Butcher Babies : "Lilith"

I have never really paid much attention to this band's music as I think of them as the band with two naked chicks singing. Some might think this is a misogynistic point of view. I once had a therapist who told me "In order to objectify some one else you have to have objectified yourself first". Guilty as charged evidently, though when you market yourself as being the band that has naked chicks singing for them, then don't be surprised if people call you a duck when you are wearing feathers. The title track finds them getting closer to In This Moments zip code as one of the naked girls is actually singing. This might be due to the fact that I was told they are wearing clothes now, so when you wear clothes then just screaming no longer cuts it and you have to start earning your paycheck. Similar to the fact that now the whole casting couch thing has been blown open in Hollywood, there are some girls who are actually going to have to start acting.

I know whats coming next...if this was two guys just screaming it would be ok. That is where you would be wrong. I don't settle for vocals that are obligatory. I don't care if you are male or female, dressed or undressed, if I am listening to your album and not watching you with the sound off , then I need you to be good at what you do. "Headspin" starts off offering a little more variety. They girls moan in a sensual sing song manner. So sex still sells with the clothes on. I will say I prefer the sexy talk better than there growling as that is so one dimensional it gets old quick. Even that doesn't seem to do much for "Korova". The big good cop/ bad cop change on the chorus has been done so many times it loses the effect here. I know that when it comes to metal this just might not be my thing, but I think I know when this is done well as I like many of the bands who do this back in the 90s. Vision of Disorder would be the first that comes to mind. The fact they have a song with a hash tag in the title sums up where our differences might lie.

They get into the view point of the Big Bad Wolf on "the Huntsman". Production wise the vocals are handled in a very In This Moment manner. "Controller" has something to do with being crazy or getting your feelings hurt because a guy is playing games, the song certainly fits that theme. "Oceana" finds them sticking closer to the tension of the groove, which might work better for them. The more melodic break is a nice touch as well. The vocals on it sound like they are from a musical. They do the repetitive nu-metal chant when the song builds back up. "Look What We've Done" is a pop song that goes metallic. Lyrically the chorus is geared to optimistic teenagers.

 There is more a punk feel to the verse riff of "Pomona". By the second I find myself beginning to think perhaps that is all they had going for them. Except for the guitar solo everything else could be watered down Pantera run through a filter of Myspace metal. They have plenty of break downs , but I would not call this hard core. I'll round this down to a 6.5 as it is better with the visual accompaniment, left to stand on it's own the songs are well produced and played, but not anything original, still if you miss nu-metal this might appeal to you.