Album Review: Kittie – Fire
Reviewed by Tim Finch
For those in and around the nu-metal scene at the turn of the millennium Kittie will be very familiar to you. Formed in Ontario, Canada by the Lander sisters in 1996, they burst into the UK in 1999 with the release of debut album ‘Spit’ and immediately took hold. For a while it seemed that any tour coming through town had Kittie as support. A touring tactic that helped establish the band alongside their sophomore album ‘Oracle’ in 2001.
From there they had their ups and downs, detailed brilliantly in a documentary you can see on Amazon Prime (and I recommend you check that out). Whilst never officially “splitting” they did go through a period of inactivity, with their last album ‘I’ve Failed You’ seeing its release in 2011.
Thirteen years on from that last release, the band now offer us their latest work, ‘Fire’ which is released via Sumerian Records on June 21st.
The title track, which opens the album, can been seen as a statement of intent, Kittie aren’t back to deliver a rehashing of the nu-metal movement, this song is heavy, its dark and Morgan Landers vocals are intense.
‘I Still Wear This Crown’ continues the aggression but mixes melody and a dual growl/clean vocal combo which works brilliantly. Whilst ‘Faulter’ does veer into nu-metal territory at times, ‘Vultures’ steers them darker once more with an underlying bass/drum battering ram atop which those meaty riffs flow freely.
The first half of the album is an all out aural assault, but as we flip the record the direction changes, ‘Wound’ introduces a more melodic side whilst ‘One Foot In The Grave’ gives us a variation of pace for the first time, a slower, darker song that grows into it’s a beast.
Thirteen years is a long time and it has given Kittie room to mature and bring a new dimensions to their songwriting. Still the Kittie of old, but with fresh ideas and a new lust for life.
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