I Made A Moster (EP) - The Undead (Review)

PM 1006 - Post Mortem Records - P.O. Box 358 New Milford, NJ 07646

If you like colored vinyl then this is the EP for you. I Made A Monster was released in a whopping seven different colors; Red, White, Black, Blue, Yellow, Swamp-Monster Green and limited addition Glow in the Dark. Individual EPs are $7.00 ($2.00 S&H). Limited addition Glow in the Dark EPs are $15.00 ($2.00 S&H). There is also a package deal that includes all seven colored EPs for $45.00 ($5.00 S&H). This release is also available in mini CD for those of you that don't obsess over different colored plastics. So how ever you like it, The Undead has it for you.

The EP consists of three songs; I Made A Monster, Sometimes You Gotta Laugh At Yourself, and I Go Ape. Overall, the EP is solid. The production and engineering are crisp and the packaging is ingenious. Gina Minichino did excellent work with the design and cover art. I'm curious as to why others have not attempted this before. Just goes to show that Steele continues to be an innovator in the punk music world. I will not ruin the surprise for those of you that are planning to pick up I Made A Monster - just think MAD magazine.

The title track is one of the most self revealing songs Steele has ever recorded. No matter what your "monster" maybe, all can relate to Steele when he sings "My monster has no legs / it hasn't any arms / that's not preventing it / from doing so much harm / My monster has no eyes / it's such a sight to see / it's got no soul / and it can raise a lot more hell then me". As with most songs from The Undead, Steele's guitar drives this track.

Now on to the B-side. Song one is Sometimes You Gotta Laugh At Yourself. This song is extremely catchy without sounding popish or over stylized. This is an uplifting and comedic song for all those who ever had a "What the hell am I doing moment." Here Steele reminds us of the importance of keeping a sense of humor though all our struggles. In a world filled with angry political rantings passing as good music, it is nice to see a band take the time to put a song like this out. The video is also very funny.

One may ask, why a Neal Sedaka cover to round out the EP? Simply, I Go Ape makes sense and provides a great backdrop for The Undead to do some creative arrangement and reworking of a classic song. The song sounds great on the EP and showcases what The Undead can do with a classic rock 'n roll tune.