It’s somewhat surprising that it’s taken six records for Wednesday 13 to tie his fantastical ‘horror punk’ up into a concept album, given his predilection for morbid storytelling.
But on Monsters Of The Universe he’s finally done it. Moving away from his traditional array of undead characters, this time he delves into the world of conspiracy theories and little green men – the latter especially so on the eerie, urgent Keep Watching The Skies and the atmospheric Into The Crop Circle.
The titular Come Out And Plague has more than a hint of a Pantera riff about it, but it’s got one of the best choruses on the album, while the synth-laden I Love Watching You Die is a pinned to a glorious goth rock stomp. Concept albums can be tricky to digest, but it seems that the concept in this case is more of a general thread running through it to guide the songwriting, rather than an actual linear narrative. That’s to its credit, because aside from the somewhat arbitrary minute-long instrumentals scattered throughout, Monsters Of The Universe is a dark and often thrilling joyride.
Via Devco/Cargo
