THE ACCUSED - More Fun Than An Open Casket Funeral

Artist:  The Accused

Album:  More Fun Than An Open Casket Funeral

Year:  1987

Genre:  Hardcore Punk / Thrash / Crossover

Before buying this album, I only knew of The Accused’s existence through a short interview they did with Disorder Fanzine in 1986.  Even today I remember the interview because I used to study those better than homework.  The Accused were intriguing and I needed to hear them.  Since they weren’t on any compilations I owned, I went on a focused hunt for their music.  I had zero luck locating any of their albums until I ran across a cassette copy of their newly released More Fun Than An Open Casket Funeral at my local Harmony House record store while shopping with a couple friends.  Side note…best album title ever?  Yeah, I still think it is.

The artwork was wonderfully disgusting, so I scooped it up and then forced my friend to put it on his stereo when we got back to his house.  I had no clue what we were in for, then, the first song, “Halo Of Flies,” melted my brain.  I’m very confident they enjoyed it a whole lot less than I did.  By 1987, I had heard some of the fastest and heaviest music around to that point, but I had not heard anything like The Accused.  It was just sick.  I immediately fell in love with what they were doing.  Their metal/punk fusion reeked of aggression and attitude with an aural assault of speedy riffs, frantic push ‘n pull drumming and Blaine’s incredible “horror movie” throat.  For my money, Blaine Cook remains one of the most original vocalists in all of punk, metal and hardcore.  His style is both motley and venomous, spewing words and nearly incomprehensible racket with such conviction and force that it almost makes you duck out of the way when you‘re listening to him.  Pure genius!  The lyrical content is just as twisted as the perfectly imperfect performances.  More Fun Than An Open Casket Funeral is the definition of crossover; thrashing metal structure combined with punk talent and attitude.  The Accused are special and are beyond unique; no band has ever come close to their splatter rock ways.  39 years later, this album holds a distinct dank and gory place in my heart.

Listen to "Halo Of Flies" here.