Damn, this is some crazy hardcore/punk rock from this all-female Swedish unit. The music is pretty rugged and straightforward, not unlike a noisier take on the simple, classic hardcore/punk of the early 80's, but the vocals are totally over the top: Scathing screams, low growls, piercing shrieks... it's just wild. All but one of the songs are under two minutes, and the structures are really simple. I think the drumming could use a little work because the beats are a bit stagnant and lacking in movement, but other than that the music is fine. I especially like the strangely melodic "Animal Liberation". I must confess that I find the vocal style to be a bit disappointing, though. I love the viciousness of the vocals, but it doesn't fit the music very well at all. It's distracting to me. I think normal yelling or shouting or some sort of partial singing would sound more appropriate here. I'm not really sure what to make of that. The production is raw as hell. The bass isn't very high in the mix, the drums are somewhat distant, the guitars are dirty and not too heavily distorted, and the vocals tend to be right up there with the guitars. I'm not really bothered by the sound. I think more bass and more noticeable drums would be helpful, but it's not a real issue in my opinion. The CD-R comes in a simple sleeve printed from a color printer with the band name and some sort of abstract imagery that looks like a wall of TV sets on the cover and the song titles listed on the back. That's about it. No lyrics or anything. It looks pretty decent, though the cover is really pixilated. I can't fully make up my mind about this band. In some respects it's really cool, and in others it could be so much better with a few adjustments. I love the band name and the attitude, and I like the vocals and the music individually, but I'm having trouble appreciating the vocals and the music together. I'll be curious to see where they take it from here...
[self-released]
Running time - 11:02, Tracks: 7
[Notable tracks: I Hate You, Miss Bling Bling, Animal Liberation]
Damn Right - [email protected]
