Bloody Noses and Hand Grenades, the debut from Dead Girls Corp., is a rollicking good time that brings to mind the best Industrial had to offer in the late ’90’s combined with the best production values of today to create the most unholy union of sounds since John Lennon and Yoko Ono started collaborating.
But I digress.
“Dead Girl” does nothing for me, okay? Sure, it’s a tone setter tinged with Industrial pangs, heavy riffage, and Mel McFail’s (soon to be) uncanny beats bringing the noise behind Toddy T.’s out of this world vocal delivery but it’s “From The Bottom” that’s the from outta left field veritable tour-de-force that really starts the album off.
With these huge, anthemic verses and even more soaring choruses in an echoed soundchamber making the sound of Toddy sound even more unearthly, the track delivers on all planes and is like James Baker of Rorschach Test fronting Rob Zombie’s backing band circa 2001 (John Tempesta, Blasko, Riggs).
“X’s no O’S” is holy shit levels of riff rawkin’ thanks to Dave Teague and his divine shredding while McFail is unstoppable yet again behind the kit. “Alleys of Death”, on the other hand, is that classic Slipdisc Records sound of the early ’00’s, filled with bleeps and boops and huge ass guitar walls of sound, tribal percussive pummeling, and clear as day anthemic vocals while “Ask for it” is a rumbling rabble rouser and a little reminiscent of Course Of Empire’s post-rock goodness (Remember them? Like the second coming of Killing Joke in the early ’00’s. Check ’em out here)
And then in the middle of all this awesomesauce comes the familiar sounds of Billy Idol’s “Flesh For Fantasy” put through an even more Electro/New Wave blender to transform it into a modern Goth anthem. “Can’t Change” sounds so familiar then “Promise Me” goes for the tear ducts with a swooping Electro-ballad built on syncopated beats and Toddy T.’s sweeping croons.
“VDay” is driven by the hard throttling of McFail and then “Just The Same” shows off the low end of bassist Bruce Miyaki. Penultimate track “Dynamite” follows and is just another macabre nail in the coffin of how incredible Dead Girls Corp. is as this abrasive and bombastic track loudly careens towards the inevitable conclusion.
And speaking of the conclusion!
The true measure of a great album is how you end it. “Worth” is a fitting closer as this bold sonic maelstrom shows off DGC and their combined strengths with Toddy drilling in memorable vocal lines, McFail delivering pulsating bravado, the fuzzed out tones of Miyaki rumbling through all while Teague delivers an array of masterful riffage.
Bloody Noses and Hand Grenades is out now through Monsterman Records/EMP Label Group for your aural pleasure. Get your copy here or here or here. And for the latest on Dead Girls Corp., including chances to see them in action, head on over here.
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