Renowned for the intense live performances, Los Angeles based act Butcher Babies continues to evolve triggering mixed feeling among the hard to please metal crowd and deliberately diverging from the biased image of female fronted bands with the third full length “Lilith” which is not just meant to unleash an overdose of pure anger.
“Burn The Straw Man” certainly features some modern trendy metal elements with extremely crunchy distorted guitars and heavy bass lines readily amplified by undoubtedly vicious vocals courtesy of the explosive duo Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey who will lead you into temptation throughout the album.
The title track creates an enjoyable contrast between lascivious clean vocals and fierce screams while subtle arrangements offer atmospheric layers to support the heavier belligerent guitar riffing and the somber catchy melodic vibes.
On the hot single “Headspin” malicious melodies take the lead enhanced by passionate sensual vocals and dreamy atmospheres that reach a modern metal acme with an actually accessible and memorable chorus that temporarily puts aside the usual inflamed fury.
“The Huntsman” is a creepy fairytale featuring softer atmospheres and vocals scattered through the expected brutal instrumental sections and the resulting haunting mood is definitely more appealing than the traditional metal approach.
“Controller” revolves around a series of addictive guitar driven grooves that borrow the extreme angst of decades of metal as well as trendy moments while Heidi & Carla focus on a wicked vocal delivery and impress the listeners with savage screams.
“Look What We’ve Done” still has some straightforward heavy metal punch but Butcher Babies show a more emotive side favoring atmospheric vibes and higher melodic clarity with the right dosage of melancholy infused guitars and a mix of powerful and quite graceful vocals.
Overall, channeling a wide range of music influences Butcher Babies packs “Lilith” with an unrestrained blend of aggressive metal and catchy modern melodies but let’s not forget that the great entertaining value of this album comes from the hard work and undisputed charisma of vocalists Heidi and Carla.