Album Review: Video Nasties – Dominion (APF Records)

Since 2017, something has been lurking in the shadows around Merseyside, snarling from the unseen corners with a piercing horror-metal atmosphere; that something is Video Nasties, and they’re ready to strike with their moral-panic inducing heaviness.

Comprised from members from some of Liverpool’s finest heavy exports in The Bendal Interlude, SSS, Magpyes and Iron Witch, the quintet that is Video Nasties mix death metal with punky and thrashy undertones, creating something morbidly macabre and devilishly debauched.

Recently signed to the label – on Halloween 2019 no less – Video Nasties finally bring their reign of terror to APF Records. Set to unleash their debut full-length Dominion on Friday 13th March (of course) on all good formats – LP, CD, cassette and digital.

The band comment:

There’s a lot of John Carpenter worship on Dominion. All of his scores are amazing. We tried to capture that same 80s Carpenter vibe with a lot of the melodies on the album. If you imagine taking Sepultura, Carcass and Entombed as main influence and then lacing it with the hooks of John Carpenter, The Cure, The Cult… Killing Joke etc. even through to the likes of Dead Kennedys and T.S.O.L. Big post punk, goth, rock influences in there.

Unlike many of the moral panic inducing films from which this band derives their name from, Video Nasties are as ruthless and horrifying as anything can be in 2020. While most video nasties are tame (and uncut) these days, this Mersyside monstrosity will have parents, religious leaders and the Daily Mail tugging at their collars.

As nauseating as the sight of a baby being ripped out off a pregnant woman in Anthropophagous or as sickening as the sight of pigs devouring human flesh in Evilspeak. Video Nasties are a foul bestial listen but have plenty of merit in their instrumentation and song structure. Simply put, for all their ferocity, they have massive riffs and hooks too.

Like the gut-wrenching horror of genital mutilation in Cannibal Holocaust or the indescribable pain of having a big wooden splinter jammed into your eye ala Zombie Flesh Eaters, Video Nasties have no notion of what is morally right and they certainly don’t care.

Although every so often they shock but in a different way. Maybe it’s a touch of goth groove or a segment of guitars that are disgustingly catchy or even some sinister synth. The kind of shock that you want to experience over and over again.

By time the latter part of the album is reached, it’s the equivalent of having your face burned off like in Island of Death or having flesh munched on ala The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue. You’ll scream, cry and beg for it to be over all while deep down loving every single second of the intensity.

Video Nasties – Dominion Full Track Listing:

1. Stay Gold
2. Hanging Tree
3. Helvetica
4. Transvoltum
5. Red Of Night
6. Viva Deth
7. Drone Eagle
8. Stabbing Nightmare
9. Dominion
10. They Rise

Links

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