THE Scandanavian death metal explosion is what people remember now, what with all the church burning and brain-eating, but back in the ’90s you couldn’t throw a rock in any of those countries without hitting a psychobilly band. Hayride to Hell was one of the first U.S. bands to embrace that style—unlike the heavy, gritty sound of American bands like the Cramps, it was almost like slap-bass-driven hardcore punk, wild and tinny and so fast it could barely keep up with itself. As they evolved, their sound got deeper and truer to old-school rockabilly, But they kept the horror theme in their music and attitude (is there any psychobilly band that doesn’t have a song about a serial killer?), even as they muscled up their sound, going from a trio to a quartet, then back to a trio, and now back to a quartet with the return of original lead singer Craig. Jonny Manak & the Depressives open.
Blank Club, San Jose
Fri at 9pm
Tickets are $10
