Here Are 4 Psychobilly Bands to Get You Started in Your Discog Dives.

(TheBRHM.com) So, I was considering an intro piece on psychobilly but it was discussed in our articles on rockabilly and horror punk. So, we’re going to just jump right into a few psychobilly acts to check out. One thing to know about this subgenre is that mixes horror punk, death rock, garage rock and rockabilly into a fun and often comedic with a pop approach and horror film flavor.

When I came across this genre in the late 2010s, it was while checking out death rock and looking into similar genres. Having some familiarity with rockabilly but not being a big fan, I found the idea of horror-themed, faster rockabilly interesting as hell. I’m always on the look out for interesting genres, bands and so on and this fit the bill.

The first band I discovered is also a great example of the genre:

HorrorPops

Formed in 1996, this Danish band was founded by veteran musicians Patricia Day and Kim Nekroman of legendary psychobilly band Nekromantix. Their sound is similar to Nekromantix and their stage approach is also similar only with Day playing double bass and Nekroman playing the semi-acoustic guitar whereas he plays double bass in his original act.

The band has three full-length albums with Hell Yeah! and Bring It On! from 2004 and 2005 being straight-up rockabilly and psychobilly while their 2008 release Kiss Kiss Kill Kill introduced new wave. I wouldn’t say that the new wave sound overpowers the core sound but it’s noticeable and blends well with the psychobilly stuff.

Tracks to Check Out: Psychobitches Outta Hell, Where You Can’t Follow, Horrorbeach

The Meteors

This British band was formed in 1980 and are considered as the first actual psychobilly band and are credited with naming the genre. The Meteors’ early releases really caught on with me with the fast-paced “Maniac” and “Attack of the Zorch Men” from their 1981 debut In Heaven. What also sold me on this act is the vocals of P. Paul Fenech. Gravelly vocals just adds to the music to me.

Tracks to Check Out: Maniac, Attack of the Zorch Men, Hell Ain’t Got Enough for Me

The Creepshow

Established in 2005, this Canadian act is the only recent entry on this list. It has gone through a few personnel changes over the years but so has most bands. The early years of the band saw lead singer Jen “Hellcat” Blackwood—who was on the debut album Sell Your Soul—replaced by her sister Sarah “Sin” Blackwood. Sin would be on for two albums and the band’s sound didn’t change dramatically with those changes. The Blackwood sisters’ era of the band is my favorite although current lead singer Kendra “Twisted” Legaspi does a great job in the role.

That’s the thing I love a lot about The Creepshow or any band: the ability to remain consistent quality-wise even with changes in roles. However, the tracks to sample come from the first two albums.

Tracks to Check Out: Zombies Are Her Brain, Buried Alive, Pet Sematary (Ramones cover)

Nekromantix

You can’t have a psychobilly list and not mention Nekromantix. This is a band I really enjoy. All of the mentioned bands have elements I love about psychobilly but they might not necessarily have all of them or a great deal of it. Nekromantix has that gallop I enjoy from the drums, the pacing, they’re able to pick it up on songs, enjoyable lyrics and stories, and Kim Nekroman’s vocals.

Nekromantix hails from Denmark and arrived on the scene in 1989, releasing their debut Hellbound that same year. Their lyrics are similar to other bands listed and even when starting off on a song that isn’t instantly horror-themed the horror makes it entrance at some point to some degree. A good example “Struck by a Wreckin Ball” which starts out as a night out drinking and becomes humorously dark for Nekroman.

Speaking of Nekroman, in this band he plays a double bass guitar—shaped like a coffin with the neck being shaped like a cross—love it. The tracks I’ll be recommending mainly come from their 2000s albums since I’m rediscovering their earlier stuff and while there are some bangers, their 2000s stuff to present just grew on me sooner to where I lapse into those while doing disco dives.

Be assured, we will go into Nekromantix’s older stuff in a dedicated article. With that said, I strongly recommend this band if you want to dip your toe in psychobilly.