November Birthdays 
Short review: Into the horror surf subgenre or wish your surf music had more double kick drum? Look no further than Terreur Twist for your next slab of awesome. Imagine Slayer crossed with Dick Dale and you've got the idea.
Long review:
You may not know there's something of a surf music scene in France. I mean ... they have coastline on two large bodies of water, the Atlantic Ocean (English Channel/Bay of Biscay) and the Mediterranean Sea, so I guess we shouldn't be surprised.
What you may not know -yet- is the stellar musicianship of Terreur Twist. Formed in 2020, they bring a decidedly heavy metal attitude to instrumental surf music. Instead of playing offsets, their photos show off the angular instruments typically associated with bands like Metallica, Slayer and Gwar.
The guitar sounds are definitively surf though, complete with the drip you expect. Guitarists Emmanuel Brunaud and Nino Napalm flat out kill it, having found a brilliant blend of traditional surf tone and technique with heavy metal sensibilities and attitude. The bass sound from Anne Porot is aggressive and unlike what you're likely to hear in most traditional surf music.
Which brings us to Philippe Deshayes and his drumming. If you're a traditional surf purist, you're going to find fault here, because this is the aspect of Terreur Twist that gives them their over-the-top-ness. While he's perfectly happy laying down more standard surf beats when the song needs it, it's clear he's happier playing hard, aggressive and fast with all the double kick passages metal is blissfully known for.
The songs are interspersed with snippets in spoken French - my French is so rusty I couldn't tell you what's happening, I'm getting maybe one word in 10. But these bits give the album a nice continuity, making it feel less like a collection of disparate songs and more like a well thought-out sequence of events. And what events they are! From the opening track "Salade décomposée" ("Decomposed Salad," you don't need too many language skills to get that one) to the closer, "Pazuzu," Reverb in Blood is chock full of fantastic playing, tight arrangements and even twin lead guitar harmonies, something this listener thinks surf music needs more of!
Other standout tracks include "Reverb in Blood," "Surfkiller" and "John Blair Witch," though it's my position this album is all killer, no filler. Every track is good, some are just a little better than others! Fans of exotic scales and huge drums will find joy in every song.
The album's production is top notch, never venturing into harshness and never abandoning the dynamics many bands struggle to grasp.
You can listen and buy at https://terreurtwist.bandcamp.com, and follow the band at https://www.facebook.com/terreurtwist. Reverb in Blood costs €11 (digital), €12 (CD) or €17 (vinyl) (about US$12, $13 and $18 respectively) - plus shipping of about $4 (CD) or $15 (vinyl). Physical copies are sold with a digital download.
Previous releases include: Hotep California (LP/CD) and The Surfer of the Beast (EP/CD), plus appearances on several compilations, including Surf You Next Tuesday Vol 3.
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Last edited: May 22, 2024 10:26:26
