Stranded Alien & Pashang 爬上 - Night of the Invasion of the Nazi Marsupial Werewolves from Outer Space

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Pashang & Stranded Alien’s Night of the Invasion of the Nazi Marsupial Werewolves from Outer Space is enormously entertaining and full of first-rate musicianship. The concept of a cheesy horror movie soundtrack is well captured, but given extra ear-pleasing quality by the caliber of the performances and writing on the album. It's clear that Pashang & Stranded Alien were having fun here while still retaining their high levels of skill and musicality.

The first thing that strikes me about this album is the sheer entertainment it represents. Pashang & Stranded Alien have woven together all the elements one needs for a first-rate horror movie soundtrack. The synth sounds are all haunting and unsettling, the performance on the instruments creates the right sensations and the musical elements produce uncomfortable and threatening atmospheres. Taken together, the sound is spot on.

I’d also like to remark on the sheer talent on display throughout this album. Pashang & Stranded Alien have great skill and a real ear for what makes music good. Their mixture of music-making enjoyment and ability to write strong music is an absolutely irresistible combination. Each time I listen, I’m reminded of just how good these two are. The end result is an album I could listen to over and over with no trouble at all.

Melodically speaking, this is also a strong album. The artists write melodies that are engaging, atmospheric, and full of interesting sonic moments. Sometimes horrorsynth music can be a little repetitive, but in the hands of these artists, it is anything but. The melodies are strong and quite a lot of fun as they express all of the terror that lurks in the album’s cinematic story.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“It Came from Outer Space on the Night of the Full Moon” comes into being as a slowly drifting, ghostly synth shifts as colossal bass rumbles. The brighter synth contrasts with full-sounding notes that move with assurance while the fierce bass thunders. Now the smoothly punching drums move with the organ-like synth entangling and gliding. The melody is dreamy and surprisingly gentle, reaching out with tranquility toward me.

The cymbals add a metallic clash while slowly sweeping, tightly unwinding synth bends with an eerie quality. The drums drive again as the majestic and twisted melody wanders. A synth reverberates as the drums move with a loose-limbed speed. Melancholy pervades the melody while the drums cascade and shape the music. The rounded synth bubbles and glides while cymbals clash and the drums continue to push forward.

A luscious-sounding guitar slips past with calming elegance as panpipe notes breathe out. The drums explode again and flourish while the track slips towards its conclusion, with brightness suffusing the soothing melody before the track closes on slipping sounds.

Towering bass growls as scintillating notes shine with triumph to kick off “Fire Road 13”. The drums erupt as a steadily hovering synth creates nervous sensations and the huge bass looms. In the distance, a synth floats with ethereal, diaphanous sensations while the expertly played drums rebound.

Elevated notes cry out fearfully and trembling chimes drift. The melody that emerges from the glistening synth is full of pain and barely contained terror, while a twisting, nasal-sounding synth calls out above the battering drums. The atmosphere created on this track is suitably full of lurking menace and tension.

Alien-sounding synth carries out with a gossamer melody, trailing like a half-formed vision, while the hard-hitting drums punch. Melancholy rises along with a hint of tenderness while the percussion reaches a fever pitch. As the bending notes roam, the explosive drums hit hard and the track closes with forceful dynamism.

"Marsupial" opens as urgent bass and rapidly shivering drums move with a steady pulse in the distance. Quickly dancing piano laps like soft water against the shore, while string-like notes move above the deeply undulating bassline. A string section flows with gentle emotion, contrasting with the threatening weight underneath, while the drums brush softly.

Sweeping noises drift as the strings carry a roaming melody which is surprisingly touching as it calls out. The electric bass sails along with laid-back motion, in contrast to the quickly moving drums and ticking hi-hat. Despite the smoothness of the main melody, a lurking sense of wrongness continues below, adding to the atmosphere in a way I find effective.

The strings glitter with delicate luminosity while the metallic ring of the hi-hat moves with a Theremin-like synth. Cascading notes rapidly whip through the music as a wobbling, spectral synth adds unsettling sounds. Sharp-edged bass tumbles as the wildly spinning notes dance past it. An organ-like synth adds darkness as it flows past, and ominous notes oscillate as the twisted synth cries out with terrified feelings and weird sounds wobble.

The bass moves quickly as elevated notes add a feeling of impending doom, before the piano begins to twinkle again and the madly flying melody fades to quiet.

The drums have a solid punch as 8-bit notes twinkle and pulse to open “Witch Burner.” The piano chords are gleaming while the steadily twirling, digitized arpeggio dances. A wobbling synth joins the piano to trickle with soft, misty sounds, and the chimes cut as the luminous synth flashes.

The softly expressive synth drifts with a minor key delicacy while the drums continue to cascade. Rapid flashes of light trip as the piano shimmers luminously and the drums collide. The main melody is full of gossamer ghostliness in a way that galvanizes me. The elevated notes sweep with smoothness and the drum beat ticks easily as the piano glitters.

The drums disappear as sweeping sounds move for a moment before they return, cymbals adding a metallic element while the subtly vibrating notes carry a melody full of aching strangeness. As the main melody glides past, notes move in a synchronized pulse, shining with fragile light as the drums pound and rebound. The main melody shivers and roams with something eldritch.

The rising synth has a choral quality as it cries out with worshipful emotion and the drums explode. Sliding notes levitate and the melody climbs with intensity and a sense of loss before the track ends.

“Dream Sequence” begins as spectral chimes glitter nervously. The minor key chimes are now joined by electric bass that slides and drums that pulsate. The chimes are unsettling and ripple with a sense of barely hidden danger. In the distance, slowly slipping chords add a sense of more lurking threat. Broadly wafting notes move as the gigantic drums pound, and the chiming sounds flicker like spirit lights.

The drums hiss and slide as the howling, rising synth cries out with a sense of floating menace. As the minor key notes wriggle and spin, spooky feelings permeate the music. The bass is dense and rich as the drums throb and a wildly cascading synth generates a feeling of urgent, reaching evil. The tumbling notes are again joined by the hard-hitting hi-hat and drum kit while the gnarled synth cries with fear and discomfort.

Piano wanders with unhallowed energy, and now the glowing, tumbling synth washes past. I am drawn to the nightmarish sensation hat permeates this track as it comes to an end with atonal piano, intimidating bass, and tension falling from all of the musical elements.

Portentous bass rises and flows to open “Wolf's Curse.” As the bass flows into open space, it fulminates heavily. Oppression fills the low end as ethereally drifting notes float with diaphanous grace. Cymbals sweep and the drums erupt with muscled force as the softly illuminating synthesizer spills through the music with a dreaming melody.

The drums are a dynamic pulse as chimes ring gently with a hint of fear. In the distance, a relaxed synthesizer glides with peaceful calm as the chimes add a hint of something less comfortable. The drums are a strong component as they lock the music into a pulse. Chiming notes sparkle while the gargantuan bass rumbles and a vibrating, lush synthesizer leaps up with majesty and pain, touching me with emotion.

The drums form a wild cascade while the victorious-sounding synthesizer exudes a muted glow. The bass undulates with slicing edges while a worshipful synthesizer levitates. A brightly metallic synthesizer spins in a steadily repeating arpeggio before the pipe organ calls out with triumphant power, and the diamond synthesizer shines above it while the drums flourish and crash. A madly contorting synthesizer shivers as the drums continue to batter. The music charges into a crescendo, full of energy, before the track ends.

Conclusion

Night of the Invasion of the Nazi Marsupial Werewolves from Outer Space is a romp through classic horror movie tropes, brought to life by the skillful contributions of both artists. The end result is stonking great fun and something that will be on my Halloween playlists in the future.