Album Review: Won’t Stay Dead – Purgatory (Don’t Panic Records)

Won’t Stay Dead is a horror-themed punk band with grunge and new wave influences that formed in 2017 in Chicago, IL and has been playing with the current line-up since late 2018.

The band released their first full-length album ‘Purgatory’ in October of 2021 via Don’t Panic Records & Distro, featuring songs inspired by horror movies including The Lost Boys, Ginger Snaps, Deep Red, and Rear Window.

Energetic enough to wake the dead and groovy enough to get them moving, Won’t Stay Dead are part of the modern wave of horror-punk reanimators. Where a slavish devotion to the past isn’t necessary but there’s plenty of that classic punk sound to please a variety of listeners.

Where they stand out from the crowd is with their underlying grungy rock edge. Something that makes the instruments that little thicker. Balanced nicely by a clean vocal pairing, capable of sounding quite fiery at times.

No track goes over three minutes and most barely pass the two-minute mark, making this album a sharp shock to the system. Especially when Won’t Stay Dead throw out some fast-passed numbers immediately with Window Shopper, You Will Kill Again and Watch Him Drop.

Now, while Somebody Put a Cross on My Head (And it Burned) has energy too, it’s also the first notable groove-infused number. One of the catchiest, chorus-driven and body-shaking tracks on the record with some fun horror-infused lyrics.

There’s a bit more dirt to Purify, before we get a short blast of pure punk fire with Dig In. Followed then by the infectious rhythm of The Ugliness of the Human Spirit, the stern Pray You Never Need to Call Us and vibrant thrum of Dead Lungs. All tracks that are thoroughly enjoyable and surprisingly varied.

This isn’t an album that overstays its welcome and with a flurry of groovy, grungy and gangrene-covered tracks, the album closes out nicely. Vacant (This is Ten), Kiss That Severed Head Goodbye, Sink Your Teeth and Damaged Brain keeping the energy high for a little bit more. Before we can all sink comfortably and satisfyingly back into our graves.

Won’t Stay Dead – Purgatory Full Track Listing:

1. Window Shopper
2. You Will Kill Again
3. Watch Him Drop
4. Somebody Put a Cross on My Head (And it Burned)
5. Purify
6. Dig In
7. The Ugliness of the Human Spirit
8. Pray You Never Need to Call Us
9. Dead Lungs
10. Vacant (This is Ten)
11. Kiss That Severed Head Goodbye
12. Sink Your Teeth
13. Damaged Brain

Links

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