Eerie, Eerie (Tee Pee Records)
I like that these guys are on a retro-’70s Warren Publishing trip (Eerie was the title of Warren’s least-popular horror-comic magazine, and this album cover pays tribute to that whole vibe). I also like that they have the guts to call themselves a half-black-metal band when they’re no such thing; this is more like Thee Obsessed-meets-High on Fire, and I mean in just about every way, from the constant threat of off-key singing to the basic Black Sabbath setting on their Marshall amps. But wait, come to think of it, these Oakland kids do seem to love old Venom albums, so technically they’re sort of black metal. Of course, if all that stuff matters to you, you shouldn’t listen to any sort of metal in the first place — this is loud all the time, epic once in a while, but most of all heartfelt, from four guys who’ve paid their dues in such bands as Witch (bassist Dave Sweetapple) and Draugar (guitarist Tim Lehi). It’s sloppy and skronky, but the energy is there, no question. B+