Dead Men Walking

Album Review

With introspection having been a prime ingredient of so much of the alternative rock of the '90s and 2000s, it stands to reason that some rockers would rebel against all that introspection. That is not to say that introspection is a bad thing or that introspection in rock music started with Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder — Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen" and Aerosmith's "Dream On," two classics from the early '70s, were highly introspective — but whenever rock moves in a particular direction (either musically or lyrically), there will inevitably be those who purposely move in a different direction. And the Serpenteens' debut album, Dead Men Walking, is a prime example of a rock release of 2006 that is anything but introspective. The Serpenteens' infectious blend of punk-pop and hard rock is a throwback to the days when outrageous, campy, over-the-top fun was a big part of rock music. Recalling the '70s and '80s, this New York City outfit draws on influences that include Kiss, the Misfits, Iggy Pop and the Ramones as well as Alice Cooper (who was introspective on "I'm Eighteen" but certainly wasn't introspective on "School's Out," "Elected," "The Black Widow" or "It's Hot Tonight"). While the Serpenteens generally don't play quite as fast as the Ramones, they definitely share their love of absurdist lyrics. The songs on this 34-minute CD (which are greatly influenced by cheesy horror and sci-fi flicks) are about zombies, aliens and other hideous creatures, although the Serpenteens are never genuinely disturbing; lyrically, a tune like "Please Be My Zombie Bride" (which unites punk, doo wop and '50s/early '60s rock & roll in a Ramones-like fashion) has a lot more in common with Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash" than with Slayer's material. Dead Men Walking isn't groundbreaking, but it's a likable disc that is well worth hearing if one is in the mood for pure, unadulterated, unapologetically goofy fun.