Living Dead Girl
Exorcism
DistroKid
Exorcism, the debut album from Canadian metal group, Living Dead Girl is at times intense, energetic, joyous, inspiring, and sad. Ryan Claxton (drums) and Jordan Storring (bass) provide a solid foundation for guitarist John Ellis to explore the depths and heights of emotion that accompany the lyrics. And that brings us to the vocals.
When I first read about Living Dead Girl, everyone was making comparisons like if Avril Lavigne did a heavy metal album. I just assumed these listeners had little experience with women fronting metal bands. As a fan of bands like Warlock, Skew Siskin, and later, Evanescence, heavy music backing a beautiful voice is nothing new to me. I was wrong. Molly Rennick is something unique. Her voice flawlessly transitions from catchy pop hooks to thrash metal growls, to operatic screams that would make Bruce Dickinson proud, sometimes within the same verse. If comparisons help, some of the songs make me think of Veruca Salt if produced by Trent Reznor (“Villain”). Others, like “Dirty Liar” make we wonder if this is how The Donnas might sound if they really cut loose. Of course, for old folks like me, the question is inevitable – does a band that takes their name from a Rob Zombie song sound like Rob Zombie? The answer is “Yes and No.” You can definitely hear the ’90s-era Zombie influence in tracks like “At The Edge”, but Living Dead Girl is in no way a knock off. Sing along with catchy lyrics like “You’ve got me high on adrenaline, when you put your venom in. I can’t resist temptation; you’re a deadly sin,” from the title track. Crank the volume and roll down your windows as you jam along with the anthemic opener, “Alive.” Sink into the horror movie mood of “Poltergeist.”
Head over to their website and listen to the singles. If they grab your attention, you will definitely enjoy the rest of the album. Personally, I am looking forward to the eventual tour, as I am curious how Rennick will manage some of the vocal transitions, overdubs, and harmonies live. Exorcism was a long time coming for a debut album, but it is definitely worth the wait.
