THE BEAST

The years 1981-1989 delivered over 200 slasher movies. Now, Swedish thrash metal band F.K.Ü. have decided to pay tribute to the anchor year - 1981, also known as the ultimate year of the slasher movie genre. In other words, the year that delivered the greatest numbers of classic slasher films in history.

The goal with the new album, inspired by Corpse Mania, Night School as well as the timeless classics Halloween II and Friday the 13th Part 2 was to take the listener back to those days. Back when you and your friends went to the local video store to rent video cassettes and downloading movies from the internet was still long unheard of. As frontman Larry Lethal tells it, “We give you blasts of D-beat thrash and horror madness bonanza! Celebrating the peak year of the slasher movie genre, namely 1981. A horror metal to the pedal, no holds barred joyride into the nearest mosh pit, or video rental store, if you still can find one…”


Recently signing with Despotz Records, the band wasted little time in entering The Overlook Studios in Gavie Sweden, to begin work on 1981. 1981 was produced by F.K.Ü., recorded by William Blackmon, mixed by Lawrence Mackrory & Daniel Bergstrand at Dugout Productions, mastered by Lawrence Mackrory at Obey Mastering and with artwork provided by Tom Hodge from The Dude Designs.

The band never loses focus on the album, leaning heavily towards their favourite subject, with tracks like ”Nightmares in a Damaged Brain”, which tells the story of a mental patient embarking on a murder spree upon escaping from an institution, “The Burning,” which Lethal says, “a former summer camp caretaker, horribly burned from a prank gone wrong, lurks around an upstate New York summer camp bent on killing the teenagers responsible for his disfigurement and, “The Funhouse,” revolving around four teenage friends spending the night in a carnival funhouse being stalked by a deformed man in a Frankenstein mask.

Why build a career based almost solely around horror and slasher films, you ask? Well, as Lethal explains, “Horror films and especially slashers were the biggest interest besides music for the band back in 1987 when we started. And still is. We really think that the kind of thrash metal that we play and themes from horror movies from the 80’s are the perfect match.

Four young men started F.K.Ü. back in 1987 to pay tribute to their two main interests; horror movies from the 1980´s and thrash metal. But after just a handful of rehearsals, it was decided things weren’t going where they’d like and they called it a day.

Ten years later, in 1997, a decision was made to give it another try and bring the monster back to life. The overwhelming response of 1998’s 20-song demo ‘Beware of the Evil Underwear’ resulted in the album ‘Metal Moshing Mad.’ This 22-track mosher showed the world that it is possible to have a good, friendly, but still violent time in the mosh pit.

In 2004, the world was in desperate need for another dose of some patented Horror Thrash Metal, decided F.K.Ü, and the album ‘Sometimes They Come Back… To Mosh’ hit the streets. The inspiration was once again taken from the thrash and horror movies of the 1980´s. Movies covered on this album were: “Christine”, “Shockwaves”, “C.H.U.D”, “Maniac Cop”, “Motel Hell” and “The Fog.”

After a bunch of awesome shows, including a short but sweet west coast US tour, F.K.Ü. went back into the studio to lay down album number three, ‘Where Moshers Dwell,’ surfacing in the summer of 2009. An album filled with prime neck breaking, horror-inspired, sing-along thrash madness. Movies covered on the album were “Dead and Buried”, “The Return of The Living Dead”, “Creepshow”, “The Toolbox Murders”, “The Town That Dreaded Sundown”, and “The Exorcist.”

In 2010 and 2011 F.K.Ü. toured Sweden extensively and played all the major Swedish festivals such as Sweden Rock Festival, Metaltown, Getaway Rock Festival and House of Metal, to name but a few.

In 2013 the band returned with another blistering slab of their patented horror metal. The fourth album titled ‘4: Rise of the Mosh Mongers’ (on Napalm Records) saw F.K.Ü. firing on all 4 cylinders. Produced and mixed by the band’s singer, Larry Lethal, the album contains 17 tracks of pure thrashing bliss. Movies covered on the album were “Event Horizon”, “The Amityville Horror”, “Madman”, “Terror Train”, “Near Dark”, “The Boogey Man” and “Videodrome.”

The new album is a horror experience on the same level as those old school slasher classics. The band invites you to get the popcorn ready, call for pizza and bring your friends as the twisted and demented world of these knife wielding maniacs has only just started. Let the body count begin!