15 years deep, and Age of Tyranny is quite possibly their most interesting release in years. I heard harmonies, I heard elongated solos, I was impressed.
They get the elements just right, and often bring something new to the fleet-fingered fun They pull off their pull-offs and ridiculous lyrics with sincerity.
Now on Scarlet, an Italian label, after stints on Metal Blade and Century Media. More mid-tempo warble than the fleet-fingered melodic speedmetal of yore.
Less interesting that Otep, which is to say, they’re awful. Check out Drain S.T.H. (for glorious, layered female harmonies) and Crisis (for banshee wail).
Emanuel’s debut caused a split between love and hate. I dug it and its swerving melodies and gooses that kept you on your toes. This is more straight-forward.
Singer is a hot chick who’ll kick your ass and the sleaze punk is ground out by guys sweating their balls off. Best tunes are the bottle-throwing party tunes.
Ugly, noisy, and brutal, even when strumming an acoustic, and heavy in that sludgy, painful way, like playing old Slayer riffs with a blanket over the amp.