Hank Von Hell

Dead MUSIC FOR NATIONS/SONY MUSIC

Turbo-charged drama from the Turbonegro firebrand.

It’s two years since former Turbonegro force of nature Hank Von Hell returned with his debut solo album, and it seems that his journey from spunk-and-spittlespattered death-punk firebrand to theatrical phantom has, if not ended, at least reached a natural refuelling point.

Ghost and Rammstein producer Tom Dalgety is at the helm of Dead, and it shows in its spooky synths and sheen, Von Hell booting down the doors to Alice Cooper’s crypt on the inky, thoroughly old-school singalong Blackened Eyes. Disco, meanwhile, builds to the great key change the 80s lost through a wormhole, sandwiched by gleaming guitar solos and a hook built for bellowing drunkenly at 1am.

It’s a specifically Hank Von Hell kind of maturation at work. While the raw madness, edgeof-a-cliff pace and double

entendres of old remain, they take on the glam stomp and shadowy drama of a man living out his very own off-Broadwaymeets-hair-metal fantasies. And, frankly, who are we to try to stop him? ■■■■■■■■■■