I first discovered this band because they were playing a string of shows with Vendetta Red, a band I quite liked. I was hesitant because I don't usually like female vocalists, but about 20 seconds in, I was hooked. Ryann Donnelly has the strongest, most amazing female voice in music, and her vocal range is perfectly offset by just enough lyrical interplay between herself and bassist Jonah Bergman. And while the band has always been good, this album blows everything they've done out of the water.
It really is an amazing album, start to finish. The band hasn't lost their horror-punk edge at all -- it's safe to say they have become even more brutal, on songs like "The Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame" or "Screaming Theatre In A Fire," they are even more dark and emotionally provocative than on some of their earlier songs. A lot of the silliness of earlier albums has been ditched for darkness, and guitarist Steve Bonnell seems to have lost his mind on some of these tracks as he all but sets his guitar on fire while Ryann just screams and screams. Meanwhile, Brian Turner's drumming provides a steady backbone for all the chaos, while contributing to the racket.
This is a band that is honestly difficult to explain; there is nobody else out there doing anything like what they are right now. I can't recommend this album enough -- it's clearly in the top three of 2007, and I don't see anything unseating it from its spot at this point. Check it out -- the whole album is streaming on PureVolume right now, so you can see what I mean and fall in love with one of the most original and intense bands in the world.
And if you can catch them live? Do it. You won't be disappointed.
