Pittersplatter - Frozen

Pittersplatter are the self proclaimed masters of electronic evil. They rule a small kingdom in the United States called Oklahoma. It is there that Worm and company unleash unto the world their dark visions that weave horror and occult themes into a sinister brand electronic nightmare music.

I first took notice of Pittersplatter a few weeks ago in a youtube video. The frontman Worm was being interviewed. He was in full costume (at least I hope it was a costume) talking about the band and his thoughts on music in general. At first I thought it was an interview with the Pale Orc, Azog, from The Hobbit, but I soon realized it was not. I must say music aside, there is a huge commitment to the image of Pittersplatter. I can't imagine the time it takes to get dressed for a live show or photo-shoot.

It is difficult to assign a genre to Pittersplatter. They intermingle on the outskirts of a few different genres with no real dominance in any of them. My first thought on looks alone was the dreaded terror EBM brand or industrial metal. Thankfully it has little if anything to do with either. The music is heavily synth-driven, with a strong emphasis on macabre and creepy lyrical content that covers everything from necromancy to divination. The vocals remind me of Gary Numan, Peter Steele and Marilyn Manson.

"The Dark" and "Frozen" start the album off with a very familiar modern electro sound. Both are very strong attention-grabbing tracks that would fit on any electro compilation of last few years. I feel these tracks along with "The Blackest Magick" represent more of what is already out there, rather than what defines Pittersplatter's own style.

"Mummies And Music Boxes" is the perfect track to sum up what Pittersplatter is all about with its memorable choruses and well timed tempo changes. It is definitely the strongest track on 'Frozen' and i'm sure it will make the rounds on compilations more so than any other track.

Worm's deep voice really hits home with "The Devil Made Me Do It". It is a slower track that exposes people who blame their actions on something other than themselves. In this case... the devil.

Another standout track is the Hoodoo-themed, "Throwing Bones". It is an aural assault that gradually intensifies into a very Manson-like sound.

"The Waking" is very dark yet tranquil ritualistic song to end the album. This track could easily work as the opening track to set the stage for the darkness ahead, but it serves quite well to close the door to 'The Frozen' chapter of Pittersplatter.

'Frozen' contains nine occult/horror inspired tracks with no filler. I found this album to be a fun and refreshing alternative to the clone-driven business model that churns out the same sound over and over. As I mentioned earlier, Pittersplatter found a nice little place amongst several genres. They take a little from each but not too much to retain that gentle balance that keeps them a step or two above what is out there. I'm definitely going to check out the earlier works. Hopefully they make it out to NYC some time soon. I bet seeing two guys dressed like Orcs belting out several doses of electronic evil would be most appealing. I'm so there! Mar 28 2013