Smith, Neal - KillSmith: Halloween - Best Of KillSmith 2008-2018

2018 was not only the 50th anniversary of the Alice Cooper Band coming into being, it also saw that band’s drummer, Neal Smith, celebrate a decade of his current outfit KillSmith - although, at least to me, it’s never quite clear whether the releases Smith puts out arrive under the band name, or his own. Either way those ten years of KillSmithery have now seen three studio albums come into being and Best Of 2008-2018 pulls together eleven of their proudest cuts from those releases and augments them with the new bonus track titled “Strychnine�.

For those already acquainted with this outfit it will be that new song that draws the attention but as is often the way with best of bonus tracks, it’s probably the weakest moment on show, with the slow plodding beat and repetitive lyric combining into something rather dull. However, if you’re coming to the solo/band work of Neal Smith fresh, then this is actually a good way to discover some pretty decent punkish goth n’roll. Smith obviously sees what he’s doing as still continuing the Alice Cooper Band legacy, with concept albums, spooky horror themes and a slightly sinister vocal attack all employed across the material from 2008’s Sexual Savior, 2011’s KillSmith Two and 2014’s KillSmith & The Greenfire Empire. Admittedly, from a band led by a renowned drummer, the main surprise is the simplicity of the percussion, with four more often that not placed firmly on the floor across “Dynasty Of Darkness�, “Squeeze Like A Python� or “Die For The Night�, but with the ethos often being, ‘keep it simple but effective’, it is possibly the correct approach. And that said, with the drummer also adding solid rhythm guitar work and gravely vocals throughout, it is also possible that it is the latter aspects that he’s looking to highlight.

For me it’s the Greenfire Empire material that makes the strongest impact, with the theatrical thunder of “Pandemonium� and over the top showmanship of “The KillSmith Overture� impressing. However, if you like big beats and simple but memorable riffs then “Death By Numbers� and its message that humans undoubtedly know how to kill each other, and “How Do You Bleed�, will also bite in deep.

KillSmith will never be the most finessed band that you’ll encounter but there’s no denying that they know how to lay it down thick, hard and heavy - and with little deviation, that’s exactly what you’ll you find on Best Of KillSmith 2008-2018.

Track Listing
1. EVIL VOODOO MOON

2. DEATH BY THE NUMBERS

3. HOW DO YOU BLEED

4. CEMETERY OF THE DAMNED

5. SQUEEZE LIKE A PYTHON

6. THE KILLSMITH OVERTURE

7. THRILL THRILL THRILL SHOOT TO KILL

8. DIE FOR THE NIGHT

9. PANDEMONIUM

10. STRYCHNINE

11. DYNASTY OF DARKNESS

12. MONSTERS IN THE ATTIC

Added: April 27th 2019
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Neal Smith Rocks
Hits: 800
Language: english

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