The Young Werewolves Cheat Sid Haig

[rating:8/10]

Are you “Hungry Like the Wolf” for some great fast paced, toe tapping, sing along, punk influenced garage rock? Fan of bands like The Hives? Then The Young Werewolves are for you. This Philadelphia trio’s most recent LP, Cheat the Devil, is chock full of monster movie lyrics, catchy tunes, and gang vocals that make it impossible not to sing along.

The album is comprised of 13 album tracks and a special surprise 14th track. From the opening drums of “Hollywood”, it is evident that this, if nothing else, is a fun album. With a yell reminiscent of Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, the track is full of piss and vinegar with lyrics about the Young Wolves taking over Hollywood and leaving it in a pile of rubble.

Other tracks follow a similar formula of driving rhythms, sing along choruses, and horror show lyrics, except for a few exceptions. Notably, the third track, “Devil Dancer Girl”, is more of a swing/rockabilly tune, but it still features the same overall quality. “Guns, Guns, Guns” is another track in this vein. An while these tracks are slower paced than others on the album, they aren’t slow at all, as the entire album is extremely upbeat, fun, and danceable.

There are a few standout tracks for me, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” stands out because it has a killer spoken word intro by horror legend Sid Haig (who also happens to be the album’s producer). “Tattooed Aliens”, however, is my favorite album track. It’s got the classic horror punk sound, lyrics about weird aliens, and a great sing along chorus. Maybe I just love the track because of the fact I am also a tattooed freak, thepaintedman to be precise.

Lest us not forget that there is an awesome special track not listed in the liner notes to wrap up the entire album at track 14. I will reveal that it’s a cover song, but I’ve said too much about it already… you should experience it yourself.

Overall, a fun album that combines elements of rockabilly, surf, and a whole lot of horror punk to create a unique brand of garage rock comparable to the overall sound of The Hives, the monster lyrics of Blaster the Rocket Man, and the theatricality of another great Philly act, Mercury Radio Theater. A raucous, howl along album by a bad that the owww! in owwwtstanding.

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~ by thepaintedman on June 23, 2009.