History
The Brains were formed in 2001 by guitarist and vocalist Rene D La Muerte (Rene Garcia), bassist Johnny Montreal, and drummer Franck O’Brains (François Demers). They debuted with the song “It's Over” on the compilation Zombie Night in Canada and released their first album, No Brain, No Pain, in 2005.
During their early years, the band was known for elaborate stage makeup, including glow-in-the-dark lenses and zombie aesthetics. [2]
Rise in the psychobilly scene
Their follow-up albums, including Hell n' Back (2007) and the self-titled The Brains (2009), released on Stomp Records, helped establish them within the broader international psychobilly community. They toured across North America and Europe, performing with bands such as Mad Sin, The Offspring, and The Creepshow.
Line-up changes followed around 2010, with Johnny Montreal leaving and being replaced by Colin the Dead (Colin Irvine) on upright bass. Drummer Pat Kadaver joined briefly before the trio settled with Gui Kitty on drums.
Later albums and global recognition
The band's sound evolved to include more melody and multilingual lyrics, as heard in albums like Drunk Not Dead (2011), The Monster Within (2013), and Out in the Dark (2015). Their 2023 release, Satana Tarantula, on Cleopatra Records, featured guest performances by Patricia Day of HorrorPops and guitarist Danny B. Harvey. [1]
In 2024, the band reissued The Monster Within to mark its streaming success, with the title track surpassing one million plays.
Their 2025 album Crazy Monster continues their mix of horror, Latin rhythms, and psychobilly. They also headlined the Psychobilly Meeting in Santa Susanna, Spain, in the same year.
Musical style
The Brains blend psychobilly with punk, goth, Latin, and surf influences. Rene D La Muerte's vocal style mixes crooning and growling, often singing in English, French, and Spanish. Their early horror visuals gave way to a more stripped-down stage presence in later years, with a focus on musicianship.
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