you believe anything other than that then you should certainly spend your money on a different album. The next thing you have to realize is that the horror genre is quite possibly at an all time high right now in movie theaters all over the world. It's pretty natural that bands like Schoolyard Heroes will garner more attention during a time like this because there is more interest in "scary things" in general. Lastly you have to keep tongue firmly planted in cheek. Fronted by the delightfully haunting vocal work of she-wolf Ryann Donnelly, the band really steps it up on Abominations. Admittedly, when you first hear her voice it grates on you (but not as much as on prior albums) and it's a little unsettling to hear a woman singing things like "You're so pretty and you're so dead" and "I've murdered you twice before my dear/If I'm not mistaken I've torn your heart out three times now" but once you get used to the idea you find that this band is fairly incredible at delivering the both horror and rock.This entire album flows pretty well really so much of the album stands out. The metal tinge of and epic delivery of "Screaming ‘Theater' in a Crowded Fire" is a brisk ending to the Abominations but completely capitalizes on just how much better this band could get. The sing-along "Cemetery Girls" is another highlight boasting a chorus so catchy that if it were played in a graveyard even the dead would sing along (at least the ones whose jaws were still connected). "Dude, Where's My Skin?" blends the darkness of Disco with the uproar of Math Rock pretty brilliantly, as does "Razorblade Kisses" and the enticing "Sometimes They Come Back." I read once that the target demographic for horror genre movies is women between the ages of 18-25 and Schoolyard Heroes are much the same. Of course I'm sure they have many male fans but the ladies that love Misfits-inspired presentation will go crazy over a female hero. Let's not forget the band behind here though because they exhibit a lot of versatility and precision throughout Abominations as well. This is my third time reviewing an album by this band and this time they win. Abominations is a great album that is well worth your time if you like edgy music that's in your face but still lets you participate in the festivities. |
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