KILLER CLOWN — Killer Clown (review)

Boxset / Compilation · 2015 · Heavy Metal

3.5/5 · 2020-04-04
siLLy puPPy

KILLER CLOWN was one of many many many metal bands that arrived too late to the 80s party to find any real success. This band from the desert town of Ridgecrest, CA formed in 1991 just in time for the grunge scene and alternative everything 90s to arrive which changed the entire musical landscape and shut the doors for a once thriving classic metal market. This band was very much rooted in the 80s heavy metal style of Judas Priest, Saxon and other twin guitar attack metal bands.

Starting out as Tyrant, the members of James Johnson (vocals), Mike Stanley (guitars), Brandon Ernest (guitars) and Ron Cram (drums) discovered that the moniker was already quite popular and the more established bands from Germany and the US already staked their claims on this one so the band searched high and low for a new band name and came across it in a very weird way. Apparently one of the band members’ kids was wreaking havoc with the equipment and he had messed up hair and a toy knife. He got the nickname KILLER CLOWN which ultimately became the band’s new name!

Having formed when they did and given their isolated location in the middle of the Mojave desert, KILLER CLOWN never released an album but they did record two demos, “Show Us To The Circus” which came out in 1991 and “All Bets Down” which was released in 1994. The band never officially broke up but sort of went on a permanent hiatus until the 21st century when the internet allowed old relics from the past to be experienced by all. Interest in their demos began to rise and ultimately resulted in the two demos being released as this eponymously titled compilation album which appeared on the Greek label Psycho-B Records and released in 2015.

Given the amateur status of these tracks, KILLER CLOWN had already honed its chops and played some really good 80s style metal and although not exactly original or groundbreaking in any way, mastered the art of crafting catchy hooks and strong melodic performances with tight instrumental interplay with heavy twin guitar attacks, thumping bass grooves and excellent drumming. Even James Johnson’s vocals were perfect for the part. If you ask me there’s a more epic sound to KILLER CLOWN and i’d say they sound closer to bands like Manilla Road rather than Judas Priest, Saxon or other NWOBHM acts.

While not professionally recorded, this compilation was remastered and could be considered a veritable album but still sounds crude and raw. The tracks that appeared on the two demos are not in the same order as the originals but rather the two demos are mixed up randomly so it’s impossible to distinguish which track came from which demo. The band was as adept at crafting nice acoustic arpeggiated intros much like the early Metallica albums as it was in unleashing exquisite metal bombast with heavy guitar riffs, nice solos and well thought out compositions that added all those extra touches of mastery.

This one was a surprise and had KILLER CLOWN emerged five years earlier very well could’ve found itself on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball but the music industry has always been a cruel one and the band would not even release a single album in their day. Given the renewed interest and the benefit of a long requested release, the band reformed in 2014 but has not yet released any new material. Whether that is their destiny remains to be seen but for an obscure album that nobody has heard of this one is of high musical quality albeit could use a better production job and perhaps a few more modern touches to make it stand out a bit. A pretty cool set of demos that displays exactly how many talented bands have existed and never had the chance to take their musical visions further.