Slasher Dave — Cannibal Death Gods

Driving force behind Acid Witch and horror/Halloween guru Slasher Dave sees his 2020 horror cinema themed synth-rock releases hitting vinyl via Hells Headbangers. Cannibal Death Gods (2 LP) features both parts 1 and 2 of his original, Euro horror theme inspired solo project on wax for the first time. Together comprising 72 minutes of classic, synth rock, horror soundtrack styled compositions, having both albums together in one release is a boon for fans of Acid Witch and classic Euro horror alike. Wearing the Fabio Frizzi, Nico Fidenco, and Riz Ortolani influences blatantly on his sleeve, Slasher Dave brings fans on a nostalgia tour of some of cinema's most shocking scenes.

 

Originally released in 2020, Slasher Dave's two part Cannibal Death Gods releases showcase the artist's love for the soundtracks to the Italian genre films from the late 70's and early 80's. Mainly driven by synths, these pieces pay homage to a generation of film scores etched as deeply in fans' brains as an axe into a zombie's head. Dave does very well here at capturing the aesthetic of these soundtracks and his familiarity with the source material is very obvious. Anyone dropping the needle on this 2 LP set would be able to fool many with a passing interest in the soundtracks of that era into these being original. However, in the past twenty-five or so years, there has been a great resurgence in these old Euro horror films and soundtracks, thanks to the proliferation of the internet and DVD. Alongside that, acts such as Zombi have taken these themes, brought them to the public's attention, and then run with them. With the ensuing growth of interest, many artists have done their own versions/tried their own hand at making these types of scores. And while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it often leaves these releases as feeling trite and tired. For the most part, Cannibal Death Gods falls into this camp; despite being loving and well-crafted songs, they tread closer to mimicry than exciting new pieces of work. Thankfully, Slasher Dave left some tricks up his sleeve and added in some more modern elements to separate the remaining tracks from the pack and make them his own. For example, the drum track/tempo on "Eaten Alive" really makes this shine, "Action Sequence's" pounding rhythm play a lot closer to action tracks from the 90's, and "Graves Shall Open" uses guitar riffs to separate itself from the synthy abyss (this plays very much like an Acid Witch song).