New Life for the Atom-Age Vampire (Came Out Of The Grave - Balzac)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Came Out Of The Grave - Balzac
Date:	27/02/08 (7 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Balzac's best album, perfecting their style.

Disadvantages: Some songs are still a little weak and over-repetitive.

My first reaction on hearing 'Came Out of the Grave' was an enormously positive one: Balzac have somehow become good! After a turbulent but mostly weak string of albums ranging from Misfits rip-off to pop punk embarrassment, the band has finally found its sound on this seventh full-length release - or at least, returned to the sound that showed so much promise back in the fourth album but was somehow abandoned since.

This is catchy, heavy and aggressive punk rock delivered in an energetic and compelling performance, from Atsushi Nakagawa's furious guitars to Hirosuke Nishiyama's screaming yells, and even the more upbeat songs like 'Season of the Dead,' 'Inside My Eyes' and 'Beyond Evil 308' avoid being annoying in any way, the latter featuring a guiltily enjoyable lead guitar melody that could easily provide the feel-good intro theme for an American teen drama series. The heavy side of the album occasionally goes a little too far into hardcore territory, though this isn't strictly a problem, while I was pleasantly surprised that the title track opted to follow a classic heavy metal style in addition to punk, complete with a melodic guitar solo finale.

The long songs feel justified for the first and last time here on what remains Balzac's finest offering, and it's nice to see their experimental edge continuing in the light electronic touches of 'I'm Losing You' without taking over as they have in the past. 'I Know' is a melodic finale that works so well because it's the exception this time round, rather than the rule, and just for old time's sake there's the typical Misfits rip-off song in the form of 'Art of Dying' which might as well be a cover of 'Hatebreeders.' The quality of this album is so high that for once this doesn't irritate me, and it seems there may be a little more to Balzac than a Misfits rip-off artist after all. Not a great deal more, but a little bit that makes this worth horror punk fans checking out.

1. The Grave - Dreizehn
2. Zetsubou No Ano Basyo E
3. Season of the Dead
4. Inside My Eyes
5. Shi Wo Yubi Sasu
6. The Pain is All Around
7. Came Out of the Grave
8. Beyond Evil 308
9. Art of Dying
10. The World Without End / The Pain is Not Around (Reprise)
11. I'm Losing You
12. Beware of Darkness (2004 version)
13. I Know

Summary: Balzac's seventh album (2004).