Schoolyard Heroes

Pressing forward with the innovative, campy sound they let loose on 2003’s The Funeral Sciences, these Seattle-based Troma addicts have another stellar collection of horror-obsessed rock music on their hands. More polished than their debut, this record possesses all the angular riffs and math-rock breakdowns of their previous work, but is greatly aided by a sense of cohesion between their colliding influences and disparate style of songwriting. Vocalist Ryann Donnelly is once again the star of the show here, with her ability to gently seduce with sultry melodies juxtaposed by her tendency to tear your head off with throat-destroying screams. Steve Bonnell’s abilities as a guitarist are also given ample time to shine, as his catchy, math-y riffs dominate tracks like the opener, "Body Shots.” Yet another step forward for a band sure to endear themselves to legions of disenfranchised Misfits fans looking for a new horror fix, Fantastic Wounds is as fantastic as its title suggests.