Harley Poe - Pagan Holiday

This is a band that I discovered while reading the awesome Rue Morgue magazine and, I don't know what it was that drew me to that review but, I've been a fan since. Acoustically creating these songs where they place themselves in the monsters as opposed to just retelling the story of a movie musically as if reading from the back of a cover, these guys are truly original. Their new release Pagan Holiday contains 4 originals, 2 covers and some awesome artwork. A smart name for an album (if you don't get it, you really need to go on Wikipedia or something for a quick history lesson!) and songs that will have you singing along to in no time. Standouts include the Pumpkinhead inspired (and soundbites included!) "Vengeance the Demon/Close the Door/Outcrowd" which begins with some fast paced electric work that immediately grabs your attention before it goes back to the acoustics we all know, "Gorehound" which outlines why we love the movies that we do and will become an anthem/instant classic among fans (especially those who like to drink RED RUM), the brilliant cover of John Carpenter's "Halloween Theme" (which also includes soundbites from the classic 1978 film), "Pagan Holiday: Part 1: A Celebration, Part 2: Dormant and Part 3: Revenge" which features some great story telling and a pretty insane acoustic cover of the Rolling Stones classic "Paint it, Black". This new release will please old fans while drawing new fans to the band as this is just a great release by a great band!