Now I should probably point out first off that I am not a big punk fan, and punk is one genre that I know very little about, but even a bad punk CD is still going to sound a hell of a lot better than my flatmates dubstep collection, fortunatly for me this CD isn't bad at all.
I would describe this sound as "horror punk", if you could imagine what that might be. The vocalist has a slight slur while singing throughout which can make some of the pronunciations a little hard to understand sometimes (but the more gravel he adds the clearer he becomes) but I think it is very much his sound that defines this band and gives it some originality and really sets it apart from a lot of the other punk bands that are around to today. This album contains a mix of sound, from upbeat punk rock to slow punk ballads like "Recipe For Perfection".
I think I can actually almost hear a rock n roll influence through some of the progressions, although this could just be something that has transcended through the punk scene over the years, in which case it would have slipped right past me. Along with "Recipe For Perfection" there were two other standout songs for me, "Hold Hands When We Die" and "Taste The Blood" which for me really showcased the bands songwriting abilities through things like tempo changes and rhythmic diversity among others. So if you like punk, horror punk, or just want a healthy distraction from your flatmates dubstep I would recommend you go and grab a copy of this album.
Dr. Monster was formed Jan 2010 to help kill time while VonToxics band Horror Story looked for a new drummer. Toxic switched to drums with flat mates Stefan X on guitar & Dave Monster picking up the bass. Soon joined by local metal vocalist Mike Jacques making the line up complete.
Halloween 2011 saw the release of From Beyond (at the bands second show). Consisting of 2 recording sessions done pretty much live in the studio. Their sound is melodic horror punk with some doom metal & death rock mixed in. The vocals are the icing on this cake, vocalist Mike Jacques sounds nothing like any of The Misfits singers but can croon with the best of them.
It turned out this was just the beginning, after adding 2nd guitarist Glen Reaper, the band returned with the follow up album Death Devine released early 2012! This time the production & songwriting bring a mature sound & originality making it a must have for any fan of horror punk/death/dark rock & gothic metal! The band can be heard on their facebook page & horror-punks.com profile.