Split7 Records - Psychoward, Various Artists
Split 7 Records are one of the pioneering labels in the So.Cal. psychobilly scene and they’ve released this rather epic compilation to bring justice to the genre, or that’s what the press sheet suggests anyway. It certainly is a massive release with twenty five tracks clocking in at a mammoth seventy-two minutes in length; value for money is always appreciated when compilations are concerned and this certainly release certainly scores that goal.
Psychobilly is a curious genre and also one that I’ve struggled to get into and largely still haven’t. Although there’s plenty of variety throughout the genre which is displayed on the CD, including bands from Germany, England and Japan as well as America obviously, there just isn’t anything here which will turn me into an avid fan of the genre overnight. I’ve not been able to find a track listing for this compilation, but I have been sent a list of bands who are featured however I won’t list them all as there’s over twenty and regrettably I can’t list the bigger names as I don’t know who they are.
As I’ve dug myself into a ignorance filled hole I can’t really tell you how this rates amongst psychobilly fanatics as it’s a sub-genre I clearly know nothing about. However, I can easily say that twenty-five tracks on a compilation is great value and there is a fair bit of variety on here which should provide as good basis for the casual psychobilly fan. Like I said previously though, although there’s a tonne of material on here, none of it has really held my attention for too long at all so perhaps not one for people with little interest in the genre.
