| If gore-soaked riffs, cult horror worship, and razor-sharp songwriting are your thing, Midnight Murder Mania is essential listening. The debut full-length from Portland's Frightmare isn't just another gory deathgrind outing—it's a celebration of slasher cinema delivered with a knowing grin and a chainsaw in hand.
Formed by Maniac Neil (of Lord Gore, Blood Freak, etc.), Frightmare pulls talent from the core of the Razorback Records roster, and it shows. The album’s relentless pace, grind-laced riffing, and tongue-in-cheek brutality make it feel like the audio equivalent of a midnight VHS horror marathon. Each track pays homage to cult classics like Friday the 13th, The Burning, and Slumber Party Massacre, with just the right touch of movie samples to set the scene before the band launches into another furious burst of buzzsaw riffs, gurgled vocals, and galloping drums.
Stylistically, Frightmare balances old-school death metal, punk-infused thrash, and grindcore, with an infectious sense of fun. It's not all sheer chaos—beneath the blood spray are well-placed solos, catchy hooks, and dynamic transitions that give the record lasting replay value. While the rhythm section drives things forward at breakneck speed, the guitar work—full of wild tremolo leads and groove-laden breakdowns—steals the show more often than not.
The production is raw and grimy, fitting the subject matter perfectly. It’s thick enough to carry weight but still leaves room for all the slash and splash of the instruments. The vocals shift from low, swampy gurgles to hoarse barks, always matching the energy of the songs. Even when the drums feel a little underpowered in the mix, they stay aggressive enough to keep everything locked in.
Frightmare doesn’t try to reinvent the genre—it simply excels at what it sets out to do: deliver a high-energy, blood-soaked love letter to horror and extreme metal. Closing with a well-executed Misfits cover, Midnight Murder Mania leaves you grinning and grimacing in equal measure.
For fans of Ghoul, Exhumed, Impetigo, or anything from the Razorback vaults, this is required listening. Fun, fast, and ferociously gory—Frightmare’s debut is a modern cult classic.
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