Prolific Peruvian horrorpunk ghouls Los Morts released this 4 track EP, Slasher on the most sacred of horrorpunk holidays... halloween! The 31st of October is the day that many horrorpunk bands look to release material but the year that Los Mort do not, will always make halloween that little bit emptier so all praise to zombie Jesus that Los Morts have had something spooky for us these last few years.
It may be that Slasher is a bit of a rehash of old material but for people who are unfamiliar with Los Morts this EP is a great showcase of the band and a fun taster of a vast back catalogue of singles. First track "Mort" was originally released as a single in August 2022 but deserves a second outing as the first tune you hear. It's steady, pounding punk rock sound with some great synth elements and an epic bass driven section will instantly peak your interest and keep you excited for what else may be on offer. Slasher is not just a clever name as the next two tracks are odes to a couple of legends from the genre. "Elm Street", first featured on Los Morts mini album 1,2... Sangre from 2013, has had a bit of a revamp. Better production and a brighter sound gives it a fresh approach and a more professional feel. Complete with obligatory chainsaw sound effect in the background "Masacre en Texas" gets a make over too after it's first release in 2012. The change in production really gives new life to this track though. This fast paced tribute to TCM is heavily synth driven giving it a kind of vintage twist which is a great effect. The last track on the EP and the only new track for the band (as far as I can tell) is their cover of Misfits "Halloween" which is absolutely brilliant! So many bands have covered this track and I'll be total honest with you, Los Morts really do it justice. It's the best version I have heard in a long, long time! It is played straight and true to the original with some great Los Morts flourishes like singing it in Spanish and some amazing vocal harmonies in the chorus. These tracks are a testament to what I have come to love most about Los Morts... their enthusiasm. It is infectious and they completely immerse themselves in their music which really is a lifestyle to them.
It's pretty obvious to all that Los Morts are heavily influenced by bands like Misfits but they incorporate other strong passions in their music as well. Their culture for one, as they sing in their native language. Secondly, their sense of humour and love of all things ghoulish and dark by incorporating skits and sound effects throughout the Slasher EP. The stand out tracks for me are "Mort" and "Masacre en Texas" but to be honest all 4 tracks are catchy and enormous fun. The artwork for Slasher and indeed all of their releases are bright, bold and depict all kinds of awesome monstorous creations.
Los Morts are well versed in the art of horrorpunk having been around since 2008 and over the years have released a lot of singles so it only seems fair to amalgamate a few every so often for that all important annual halloween release. They are a huge active presence on the scene because of the amount of material they release and the fact that are always promoting the scene as much as they can on all the social network platforms so I cannot begrudge them at all. The scene needs guys like Los Morts at the forefront as they fully embody the genre to the core. Please check out Los Morts back catalogue via their Bandcamp page and check them out on facebook, YouTube and probably everywhere else!!
