Horrific — Your Worst Nightmare
Your Worst Nightmare is a tricky album to put one's finger on. While at some points it thrashes like it's 1987, or death metals like 1991, at others, it's like a heavier version of Motley Crue ("Livewire" in particular). While the shift in vibe from song to song may be a deterrent to some, one could see it being a selling point for others. Despite the varied approach, one thing remains constant with Your Worst Nightmare; this is metal at its heart. Riffing and shredding while still producing head banging grooves, Slasher Dave mans all the instruments deftly, and channels years of distorted six-string glory. On the whole, Horrific's debut plays like a death and roll record, one can see the influences that Slasher Dave wears on his sleeve. Classic heavy metal, classic thrash, and classic death all rear their heads in Dave's song structures. And, keeping things fun without wearing out their welcomes, all the songs are relatively short, so that the groove can be enjoyed without getting tiresome. While the riffing is good overall, the songs are still relatively simple and could easily suffer from an overlong run time.
Although originally released in 2009, Horrific's Your Worst Nightmare plays like an album from the late 80's/early 90's. Throwbacks and horror movie inspirations are pretty common, but that shouldn't be a detriment to the merit of the album at hand. This should be looked at from the perspective of Slasher Dave's passion for metal and his ability to man each instrument recorded. Your Worst Nightmare may not be a show stopper, but it's unadulterated fun, and a nice way to spend a half hour of your time.