There are many bands that have attempted to merge the elements of an abrasive, caustic metal sound with horror and humor. Very few succeed in this endeavor. Ghoul did that. There are some bands that have tried to cultivate a stage identity and use props and wear masks or costumes. Less bands have tried this and for many music fans, including myself, it does not work for me due to too much attention to the masks or props instead of the music. Ghoul nailed it, with right balance of gimmick and musical substance. But almost none can say that they had Oderus Urungus appear in their music videos. Ghoul achieved such an honor. Ghoul also created a smashing album with Splatterthrash. Unlike other albums like "We Came For the Dead," "Splatterthrash" takes a more humorous and slick take on their monstrous sound. The style is also much more thrashy approach instead of the 100% death metal approach of their earlier years. The slick Halloween-y (yes I just said Halloween-y) sounding production allows for more creepy and eerie riffs and licks to rise to their full potential in terms of their range. The content and quality of the music and lyrics in "Spaltterthrash" was good in some categories but seriously lacked in others. The biggest problem with this record is by far the repetitive nature of the chord progressions used in songs like "As Your Casket Closes" or "Into the Catacombs." But the production by Dan Randall was different than "We Came For the Dead" and "Maniaxe." The playing on "Splatterthrash" was more sensitive to the sound of all instruments used. I can tell that the band members actually listened to each other when they were recording these tunes. The lyrics of this album were very original. None of it was the stereotypical lyrical content about metalheads destroying things, some nuclear waste meltdown or causing a riot. It was nothing like that, only completely unique lyrics.