SISTER SIN - review added 12th July 2010
Album Review: True Sound Of The Underground (2010)
For fans of: Heavy Metal... and more than beauty
"True Sound Of The Underground" is the follow up to Swedish band Sister Sin's 2008 debut "Switchblade Serenades". The album - featuring Liv on vocals, Jimmy on guitar, Dave on drums, and Benton on bass - was produced and mixed by Henrik Edenhed (Dead By April, Robyn, Lambretta etc) and recorded at the EMI studio in Stockholm.
This is a female-fronted band with a confidant sound that doesn't need to trade on the looks of their singer. Yes, Liv is more attractive than gold-plated bird of paradise, but she can sing too...really rather well. Occasional hints of accent creep into her performance, but not enough to spoil the overall effect. If all female rock singer sounded more like this, chances are they'd be doing a more comprehensive job of breaking the male domination of the genre.
Backing Liv up is a well-played metal sound that's equal parts modern and retro. It's fast, pumping, energetic stuff and gives the album an exuberant vibe. Play this album too loud whilst driving and you'll end up speeding your way into a whole heap of trouble.
Song wise, the boisterous 'Outrage' is cool. The racy 'Better Than Them' is comfortably the best track...and it really is VERY good. '24/7' is a bad-ass party track. 'I Stand Alone' belts along at a fair old pace and is a great sing along anthem. Final entry 'Beat Em Down' is as fast and bouncy as a rabid kangaroo. It closes the album with real verve.
Overall, "True Sound Of The Underground" is a fine release that only lacks the last few percentage points of finesse and a couple more really big songs. It's still a good album by normal measures.
Check out... 'Better Than Them'.
Track List:
01. Sound of the Underground
02. Outrage
03. Better Than Them
04. 24/7
05. Heading for Hell
06. I Stand Alone
07. Built to Last
08. The Devil I Know
09. Times Aren't A-Changing
10. Nailbiter
11. Beat Em Down
Label: Metal Heaven
Artist's website(s): Sister Sin | MySpace | Facebook
