We’re a little late for Halloween, but Monster’s Ball by Arthur Brown -- the wild-voiced self-proclaimed “god of hellfire” -- is a howlingly fun album to play even on days that aren’t Oct. 31.
This 12-track collection (plus one bonus track) features Brown on vocals accompanied by a star-studded list of backing musicians: Steve Hillage and Roye Albrighton on guitars! Ian Paice, Rat Scabies and Carmine Appice on drums! Plus intriguing covers of songs by Syd Barret (“Lucifer Sam”), Cream (“I Feel Free”) and even Tom Waits (“Whistlin’ Past the Graveyard”)! Other tunes like “Bucket O’ Blood” (complete with sax and flute from Nik Turner), “The Monster Hop” and “Curse of the Hearse” sound like cuts on a Halloween-themed novelty party record. There’s even a new version of Brown’s signature 1968 single, “Fire.”
It’s all wrapped in appropriately claustrophobic production by industry veteran Fernando Perdoma (also known for his guitar work in the 2018 film Echo in the Canyon, which celebrates the music that came out of Los Angeles’ Laurel Canyon neighborhood in the mid-1960s).
Don’t forget about the bonus track: A spooky version of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “Karn Evil #9” featuring Jordan Rudess on keys and Billy Sherwood on bass. It’s a dynamo.
Track Listing:
1. Lucifer Sam
2. Screamin’ Ball (At Dracula Hall)
3. I Feel Free
4. Bucket O’ Blood
5. Zombie Yelp
6. Whistlin’ Past the Graveyard
7. Fire
8. The Monster Hop
9. Curse of the Hearse
10. Mad Witch
11. The Vampire
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