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Album Details

• Artist: The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets
• Album: Cthulhu Strikes Back
• Label: Divine Industries
• Year of Release: 1995
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: gwhill on 2013-01-15

Combining punk and metal elements with tongue in cheek lyrics, most of them based on the works of horror writer H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937), this album is very fun, and actually rather spooky at times. Many of the songs on the album list "required reading." How many CDs do you know of that encourage literacy? The mayhem of Darkest of the Hillside Thickets is brought to the world by Jordan Pratt, Warren Banks, Bob Fugger, and Toren Atkinson.

Sound effects and movie sound bits are quite common on this disc. The opener, “Goin’ Down to Dunwich” is based on Lovecraft’s story “Dunwich Horror,” and the song does a great deal of tying into the story while also showcasing the type of musical ride that’s in store here. Bells and metallic tones begin the piece, after movie sound bites. The cut seems to combine metal and punkish formats with processed vocals. Sound effects add to the mayhem, and one break sets a very strong mood.  “Ogoru Jahad” is the second cut, and it’s one that’s not directly tied to H.P. Lovecraft, but rather to the comic book “Hellboy.”  Beginning with a sound clip ("here monster, that`s a nice little monster"), the track is again metallic with punk leanings.

Overall, the rest of the set manages to stick somewhere between heavy metal, alternative rock and punk. There are some moments that break from that general concept though. For instance, the beginning of “Hookworm” seems a little like Rush. “Rock Lords” (lyrically based on a line of toys) seems a little progressive rock like (think Captain Beyond). “HTW” is strictly vocals only. While various cuts seem to lean more on one side of the spectrum than the other, the most different piece (and one could say, “highlight of the set”) is “Cthulhu Dreams.” Beginning with another film snippet, spooky instrumental work begins to build. This piece is an extended (over 11 minutes) psychedelically weird creepfest. It features odd vocal sections, spoken word snippets and sound effects. When the track ends (following a false ending), it is after a frantically chaotic crescendo which dissolves into disarray.

Overall, this disc is smart, quirky and a lot of fun. Sure, knowing the material on which the songs are based can add a different level of appreciation, but this is entertaining no matter what.

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