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Horrific poses one pertinent question at the opening of its debut album Your Worst Nightmare:

Do you hate the 80’s?

If the answer is “No” you’re on the right path. If the answer is “Yes” ignore your answer, because Slasher Dave- as the Axemaster- is going to expose you to some of the most infectious, throat-ripping metal to ever come from the Razorback Horror Hive roster. Continuing to resist this mating call of the 1980’s will leave you impaled from anus to mouth on the flag pole of a catholic high school, not unlike the quirkiest slasher flick.

Horrific is the brain child of Slasher Dave, guitarist to fellow Razorback death doomsters Acid Witch and up-and-coming death metallers Twist Ending (featuring Razorback’s own Billy Nocera) and the mastermind behind his own eponymous horror soundtrack act. Horrific is distinctive in the sense that it contains everything you expect from a Razorback Records act- old school death metal, doom, and an over abundance of forgotten horror film love- but it also sounds like nothing you would expect from the label at the same time.  Horrific fuses these elements together with the goofy melodic hard rock typical of 1980’s horror films to create a ripping, roaring, screaming, shredding thrill ride into the dark, macabre world of cinematic body counts, zombie B-flicks, tits and ass, and out-of-print issues of Gorezone and Deep Red.

Essentially a one-man project, Horrific unloads a mass of melodic, tremendously rhythmic, and down-right anthemic shredding riffs upon the listener. And when Horrific isn’t running around your head like the final girl topless in a splatter-filled zombie show, Horrific will sllllooooooooow down to hit some groovified doom parts. The riff work is equal parts Acid Witch and Frightmare, but it sounds completely its own beast as it juggles with elements intrinsic to every 1980’s hard rock-centric horror film soundtrack. The drum work here is basic, but it is completely necessary to the music as this show is all about the riffing. And Slasher Dave’s vocal performance has the low, garbled growl that I love so much in many of the darker death metal acts.

What makes Your Worst Nightmare such a great album is just how perfect a mix all of these things are. There is no filler. There is not one boring track. Everything is enjoyable, catchy, and when the album ends all too soon- as it does (sans the obvious gap before the hidden track)- all you’ll want to do is play it again… and again… and again… and again! This isn’t an album for just death metal fans. This isn’t an album for just doom fans. This is an album for EVERY AND ANY FAN OF METAL IN GENERAL. Your cousin only likes prog? Buy him Your Worst Nightmare. Your older brother is a sworn NWOBHM disciple who never wanders from the twin leads of Iron Maiden? Buy him Your Worst Nightmare. Your prospective girlfriend for some odd, retarded reason likes Mötley Crüe and you’re looking for a reason to get in her pants AND divorce her from the abusive husband that is really shitty mass commercial radio? Guess what? Buy her Your Worst Nightmare and fuck her while you listen to it. You find your dog attractive? Put on Your Worst Nightmare and jerk-off to the girl with the huge knockers in Night of Demons 2 with the sound muted (‘cept for the dance scene with Morbid Angel in the soundtrack). Your car breaks down? Play Your Worst Nightmare full blast while furiously growling along at passing traffic. Your girlfriend shits on your couch after you dump her? Fuck her in the ass while playing Your Worst Nightmare. ANY THING HAPPENS IN LIFE? Play Your Worst Nightmare.

What I’m trying to say is I might just like this album. Buy it, chuckle fuck.

Review byNecro-tron