 Hymns of Abomination: Secret Songs of Leeds (2021) by Justin A. Burnett (editor) Review by: Mark Walker Welcome to Hymns of Abomination: Secret Songs of Leeds, an anthology of fiction compiled to celebrate the work of Matthew M. Bartlett. “Hymns of abomination is a vivid, communal nightmare. A fitting tribute to a contemporary master of the weird.” Laird Barron, Author of Swift to Chase This book is packed with weird fiction and horror writers, both established and new, who have been invited to play in Bartlett’s imaginative sandbox. Hymns of Abomination burrows deeper into nightmarish Leeds than is safe. This volume is a must for fans of Bartlett and horror fiction in general. As the back of the book attests, Hymns of Abomination is a tribute to, and celebration of, the works of Matthew M. Bartlett, set in and around his Silent Hill-esque, hellhole of a city, Leeds. Not being familiar with Bartlett’s work before reading this anthology, I was a little concerned that I would not ‘get’ the stories within or find myself confused, missing in-jokes and references only the truly initiated would understand. I needn’t have worried. All the stories work without any prior knowledge of Leeds or the mind-bending, corruptive influence of the WXXT radio broadcasts that permeate every page. While I am sure I probably missed some references to previous works, I don’t feel I was at any disadvantage from this. In fact, in many ways, by the time I was through with Hymns of abomination, I wasn’t entirely sure I needed to find out more about Leeds; I was almost glad to have shaken off its oppressive air of despair and left it behind! Although, to be honest, even after you finish the book and put it on a shelf, or shut down your Kindle, Hymns of Abomination sticks to you, defying any efforts to forget the hellish journey you have just been taken on by a group of brilliant writers not afraid to disgust and delight in equal measures. However, having said all that, there is enough intrigue in Hymns to entice you back to Leeds, to explore Bartlett’s work if you haven’t already, which is exactly what the WXXT Jocks intended all along… once you pass the city limits, you are lost! The collected tales of Leeds play out like a series of discordant notes banged out on a badly tuned piano, but to a still recognizable tune. It’s disturbing and sometimes painful to listen to, but you can’t quite manage to pull yourself away. There is an oft discussed fallacy about authors; that you are what you write. People think that, just because you write murder, you must be a murderer. We all know this is patently rubbish, but that will come as a big relief and reassurance with this lot of twisted minds! There is a wealth of talent on show in Hymns and an incredible array of fevered imaginations eager to share their nightmares with you; nightmares that include witches, doppelgängers, ghosts, creepy kids, sacrifice, and meat leeches. Yep, leeches… made of meet… with teeth. If you think the Milkman is creepy, wait until you get a load of the Meatman. The stories are all connected to the (hopefully fictional) city of Leeds, a character itself, looming large and toying with the lives of the unfortunates caught in its shadow. There is something about the city that pulls people in and won’t let them leave, that twists their minds and perception, pushing them to the very edge of sanity and despair. Residents and visitors alike find themselves caught by the hypnotic words floating over the airwaves from the hard to find, but difficult to ignore, WXXT radio station; another shared motif across many of the stories. As with any anthology, and especially one with so many tales, not every story is going to land with the reader. A couple didn’t quite grab me as much as the others, but that is a personal thing, there is nothing wrong with the stories themselves, I just didn’t “get” then in the same way as others. Your Mileage May Vary! To critique every part of Hymns would make for a very long review and I like to treat anthologies as a whole, but rest assured, in this case, the sum of the parts make up an impressive whole. There is something for everyone in Leeds and I don’t want to risk spoiling anything by working through an extensive account of each tale. However, I will say that Uncle Bart’s Map, the final story in the collection, was my favourite. I enjoyed the way it was written and how it recounted the protagonist’s history and relationship with Uncle Bart, slowly introducing questions about the uncle’s mysterious life and the titular map. It takes us on a journey through strange alleyways and worlds before leaving us on a fantastic cliff-hanger. It gives us few answers but delivers just enough information to intrigue and fascinate. I think it was the longest story in the collection and, although it takes its time, it does so with style. Every other story deserves to be in there and they will all find an audience, but Uncle Bart’s Map stood out for me. Thinking about it, as also probably the least grimy account of Leeds in the book, perhaps it was the feeling of relief as I knew I was finally going to escape that damned city! Nestled between many of the stories is a series of short adverts for “Anne Gare’s Rare and Import Video Catalogue” written, this time, by the editor Johnathan Raab. These sections offer a fleeting break between the disturbing visions of Leeds and the people that live(d) there. Each entry describes a suitably odd recording/film/DVD that is available for purchase, highlighting a wide array of strange and disturbing images and events. The sorts of things that you might hear about in whispered conversations and tell yourself you would never watch but can’t help Googling when you are alone. Anne Gare will no doubt have a physical store somewhere down a grubby back alley in Leeds – I wouldn’t recommend a visit. Hymns is a dirty, grimy collection of disturbing people, situations, murder, sacrifice, depravity, and violence. Some of it is unpleasant, and much of it will leave a lasting impression – the impression that if you were driving down a lonely road one night, lost and confused, when you come to the road sign that points left for Leeds and right to Castle Rock… for God’s sake turn right. TURN RIGHT! Hymns of Abomination: Secret Songs of Leeds Paperback – |
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