members
Hank Ray
Vocals
T- Base
Bass
Tex Napalm
Guitar
Tommy Favorite
Drums
Death Country, Swamp Blues & Garage Legends
Born in the garage in 1981, The Raymen burst onto the scene with their raw and menacing take on rock’n’roll. Led by the deep-voiced and darker-minded Hank Ray, the band forged a sound entirely their own – a fiery mix of "Back From The Grave"-style garage rock, swamp blues, death country, and psychobilly.
Their 1985 debut album, “Going Down To Death Valley,” marked the beginning of a sonic journey like no other, followed by “Desert Drive” and the double LP “From the Trashcan To the Ballroom.” Over the course of more than 15 albums and countless compilation appearances, The Raymen explored a thematic world that ranged from werewolves, voodoo, 1950s horror flicks, Lucifer and outer space to fast cars – and not to forget: the endless troubles with the dames. Hoodoo you love?
One constant in the band and its direction over, low, these many decades, has been head Raymen, and lead singer and songwriter, Hank Ray. Often referred to as the originator of "Death Country," Ray created a dark, twisted version of country and western, delivering haunting road songs with a cinematic quality. His unmistakable gritty baritone became the voice of ominous stories infused with danger, dread, and a healthy dose of rock’n’roll madness.
After more than a decade of silence, The Raymen return with a vengeance. The new tracks are a relentless storm of sound – heavy, fierce, and unapologetically loud. It’s a crash course in true rock’n’roll, with new songs that feel like they’ve been pulled straight from the depths of a southern gothic nightmare.
The Raymen are not just a band – they are a cult. Never chasing trends, always carving their own path. And with “Death’s Black Train,” and “Sinister Funtime” they prove once again that the devil’s music still rides hard and fast.
Discography
Going Down To Death Valley
Rebel Rec
TRACKLIST
1. Lonely Train
2. Locomotion
3. The Hoodoo Tribe
4. The Haunted House Upon The Hill
5. (Going Down To) Death Valley
6. Go, Bo Diddley!
7. I'm A Hillbilly Werewolf
8. Alligator Girl
9. It Came From Outter Space
10. Man From Mars
11. Ju-Ju Brain
12. Paralyzed
13. Wild Wind
Desert Drive
Rebel Rec.
TRACKLIST
1. Pipeline
2. Desert Drive
3. His Latest Flame
4. Bad Headhunter
5. River Of Tears
6. Burnin' Blues
7. Walk All Over Me
8. Thee Holy Jukebox
9. Nowhere Train
10. Hot Wanton Woman
11. I Don't Know
12. Mean Readhead
13. Desperate Ways
14. Voodoo Baby
15. Psychedelic Showdown
From The Trashcan To The Ballroom
Rebel Rec.
TRACKLIST
1. Down In The Cellar
2. Switchblade Man
3. Drive My Rocket!
4. Shake Down-A-Go-Go
5. Theme From Space-H.
6. Killin' Cats
7. Real Wild Child
8. Powder & Lipstick
9. Ghost Town
10. A Touch Of Black Magic
11. Blue Romeo
12. Do You Love Me
13. Saturn Doll
14. (Devil In A) Big Blonde's Shape
15. Precious Kisses
16. Too Much Trouble
17. Born To Cry
Billion Sellers
Roof Records
TRACKLIST
1. Baby Doll
2. Lover's Arms
3. Save My Soul From The Junkyard Of Your Love
4. Sea Of Fire
5. Chosen One
6. Star Of The 21st Century
7. Buzzsaw Of Hollywood Hill
8. Trash Bomb Baby
9. Highway To Your Soul
10. Baby Snake Charmer
11. Train To Hell
12. Bonfire
13. Pre-Teen High Priestless Of Rock 'n' Roll
14. Rock-A-Rolla '99
Music To Lynch Your Lover By
Tombstone Records
TRACKLIST
1. Kill ! Kill ! Kill ! ... For The King Of Rock 'N' Roll
2. Helldorado Burnin'
3. Evil Ann
4. Mini Skirt Mob
5. Die Baby Die!
6. Hunted
7. The Blue Train Has Returned In Black
8. T.V. Junkie
9. Gasoline
10. Big Black Moon
11. Devil Girl
12. Thunder Demons
13. Heaven Is Only One Step Away
14. Ghost Truck Driver
15. Johnny Star
Lucifer’s Right Hand Men
Loudsprecher
TRACKLIST
1. I Remember
2. Bad Blood
3. Lethal Power Of Love
4. Summer Kisses, Winter Tears
5. Behind Brown Eyes
6. Final Words From A Condemned Man
7. There's A Lynchin' Party Going On
8. Lay Down With Demons
9. Lucifer's Right Hand Man
10. Buffalo Ballet
11. Girl In The Velvet Dress Of Blue
12. Diesel Smoke '98
13. Strange Kind Of Feeling
14. The Train That Runs On Tracks Of Fire
15. The House I Live In
Hollywood Hell
People Like You
TRACKLIST
1. Edge Of Reality
2. Earth Boy
3. Flaming Star
4. The Girl Of My Best Friend
5. Animal Instinct
6. Gonna Get Home Somehow
7. Echoes Of Love
8. Lonely Man
9. Adam And Evil
10. Let Yourself Go
11. So Close, Yet So Far (From Paradise)
12. Love Me Tender
13. Slowly But Surely
14. Lonesome Cowboy
15. In My Way
Long Lonely Highway
People Like You
TRACKLIST
1. Long Lonely Highway
2. Earth Boy
3. Home Is Where The Heart Is
4. Blue Moon
5. Speedway
6. Suspicion
7. Golden Coins
8. Tender Feeling
Supersonic Rocket Ride
Sireena Records
TRACKLIST
1. Mean Redhead
2. Voodoo Woman
3. Haunted House Upon The Hill
4. Hillbilly Werewolf
5. Wipe Out
6. It Came From Outer Space
7. Desperate Ways
8. White Witchdoctor
9. Lonely Train
10. Ju-Ju Brain
11. Alligator Girl
12. Fever/Paralysed
13. Go, Bo Diddley!
Death’s Black Train
Hound Gawd! Records
The reigning royalty of rockabilly have returned, back in all their evil glory. To clarify though, «rockabilly» is just the general genre, The Raymens’ music orbits around a bigger universe of psychobilly, sleezeabilly, dark country, cow-punkabilly and Iggy-ish slam-glamabilly.
Their new EP release, «Death’s Black Train», is but a tasty appeteaser to whet your appetite for their upcoming spring album, «Sinister Funtime». The track, «Flame On Famous Flame» is from that release and «When Death’s Black Train Is Coming Down» is an alternative take from the album version. «Living In the City of the Living Dead» and the exceptional «Weird Generation» are worth the price of admission alone. The last cut, «Long Tall Shadow with Fire Eyes» was written after an afternoon commiserating with pal Rudi Protrudi over the tragic news of the death of Lux Interior. After a day of hefting a few long-necks to his memory, Hank picked up his guitar later that evening and this came out. It’s an exclusive to this release.
Raymen ringleader, Hank Ray, lead singer-songwriter and band standard-bearer, growls menace with his wolfman baritone and is in fine, ferocious fettle here and the band lays down some explosive riffs throughout. If these tunes don’t pulverize your remaining brain cells and grey matter to jelly, then it’s time to get your ears tuned, Bub!
TRACKLIST
1. Flame On Famous Flame
2. Living In The City Of The Living Dead
3. Weird Generation
4. When Death's Black Train Is Coming Down
5. Long Tall Shadow With Fire Eyes
Sinister Funtime
Hound Gawd! Records
The Raymen emerged with their back-from-the-grave, swamp-blues meets death country and psychobilly sound in 1985, debuting on their «Going Down To Death Valley» album. «Desert Drive» and their double LP, «From the Trashcan To the Ballroom» followed the next two years. Song themes run the gamut from werewolves, to voodoo, 50s horror B-movies, trains, switchblades, witchdoctors, Lucifer, outer space and fast cars. Oh, yeah, and the perennial trouble with dames. Hoodoo you love?
One constant in the band and its direction over, low, these many decades, has been head Raymen, and lead singer and songwriter, Hank Ray. With 15 albums and appearances on numerous compilations over the years, the Berlin based Raymen return in top form with their latest release, «Sinister Funtime».
«Funtime» is a rockin brain-stomper that gives no quarter, and is an instant refresher course in what rock and roll is all about in the first place. Hank is recognized as the Godfather of Death Country Rock, following a Goth C&W style of his own. On «Funtime» he dials up the energy to recapture the dark ju-ju and fury that made the The Raymen one of the top cult bands in the genre. Hank Ray's distinctive, rugged baritone imparts an ominous tone to the songs, adding an extra dimension of menace and boding evil to the music.
The Raymen are scorching up the tracks again, playing to beat the very Devil they sold their souls to, all those years ago. The album fairly drips with blood, snake venom, graveyard mud and reeking of sulphur, insuring a very sinister, but fun time for all who climb on board Deaths Black Train. All board!
- Barry St. Vitus
TRACKLIST
1. Nevada Blitz
2. Goodbye, Goodbye Gun
3. (Slave To The) Sickness Called Love
4. Barroom Burnout
5. When Death's Black Train Is Coming Down
6. Intoxicated
7. Flame On, Famous Flame
8. Highway Of Darkness
9. Sinister Funtime
10. Snake House Moan
11. The Way You Touch My Soul
12. Tight Rope Walk Over Fire
13. Ugly Inside
