Album Review: Julie Christmas - Ridiculous and Full of Blood
Reviewed by Rob Barker
Julie Christmas is back with another album, Ridiculous and Full of Blood, hitting stores 14th June. Famous not only for her solo masterpieces, but also for bands Made Out of Babies, Battle of Mice, and various collaborations including top-tier work with Cult of Luna, this is one I was excited to hear, and upon hearing it, am subsequently excited for it to be released for everyone to enjoy.
Starting things off which a discordant, clattering introduction of Not Enough, the first track sets the pace of the album nicely, or rather I should say, heavy and ugly. Moving into Supernatural, which shows off Julie’s more “singing” style of vocals – this track reminded me in parts of the Sunn o))) / Ulver mashup Terrestrials with its haunting, desperation.
The Ash comes in with lost-in-the-radio-waves guitar foulness, akin to Oxbow levels of abrasive and uncomfortable. Thin Skin reminisces of 80’s arcade effects, but the ones that freaked you out more than anything, before changing shape into a head-nodder of a track. End of the World makes you ask if this could be a more chill, less abrasive number on the album, although those familiar with Julies’s music will know that she doesn’t really do “less intense”, with even the more mellow verses of the track in no way lacking intensity, and leading to a killer second half; probably my favourite song of the album.
Silver Dollars shows off a bass tone of pure filth, followed by Kids and its Doink the Clown when he was a bad guy whimsicalness. The Lighthouse and Blast showcase some powerful drums, semitonal guitar ugliness and chaotic, harsh vocals. Think a good horror movie end credits song. The final track of the album is Seven Days, which echoes the sentiment “there’s just no man upstairs” throughout its running. Sinister, despairing and epic.
The vocals throughout the album are noticeably loud in the mix – purposely so, it seems, adding domination and intensity to the overall sound; as expected, they are pure power from start to finish, and complimented fantastically by a damn good band (with members of Cult of Luna, Spotlights, Kenmode/Unsane, and Candiria – all of which I’d recommend having a listen to if you haven’t already). Ridiculous and Full of Blood is certainly one to have ready to play when it comes out, I thoroughly recommend.
