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HomeMusicWatch This! Splintered Halo - Ju-on (The Grudge) - NEW VIDEO

Watch This! Splintered Halo – Ju-on (The Grudge) – NEW VIDEO


 


Glasgow horror-rockers, Splintered Halo, are the most fun you can have while being scared shitless. With latest release, Ju-on (The Grudge), they once more kick back and chill you to the bone.

Self-describing as ‘theatrical character metal’, Splintered Halo combine the shock value of The Misfits, Murderdolls and Evil Scarecrow with the dramatic flourishes of Alice Cooper and SAHB, adding their own twist by recounting the stories of characters, both fictional and historical, in their own inimitable style. Whether it’s a particularly dark take on The Wizard of Oz or Hansel and Gretel, setting the record straight on the misunderstood Lilith, or mourning the fate of Mary Queen of Scots, they have it covered. And unlike some of their fellow scare-mongers, Splintered Halo don’t simply churn out creepy metal dirges (although they can do that standing on their heads when the mood takes them), but mix styles and influences as befits the subject, with no little musical dexterity.

With the latest outing, Ju-on (The Grudge), the band deliver a tribute to the vengeful Kayako Saeki, a harrowing tale of curse and retribution, accompanied by a suitably sinister, nightmarish video. An eerie intro sets the scene;

‘When someone dies in the grip of a powerful rage,
A curse is born.
The curse gathers in that place of death,
Those who encounter it will be consumed by its fury.’

Evilyn Van Der Hyden’s threatening vocals veer between mocking and snarled, accompanied by insistent guitar work which hints at a rather deranged Japanese film score. The repeated ‘Enter and suffer and die, become the pain and suffer the same,’ really is quite traumatising as the song builds to a crescendo with a crunching riff, before quietly scuttling off into the dark, nasty hole from which it emerged. The overall effect is startling, basically a horror movie condensed into three and a half minutes – and if you enjoy it, there are plenty more little video nasties for your delectation where this one came from.

Splintered Halo are fantastic story-tellers, and in Van Der Hyden, they not only have a great lead singer, but also a raconteur with the actor’s ability to become the character. If you get the chance to catch the live show, grab it with both hands – you won’t be disappointed. And although their blood-spattered tales are the musical equivalent of an elongated cinematic jump scare, you get the impression that, beneath the masks and grease paint, the band plays with a smile on the face – but so does Pennywise, so you never can tell.

Splintered Halo Links: YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp

All words by Robin Boardman. More writing from Robin for Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive.

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