Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
1995
Album Summary
Scream, Dracula, Scream! is an album by the San Diego, California rock band Rocket from the Crypt, released in 1995 by Interscope Records. It was the band's first major-label release. Music videos were filmed for the singles "On a Rope," "Born in '69" and "Young Livers," and the band embarked on extensive tours of the US, UK and Europe. They experienced a surge of popularity in the UK, where "On a Rope" entered the music charts at #12 and was a hit on MTV Europe, earning them rave reviews in New Musical Express and allowing them to play Top of the Pops. The album also made the band an alternative rock hit in the US, where their videos were featured on MTV and the album received many positive reviews in both mainstream and underground music presses. A large headlining tour in support of the album ensued in 1996, and there were supporting tours with Rancid and Soundgarden. During these tours the band gained a reputation for a series of interesting and, at times, seemingly ludicrous gimmicks and stage antics which included holding raffles during live performances, spinning a large game show wheel to determine set lists, onstage fire breathing, annual Halloween and New Year's shows, and the wearing of coordinated and progressively more ornate stage costumes. In Europe the band also hosted a German variety show, played children's shows and morning shows, and did interviews with fashion magazines. While unorthodox, these antics increased the band's reputation as an energetic live act and helped to increase album sales. Scream, Dracula, Scream! was the last of three releases by Rocket from the Crypt in 1995. The EP The State of Art is on Fire and LP Hot Charity had preceded the album that year, and singer/guitarist John Reis would later refer to these three records as a "trilogy". "Scream, Dracula, Scream!" also had different copies for Japan and Australia. Both of them had songs from the 'Hot Charity' recording. The Japan release just had the songs put on the CD, but the "Australian Bonus CD Tour Edition" had a bonus CD. The Australian copy had "Pushed", "My Arrow's Aim", "Lorna Doom", "Shucks", "Cloud Over Branson", and "Feathered Friends". The Japanese copy also had "Pushed", "My Arrow's Aim", and "Lorna Doom". But instead of "Shucks", "Cloud Over Branson", and "Feathered Friends", they had "Guilt Free", "Poison Eye", and "Pity Yr Paws". All together, the whole 'Hot Charity' recording was released on the two versions.
WikipediaDay 15 of Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Today I got another album from a band that I have never heard of. I’ve never heard a single song from the San Diego band, Rocket From The Crypt. The title of this album is Scream, Dracula Scream! Released in 1995, this was RFTC’s first major label recording. When I put on the first track, Middle, I was blown away with the energy and uptempo of the song. Surely, I thought, they can’t keep up with this throughout the record? Well, that’s exactly what they did. Scream, Dracula Scream! Keeps the pedal to the metal on all 14 songs. I can only imagine that being at one of their live shows would be a blast! The vocals of lead singer and guitarist Reis are aggressive, without screeching into my ears. The drummer, Sean Flynn, pounds away and gives the songs a serious back bone. Super talented drummer! Almost all of the band members lend backing vocals and the song Misbeaten shines because of it. (Maybe my favorite song by the way). Last but not least, they have horns beautifully blaring on all songs and I’m a sucker for that, really gives that 90’s Ska vibe. I really enjoyed all of the songs and had zero urges to skip any of them. Other songs that really need attention are Born In ’69, On a Rope, Come See Come Saw, and Fat Lip. Scream, Dracula Scream! Is filled to the brim with re-playability. If you want an album to pump you up, this will do the trick. It’s totally rad! One thing I like the most about this project, so far, is that some of the music is completely unknown to me, but becomes some of my favorites of the week. I must admit, I always get a little bummed and intimidated when I receive something totally unfamiliar, at first, but it can be so rewarding sometimes. Sure, I am excited to totally nerd out on albums that I know already like the back of my hand, and those albums will be fun to write about, but that’s not what this project is all about. It’s called Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, not re-listen to albums you’ve heard a gazillion times already and act like a Know It All… I’m having a blast! Please share your thoughts, opinions, and memories below. Even if that means shaming me for not knowing about this super dope band beforehand. Peace!
This wS a pretty underwhelming listen. Decent straight ahead rock and roll with a punk edge. Not sure why it should be on this list. I feel that the list should be reserved for albums that are either outstanding or influential and I don't think this either. 2.5 🌟
I had heard of RFTC but never listened. I didn’t realize the same guy formed this band and Drive Like Jehu. This is obviously up my alley. It’s got some ska vibes on a some songs, which is usually about the amount of ska I can handle. I would probably give it a 4.5 realistically. It is a little too long. I wish it was 11-12 songs rather than 14. I don’t know which songs I’d cut, though. I tend to prefer front halves of albums to back halves anyway, not sure why.
Sounds like the most generic 90’s punk rock ever, it’s very of it’s time. The singer has the typical snotty punk tone of a thousand punk rock singers before him. It’s basic and derivative and not special. I didn’t outright hate it, but I think a more impactful punk band should have their spot on the list.
A thrill ride, like a rickety wooden rollercoaster hurtling at speed; driving rhythm section, stabbing horns, charismatic frontman; slick back you hair, rev up your motorcycle, pull on your leathers. Rock music like it should be done - get in, get out fast, look good whilst you do it.
When this started, I thought, oh lord this is not what my frayed nerves need today. And I turned it off. Then I restarted and turned the volume down and it was much better. I completely missed this band at the time but I dig this punky, grungey (grungy?), alt-rock sound. (My spell check likes grungy but my eyes don't.) Reminds me of Faith No More, Soundgarden, Elvis Costello. Misbeaten sounds like The Beatles feat. Frankie Valli. I love On a Rope, Young Livers (yes!), Ball Lightning, Suit City, and Come See Come Saw. WOW! I love this!
Well damn. This is a fine gem that I never knew about. It's like this album is perfectly situated at the crossroads of everything punk - what came before, and what came after. I was surprised to to get something that sounded so much like old school punk in the mid-90's (i.e. paralleling the development of pop-punk, without crossing over). And yet it also has those horns/sax to give it that ska feel without being a "college rock" album in the style of Reel Big Fish. And heck, there was even some noodling in there that spoke to the midwest emo/math rock sensiblities. Good listen.
Damn, what a fun album! Just packed with jams, I bet they would be a blast to see live
Hi-Octane rock and roll energy, hollering and whooping, cracking riffs and pounding drums, with the salsa piccante of a horn section. The sound of a rock and roll gang. They do rather run out of puff by Ball Lightning - the album is "front-loaded", with Born in 69 and On A Rope the best tracks by far, and there are several songs towards the end that are a bit lumpy - but it's still a refreshing blast!
The expeditions into genre territory like ska and surf are the most fun and also the best parts of the record. However, I have no taste at all for the (grungy?) vocal style and that is constant over far too long a time. I'm intrigued by some of the music and my take sweetened after the first two tracks. Please, people, lose the butt rock "growl".
Competent snotty chanting and surprisingly early-00's for the release date. But it's basically obsolete by design.
Thai album is so boring. The energy level is consistent and just palls. It is recorded and mixed in such a way that an individual track would pop when played on the radio as the best thing you heard that hour, but listening to the whole album is exhausting. I hate his whiny voice, which just seems like posturing. I hate the arrangements. there is no point. It generically 'rocks', but there is no real grit to it. I'm sure they put on a decent live show (and it seems like they do a lot of live gimmicks), but these songs bore and tire me. I give it a second star because it is energetic and decently recorded. Actually, I think Come See, Come Saw is just a a re-write of Know Your Product by the Saints. One star off for plagiarism of a far better song.
After some crappy albums I couldn't connect with, we get this one, which I absolutely adored. Such great energy! I feel like this album doesn't deserve to be on the list- but it is an absolute classic in my opinion "Used" was a really standout track.
Strange mix of rockabilly music and instrumentation with vocals that tended towards metal.
Fun fact: these guys wrote a song for yo Gabba gabba. I knew a few songs from this album in advance - on a rope, dropout, and used. Listening to the whole thing, those songs are still the standouts, but the whole album has an energy that I love - specifically how the rhythm section drives it and is bolstered by the horns throughout. Bass clef represent! I love how the horns blend into the background at times, but add richness to the low tones. I’m probably being a star too generous, but I gotta respect when an album makes me move around and gets me amped!
By far the best album on the list so far. Fell off a bit for me at the very end, but very solid throughout. Plus if its good enough for Yo, Gabba Gabba! Its good enough for me.
How has it taken me 35 years to become a fan of these guys? Right up my alley!!
Absolute rock and roll bliss, incredible energy, felt like I wanted to run a marathon and punch something at the same time
Loved the singles from this at the time, but I never had the album. They were so different to everyone else at the time, the kind of rock and roll Primal Scream road tripped, but with a hint of ska. Loses a bit of momentum after the first three tracks, but still one-of-a-kind.
There’s something about this that I really like and I can’t figure it out
Rocket From the Crypt should have been huge. A punk rock band that thought they were a Stax soul revue. Scream, Dracula, Scream may be their best. Their major label debut is a very impressive, creative endeavor.
Wow! I was not expecting a RFTC album to be on the list. I love the band as well as all things John "Speedo" Reis. I didn't know they got a lot of love outside of the punk scene. Anyway, this album is just rock n roll goodness. Very catchy, very fun. And those horns are just a cherry on top. You know when I was a young man I wondered if RFTC were a ska band. Ah, to be that naive again. This is probably a 4-4.5 max if I'm being honest but it gets a 5 for being so damn fun on this beautiful June day and for the overall career of the band.
Summer of 69 and On a Rope don't get old. Love the horn section. It's a blast. Come see Come saw is basically Jumping Jack Flash, but hey the whole album is a gas gas gas.
Blast back from the 90’s forgot how much I loved these guys at the time. Ball lightening very foo fighters - on a rope -classic!
Very uplifting and energetic but also artful if you stop to listen more carefully. The lyrics don't really matter. There is even a song involving lightning (can you guess which other song about lighting I am thinking of)?
This is NOT what I assumed from the name and album art! I love that so many different songs remind me of other bands I like, but never all at once? One song sounds like Morphine, one song sounds like Sponge, one song sounds like Arctic Monkeys, Rancid, etc. On a Rope is an all-time great.
More fun than I was expecting, a bit of ska in there. I didn’t realise they did On a Rope.
Enjoyed it, no songs I initially recognised but it was a nice change of pace
I never gave this a shot because I hated how their name so clearly aped Rocket from the Tombs. But it’s nice solid well crafted mid-90’s alt rock. Crunchy and tasty.
Good punk rock (maybe pop-punk?). It's so whiny that if they made it today you'd be certain it was ironic, but in the 90's, who could really tell? I wasn't sure about this album the first time around but sat on it for a while and gave it another spin and felt a bit better about it second time. I give it 4/5, but only barely, it's right on the edge of being a 3.
Dont care much for his voice, but the music was actually really solid. Favorite tracks: “Young Livers,” “Fat Lip,” and “Salt Future”
never heard of them but surprisingly liked them for this style of music
This one brings me back! The title got my attention and I bought this CD (remember those?!) right off the rack when it was first released - thought it was going to be kind of hardcore punk, but was closer to the pop/ska band Madness than the Sex Pistols. Standout track is “On a Rope”, but I like the rest of the album too. Good for an upbeat party, or easy feel good listening. Cool artwork.
I got such hyped with this. That's how I imagine classic rock music. Definitely I will listen it again. However I don't think it's something special for 5.
Really liked On a Rope. A very repetitive song but not long enough for it to be a problem haha.
Took some time to warm up to, not the best start to an album, almost threw me up. But as it went through it became more enjoyable.
Really enjoyable, not sure why i never got into these guys. Like a nice mix of Rancid, Less Than Jake, and indie rock.
Never heard of them, but this album was great! Exactly my type of rock. Dips a bit in quality by the second half, could have been 10 minutes shorter given the genre, but I really did enjoy it!
Soft 4 stars. Had low expectations for an album with a scorpion on the cover, but was not disappointed.
Great punk music after the 80s is tough to come by, but this is great punk music. They’re using horns without skewing into ska, which is impressive in and of itself. Definitely an album and a band I will revisit. Atom Willard’s drums are a highlight, but he’s one of my favorite players so I may be a little biased here.
Hmmm. This cover looks like a warning to listeners like me. Although that font draws me in. Dracula and a scorpion? Never mind that. Into the breach! The first two songs were a bit rough. Although the lyric “you only kick half an ass” interests me… Actually found myself enjoying “On A Rope”. Pretty sure I’ve have heard this song before. Really like “Young Livers”. The opening sounds almost festive! Are those bells? Is this a metal ska album? Those are some nice harmonies. What is happening? “Drop Out” is pretty good too. I’m not sure I can sustain the necessary energy for a whole album of this, but I’m liking some of this quite a bit more than I thought. “Used” is my favorite song yet. Throw in a sax and some orchestration and… bells?! This song is pretty great. “Ball Lightning” - ‘you want some cheese with your whine?’ Really liking this song too! Nice backing vocals! So glad to have pressed on in this journey. Enjoying some good 90s guitar work. Ok now we are on “Fat Lip”. I can barely take the verses. But I am liking the chorus. Rocket From Crypt is not making this easy… then again “fat lip learns slow.“ I started to notice some quality percussion in “Suit City” but it and “Heater Hands” feel like too much work for me to listen to. “Misbeaten” is a little more melodic and adds a horn section… and the backing vocals at the end are a pleasant surprise! Love the ending! “Come See, Come Saw”... Horn forward with a pun title? Guitar solo at the end? Temptations-style backing vocals?! Yes, please! This might be my favorite track. “Salt Future” takes it down a notch. A song about Salt Lake? Well it probably won’t be embraced as the city’s unofficial song but there are those harmonies again. “Burn Alive” ends with a high production value song that I warmed up to as it progressed. Listened to this three times now and, while there’s three or four tracks I’ll likely keep skipping, I’ve added this to my library and will be listening to this again. I did not expect this to be the case at all…There’s variety, cleverness and quality musicianship throughout the album. A genuine surprise to me!
Pretty interesting and unique album. Like punk rock with real instruments. Talented instrumentals behind shouting lyrics.
Nice discovery here! Steady side A. Connected with most of the songs. Side B is a different story. Made some research on the band and looks like the guys were real characters, hosted raffles during concerts, used gigantic spin wheels on stage to decide set lists, played kids shows… fun stuff I will definitely include some of these songs to my playlists
J'ai lancé en mode "du punk... Meh", mais finalement c'était bien cool.
Great energy and really fun melodies, just not catchy enough. Also not a fan of the vocals. I feel like if this album was redone and tightened up, it could be this really cool vampy theatrical piece
Ok I don't think I've heard any of this before, but it feels like I have. I like it! Rocks just right. Bit of rockabilly but not so much it turns me off. I would happily listen to a few of these tunes again. 4/5.
Honestly not in the mood for this kind of thing much anymore - loud and angry is a young man’s game. Still, this is that being done about as good as it gets. Fast songs, lots of variety, unflagging energy. Surprised I hadn’t heard of this before.
Very surprised that I haven’t heard of this band. It’s a little harsh but I like it. Post-punk in the vein of Rancid who I love. I’m a broken record about this (no pun intended) but really missing the half star option as I’d give this a 3.5. Rounding up this time
The drums on this album are crazy This is definitely one of our better punk albums THE HORNS ON THIS WHAT Enjoying so far Born in '69 is a great song The cover is gross but the music sounds cool The vocals arent great but the instrumentals definitely make up for it 7/10
Dug it!!! So cool, the sound is right up my alley (horns, ska influence)
Links 90s hardcore punk to the heartland punk of the aughts (Gaslight Anthem, The Hold Steady, etc.) Maybe it's the horns?
Whoa I really like this! The lead singer sounds so familiar. Does he sound like the NOFX singer a bit?
I wasn't sure what to expect here, but I loved this. Really strong energy, driving, catchy songs with just the right amount of chaos. The horns were a nice touch. Overall, this reminded me a little of my favorite band, The Replacements. Will definitely listen again and check out more of their stuff. 4 stars.
I didn't recognise the name of this band or album, but when "ONAROPE, ONAROPE, GOT ME HANGIN ONAROPE", kicked in I remembered it instantly! I don't think I knew any of the other songs so was excited to check the rest of the album out. I enjoyed it overall, especially the energy and the brass section, which was great throughout. At first I thought the vocals were a bit too pirate-y, but they grew on me. I do think it feels like it loses steam towards the end, so perhaps 50 mins is a bit too long for a punk album. Maybe the last few songs will grow on me too though. Overall, a nice surprise which I see myself listening to again. It's interesting reading through some of the negative reviews on the more unusual albums on the list. It's seems like people were expecting this to be 1001 CLASSIC ROCK Albums to Hear Before You Die. Broaden your horizons, people! Albums like this are why I'm here. 8/10
This was just a FUN album that i could really easily get into and carries the energy through the whole thing. Little sinister, little horny, little vibey. 4/5
Härlig rock! Lite punkigt, lite rock'n'roll, lite blåsorkester. Påminner om Foo Fighters (eller tvärtom med tanke på åldern) - framför allt Ball Lightning.
Nice ride down memory lane. I remember when this album came out. It was like a punk version of the Blues Brothers. I absolutely loved the first three tracks, "Middle", "Born in '69", and "On a Rope" (and I still love them today). Unfortunately, after such a great start, everything after sounded quite underwhelming, to be honest. And it's still the case now for me, even though my music tastes have quite broadened since i was a teenager... That being said, I find the average grading of the participants in here extremely harsh. This is no essential listen, obviously, but it's still decent punk rock. So for once, I'm gonna give a 4/5 grade to an album I actually won't include in my own list. Trying to tip the karmic balance a little here, even if this won't change anything to the average grading... Number of albums left to review: 738 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 129 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 65 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 69 (including this one)
Ihan hauska ja nopeetemponen. Tais pyörähtää pari kertaa ympäri ja hyvä niin
Not a big fan of the album. 2.5/5 stars. Living End & Billy Talent are better in my opinion.
Musikalisch erinnern sie mich an Foo Fighters, aber textlich und im Gesang bleiben sie auf der Strecke. Guter Versuch! Ich höre mal in das neuste Album „Vintage Piss“ rein. Die Titel sind zumindest amüsant!
Not too bad, there are some strong poppy punk songs, although the latter half of the album blurred together and felt rather filler-ish.
Not bad. Like the voice that sounds like LTJ, but the rhythm not that much
Pretty okay album. Decent songs, not too memorable though. Nothing too bad. Middle of the pack
Ihan asiallista rokkijytkettä jota kuunteli oikein mielellään. Bändi oli itselleni täysin vieras. Vahvat Danko Jones-vibat tuli ihan postiivisessa mielessä. En kyllä ymmärrä mitä tämä levy tekee listalla, kun esim Hanoi Rocks teki ~saman paljon paremmin jo vuosikymmenen aiemmin.
Hot Snakes with a horn section. While the arrangements are somewhat simple and SJR's voice can't carry all of the tracks, there's a solid core of great balls-to-the-wall rock songs here.
It was okay, I'm a fan of the brass under otherwise pretty heavy rock but didnt grab me
The very beginning stuff was a bit too hard and electric for my taste, but it got a little more to my taste later in the album. Not too bad, but I don’t know that I’d be looking them up.
“Scream, Dracula, Scream!” by Rocket from the Crypt (1995) Well, this is new (to me). And it’s good, although I don’t recall that Dracula ever needed Van Helsing’s encouragement. I always thought the scream was a reasonable and expected, if spontaneous response. The scorpion in the cover art is a nice touch. Nonsensical lyrics are okay when the verbalizations are carefully chosen to reflect the meter and mood of the music. That is definitely not the case here. “You put a bullet through your nose” (on “Used”) is one of the few meaningful lines on the record. Hmmmnn, redemptive. And the title of the track “Come See, Come Saw” is clever, but a greatly missed lyrical opportunity. But the album is characterized by high quality, hard driving rock (and even pop and ska) progressions and riffs, well supported by a strong rhythm section. Very competent, but not genius. Plenty of engineering and mixing variations, with tasteful and powerful distortion. Some creative end-of-track fades. “Young Livers” (another clever title) is well arranged, with colorful backing vocals and horn section. Indeed, the backing vocals and horns throughout this album are what favorably sets it apart from so much else. This album is a nice execution of what they’re trying to do, if a serious listener is in the mood to treat his/her angst by being submerged into someone else’s. Kind of a sonic self-medication. Just don’t get addicted. 3/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Slap bang in the middle 2.5.
A band that Ishould be more into than I actually am, but just never quite got into them. "On A Rope" is an absolute classic and I remember seeing them at Glasto 98 but I've never listened to this album in full. It was a good vibe but I'd def cherry pick the best songs (by which I mean "On A Rope"). 6/10
Menevää rokkia, vähän sellaisia teatraalisia sävyjä paikoitellen. Olisikohan sanoituksissa ollut sitten jotain erikoista, kun ei tämä muuten ihan hirveästi ajatuksia herättänyt?
Semiok, ei oikein suuria intohimoja tai inhoja tän suhteen. On tämmöistä tehty paremminkin.
Ok jytinää. Tykkään periaatteessa, mutta ei mielestäni ansaitse kolmosta kovempaa arvosanaa.
Danko Jones vaikutteet heti alusta alkaen. Näköjään tehnyt homman jo ennen Danko Jonesia. Musiikki uppoaa, mutta ei nyt mitenkään erityisen mieleenpainuva. Levy uudelleen kuunneltavien laariin. 3.5/5
Pretty damn good. High energy, good beats. 100% reminds me of the early punk days.
Tällaiset levyt ainakin allekirjoittanut ostaa turhankin helposti. Uusi ja ihan mukava tuttavuus. Mielellään töiden ohessa kuunteli kolmannenkin kerran. Ekalla kuuntelulla tunnelmat vähän latistui, koska aloitusbiisi Middle lupasi vielä rehellisempää punk rockia, mutta sitten loppulevyn biisejä höystettiin paljon myös trumpeteilla, viuluilla ja saksofoneilla. Jos tämä levy mahtuu 1001:n listalla, niin voisi olettaa listalta löytyvän myös Rocket from the Cryptia aiemmin aloittaneita kalifornialaisia rock-bändejä, joita riittää (CCR, Guns N' Roses, Van Halen, Santana, The Eagles, The Doors, RHCP, Green Day, Pennywise ja varmaan paljon muita unohtamatta hevimmältä puolelta Mötley Crüeta ja Metallicaa).
Starts strong but peeters out. If it was an album of the first five songs it would be incredible.
Some fun jams and riffs in there but probably not anything that will stick with me. Never really been interested in ska and this hasn't really changed that
Is this Ska or Pop Punk? I bet this band is a fun concert but I find it is kind of generic. There are a thousand bands that sound like this.
- first good punk album I've listened to - surprising orchestration - some standouts but not enough to make punk a thing for me.
Sounds a bit like Scooby Doo chase music from the mid 90's, and that's more than fine.
pretty peculiar, it has elements of 80s hardcore, but also Cramps-style and maybe even paving the way for pop punk bands that came in the late 90s?
Some real high-energy stuff. I was unfamiliar with the band and their music. Reminds me a little bit of Mighty Mighty Bosstones and similar bands -- hard-charging fast-paced rock with a horn section. Some of the tracks were fun.
Didn't mind this. There were no standouts but nothing really bad either. Probably would have been a cool band to see in concert, but the songs didn't have any staying power for me.
I liked the vibe of this album more than I liked any particular song. It’s a decent rock album with good production and is very of its time but nothing really stands out in particular.
Not bad, but the songs sound kind of borring and generic. This thing did come out in 1995 though, so I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt that this album probably wasnt generic at the time.
Decent. Would make a good fictional band in a movie. It’s what I kept thinking as I listened. “This music is good, I thought to myself, but not enough to be well known.”
I had no idea what to expect from this - fun! Fav new track: Born in '69
Better than I expected from a "punk" album that's 43 minutes long with only 14 songs, but still not very good. The songs are too long, too slow, and both too melodic and not catchy enough. 2.5/5
I guess it’s not bad as far as punk music that was released 20 years after punk started. But it’s still punk released 20 years after punk started. Sex Pistols 1) couldn’t really play but 2) they were relevant. These guys meet just one of the two. I feel charitable giving a 3 but it sounds like they did some fun stuff in concert.
A fun album. Somewhat unremarkable. One of those "I don't hate it, maybe I even like it, but why is it one of the essential 1,001 albums of ALL TIME???" albums.
Based on the cover of the album and the name of the band, I thought I was going to hear something along the lines of Slayer or Suicidal Tendencies. I liked this album more than I thought I would, but it still landed at "okay" after rounding up. "Misbeaten" and "Used" were the peak of my interest, but overall I was just waiting for the album to get over. I did not dislike the album, but I'm not sure if I liked the album either.
This is a slightly more palatable Smashmouth. I waffled between a 2 and a 3 and eventually went higher on the strength of their best song. Best track: Young Livers
I liked this. Proper balls out rock from the 90s alt years, surprised I hadn't heard it before
I didn't mind this album at all but I don't think it was that good. Kind of sounded like a lot of things I like but just not good enough, a bit like the Offspring, Sum41, Green Day etc but kind of missing something which I can't put my finger on. But I did enjoy it.
I like Rocket from the Crypt, but am surprised that this is considered a must-listen album.
Bien. Rock ochentero. A veces me recuerda da Counting Crows, la voz del señor.
A decent fun album - a bit too sneery for my liking but can’t fault it much otherwise
Decent riffs. I do enjoy the brass instruments on what is essentially a pop punk song. I guess that hints at a ska/rock steady influence. I'm not enamored with this album though.
🎶on a rope, on a rope, got me hanging on a rope🎶 Did not know that I knew this band! It was good, but I won’t seek out more of their music
Definitely one of the weirdest band+album name combinations I have received off of this list so far. I had no idea what to expect going into 'Scream, Dracula, Scream!' based on the artwork and my lack of knowledge on this band; however, after giving it a listen, I would say that this was a fairly interesting project but not one that is 100% deserving of a spot on this list. Don't get me wrong: I was enjoying myself throughout this one and noticing myself tapping my foot a lot more than I usually do when going through a new album. It clearly has some strong punk influences but reels these back to create some solid alternative rock tracks with high energy. It was particularly cool to see them incorporate strings and horns as it really boosted their overall sound and made them just a bit more unique. While all of this is great, I wasn't a huge fan of the growly voice the lead singer put on throughout, and a lot of the songs ended up blurring together by the end of the somewhat long listen. These were not enough to ruin it completely for me, but they do make me bump this one down a bit on the rating. 3/5. NOTE: I found out later that the leader of this band was also one of the founders of Drive Like Jehu, a band that made one of my lowest rated albums so far. I can 100% say I enjoyed this project way more than that one. Much more my speed.
This album sounds a bit as if Elvis Costello felt like starting a punk-rock band in the 90's with a brass section. And there's nothing wrong with that. It rocks away really well. The brass section gives it a little more schwung. But it's not really either catchy or punk enough to really hold interest long.
Okay, I was really prepared not to like this, and the first few songs did nothing for me. But once you get get past those, this is a pretty solid album. It's catchy, has great energy, and it's distinct from a lot of what was going on musically in the mid-90s. These guys are pretty good. Fave Songs: Used, Drop Out, Fat Lip, On a Rope, Suit City
The definition of fine. I did not hate it but would be happy to never hear this again. I really did not like the singer’s voice which was hard to get past. It was a little too much like the whiny 90s ska of a tony hawk video game soundtrack for my taste. I don’t think the horns really added much thoug I usually love horns. I did think Used sounded like Bruce so that’s a plus.
Very intense. Too intense, calm down. I like the songs where there are hooks that differentiate from the barrage.
Oua, grosse découverte pour moi ici. J’entends des influences sur les bands qui suivront comme The Bronx, Every Time I Die et certains moments plus calme de Dillinger Escape Plan. Les brass sont subtiles, mais c’est plein d’énergie et j’aime ça.
Didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would, being an alt-rock album from the 90s. The ska and high energy vibes get a bit obnoxious after 20 min, let alone 40. OK in small doses, but pretty unmemorable for a whole album.
Not bad, 90s punk/ska/rockabilly prototypes. Adam Willard is the drummer ..
Good energy. Started sounding like a standard punk album, but had a few interesting songs
Le groupe Rocket From The Crypt tentera pendant tout l'album de se faire passer pour le groupe Scorpions, multipliant les attaques veinemeuses. Sans succès malheureusement.
Comme l'a très justement souligné eltrapeze, Rocket From The Crypt tentera par tout moyen de ressembler au groupe Scorpion et n'hésitera pas à multiplier les piqûres. Fort heureusement, ces dernières resteront benignes et passagères bien qu'extrêmement douloureuses.
Reminds me of a thousand generic support acts I saw at gigs in the 90s. Nothing particularly special but not bad either.
This grew on me as it went on, the guitarist is really good, doesn’t particularly stand out among punk music but another solid album worth the listen
T3B 1. On A Rope 2. Born In ‘69 3. Dropout Really good punk album. Just not an A or S tier. Solid 3.
It’s interesting - the music is pretty good, nothing really bothered me. But at the same time, it doesn’t jump out with anything special. I can see why they were signed but I can also see why they weren’t huge
90s punk rock n roll, but with the bonus of horns. Ok, probably as good if not better than over-rated Green Day.
Nothing but punk rock from start to finish. With a larger budget than their previous releases, they definitely utilised it to it's fullest potential. With string sections, brass sections and of course the mainstay distorted guitars and heavy percussion made the listen quite rich. However, I found the last few songs on the album a little lacking. Best: On a Rope Worst: Salt Future
The poor man's QOTSA. One dimensional AF, but you cant deny it rocks through its whole play length
It was an album. I didn't much enjoy it, but it kept me awake so there's that! 2.5
oh yeah...THAT song. (on a rope) i didn't like it then, and i don't like it now.
Sound is cohesive, and has a certain Southern California Rock sound to it that is nice, but throughout I kept thinking it was just noise. I would love stuff similar to this, but it just didn't click.
TRUE SCORE - 2.5 The band/album name and artwork really got me hype for some hard punk tracks, but when the album kicked off I definitely was getting poser vibes. About halfway through I softened that stance because they had fantastic horns throughout and you know I'm a horn ho! Aside from the brass and a great rhythm section, by the end of the album I still felt like this singer wasn't genuine. He sounded like someone trying too hard to sound tough. I understand that a huge part of musical performance is to escape into a persona or play up an aspect of your personality that might not be prevalent in your everyday life, but much like a great actor even though I know you're playing a character I have to believe you. While the music wasn't bad this really put me off the entire album and I just could never really connect with its message or sound.
Expectations for this album started off low and only slightly improved. Another band you’d find on an American Pie soundtrack. Didn’t really vibe off of this at all.
Didn’t enjoy this at all on first listen but gave it a second listen and enjoyed it much more. Goes to show! Pushing a 3 but falls just short. I’m sure they sing about cheese and wine on one track 😂