Sweet Home Transylvania

This is the closest thing you'll EVER get to what a child of Type-O-Negative and the Misfits would sound like, and like the bastard of said union; its both fun, dark and a little tongue in cheek.

In saying that, one shouldn't except to hear a bastardized hybrid of 'Black No. 1' and 'Mars Attacks' with tons of self plagiarized Over Kill. On the other hand what we have here is a stylized and mature mixture of Gothic and Doom Metal with tasteful hints of the aforementioned with perhaps a few more nods, vocally at least, to the Misfits, due impart Myke Hideous tenure in said outfit.

The production is miles ahead of the debut as is the over all quality. The guitars are heavy but loose. There are no real solos but there are a few leads. They are a little more open in their delivery but they don't lack crunch.

The bass is what we've come to expect from DD, no frills and solid. If he was ever to break out of mold, this band would've been the place to do it. The drums are simplistic but effective. They employ several style specific traits while still managing to be fairly original in their delivery. They are one of the more standout parts of the recording.

There is some light keyboard work here and there but its nothing more than accent and intros. The vocals are mostly midrange with some higher and lower moments thrown in for good measure. Myke is without a doubt an able vocalist who can hold his own, but he is where ALL the Misfits references start and stop. The most prominent would be the "Whoa, Ooh" bridge and chorus patterns (words??) that they are so well known for. This doesn't detract from the music however.

According to DD (or at least an older statement from him via the bands official website) this WAS a Gothic Metal side project that evolved into a Doom Metal band. This album is the turning point in the bands sound, and while yes it certainly has a lot of Goth in its veins, the music is too slow and dark to be anything but Doom. This is a hybrid band and should appeal to those who enjoy both styles.

There is almost a menacing quality to the songs, perhaps a carry over from the various members Thrashy day jobs. It does add a unique street-esq vibe to the dark tunes. The music is very accessible but not mainstream by any means. The bands quirky lyrics about death, love and dismemberment are just shy of being witty. Their theme song, which takes a few seconds from the beginning of 'Sweet Home Alabama' is just another testament to the bands adherence to no one but themselves. Of all their albums this is by far their best offering to date and well worth hunting down.

Blitz once stated that DD Verni was the "evilest" man he ever knew. This album pretty much supports that statement, for it is far more darker than Bram Stoker's Dracula! First off, I must confess that I don't particularly like any sort of Goth metal with the exception of maybe Paradise Lost. But this album is not your typical run of the mill Goth garbage.
This album hosts all kinds of textures and flavors that are derived from Goth, to stoner rock, straight trough to tinges of Thrash metal. This album is anything but generic, and in many ways is a trendsetter in terms of its creativity. The Thrash vibe is not nearly as prevalent as one might find on your typical Overkill album but the riffs are there and they definately work.
DD is a visionary as far as I'm concerned and with this album he manages to push the goth boundaries to a new level. This material is lightyears ahead of Type O Negative, both on a musical level, as well as for the sheer cathiness of the songs. The highlight on this album is without a doubt the production value. DD Verni does a superb job of capturing the best possible sound of each and every instrument. The mix is perferctly melded together, without one instrument overpowering the other. Chaly's vocals are much more controlled and effective than anything he's done in the past with the Misfits. Since half of this band is simply the rythm section in Overkill, you can obviously imagine how effective the structure of these songs must be. I suppose that the only major dissapointment with this recording is the lack of guitar solos. However, since Jack Frost is the one who's assuming guitar duties, I suppose that its fair to assume that rather than add solos that would be anything more than sub-standard, chunky riffs would suffice.
Anyone who is familiar with the bands debut and was not impressed should take the time to listen to this album. This album is far more up beat and the catchiness of this album in comparison to the first one is like day and night.
DD is one of those Thrash metal icons who can do no wrong, this is a great addition to anyones personal metal archive and is something that is totally fresh and original.
Black Sabbath meets Overkill with a twist of innovation!

The Bronx Casket Co has a few catchy numbers that really deserve more credit than they get but they also have their fare share of boring parts in certain tracks. Sweet Home Transylvania is their second disc continuing in their more gothic approach mainly due to Myke Hideous well...gloomy vocals. He is a very unique singer I will give the man that, and he does do a great job in the vocal department on here. The music fits the lyrics and vocals perfectally in every way, but there are a couple downfalls on here. First off not every song catches your attention...like im writing this review now and im not really paying attention to Blue Collar Horror which is track 8. Secondly some tracks drag on too long, although this isn't nessesarily a bad thing as it gets the point across much better. Other than that this cd rules. Jack Frost plays in this band (how many bands can you join buddy?), and this is D.D Verni's side project from his band Overkilll, so there was abit of hype leading up to the release of this. But no one knows of this cd or their debut album for that matter. The guitars on this album at times can be very good and interesting and at other times quite monotonous and boring. The drums are not to bad, the bass playing is quite good, and the singing as mentioned earlier is something to check out indeed. Something you should check out is Sweet Home Transylvania, you may be in for a surprise or two. Overall this cd is enjoyable, and is meant to be listened to when you are either in a gloomy, miserable mood, or just can't get any fucking sleep (just like Type o Negative). I suggest all fans of Type O Negative, Goth, and Metal to check this out for it is something that is rarly done right anymore. It grows on you instantly, due to it's dark vibe. Oh yeah the Keyboards on the album are magnificent, they really add to each and every song. At times it sounds like your attending a funeral, and thats the way they want it, nice and fucking deathly. Good job guys this is pretty original, and I ofcourse will be checking your next album out. Cheers

Best Tracks: The Other Me, Sewing the Dead, Sweet Home Transylvania, Killing Maryjane (i love this track), Dead for the Moment, Creeperia