Numbskulls – Psychophobia
KIX 4 U Records – KIX 3359 [1990]
Numbskulls – Step Inside – Sleepwalking – Hellbound – Good To Me – Night Of The Zombie – Psychophobia – The Witch – Harry Erdoo – The Count – Hideaway – Bogeyman
Numbskulls were a Scottish band formed by Tony Gilmore (formerly in the Klingonz) on double bass, Steve Hay on rhythm guitar, Scotty Matthews on vocals & lead guitar, and Dave Harwood on drums.
At the turn of the 90s, many psychobilly bands moved away from their rockabilly roots and either added healthy doses of metal or moved towards Punk, but with a double-bass. Numbskulls clearly chose the latter. Musically, they are quite close to the Klingonz but without the fun, and with Rockabilly roots even more well-hidden (at least the Klingonz covered Blue Suede Shoes, Somethin’ Else, and the Stray Cats).
The band plays fast and hard, with distorted guitars, an over-slapped double bass, and a singer who yells more than he sings. The result is melodically rather poor, and the solos don’t really raise the bar. Once the initial surprise passes, the album quickly becomes tiresome. Having reached the end of side A, you wonder if it’s really necessary to turn the record over. Driven by an unhealthy curiosity, you do it anyway, which you immediately regret when you hear their (massacred) cover of The Witch by the Sonics.
The Radiactive Kid
