Bella Morte are back with what feels like kind of a stopgap EP -- eight songs in 26 minutes, and most of them delivered in a slightly frantic, not completely finished style. It's a sound that works well for them, though. On
Songs for the Dead, the band is sounding more old-school punky than ever: keyboards are kept to a minimum while raw guitars dominate the mix, and the songs draw equally from elements of rockabilly, Oi!, and '80s punk metal. The first few tracks average a little over two minutes each, and are the strongest offerings on the program: "All I Have" (with its
Eddie Cochran-goes-to-hell guitar solo) and "Legend" (which sounds like a summit meeting between
Nick Cave and
the Gun Club) are probably the standout tracks. The EP ends on a weak note, with a long and not very eventful instrumental titled "Untitled," but overall this isn't bad at all. ~ Rick Anderson