2020 is a garbage year. We can all agree on that, yeah? One of the shining lights, at least in my little corner of the universe, has been the abundance of surprise releases in the entertainment industry. Especially in music. Just recently saw eclectic Electronic impresario Tom Vek (Check it here) and the legendary Mina Caputo (Listen here) both release new records and just before that was Feminenergy by former Manhole/My Ruin/Tura Satana front person extraordinaire Tairrie B. And it too owns.
Those expecting a modern aggro Metal massacre might wanna look away but if you’ve followed Tairrie B’s rise from the start then this back-to-basics yet still incendiary masterpiece is required listening. And if you voted for 45 (Personally, I refuse to say or print his name) or subscribe to any of the rhetoric spewed by this current administration then this DEFINITELY is not the album for you.
Still here? Let’s dive in then, shall we?
At its’ best, Feminenergy is an energized rallying cry and at its’ worst…..well, that’s the thing. There is no worst when talking about Tairrie B’s latest and, dare I say, greatest. From the moment “World Destruction” lands, it taps into the spirit of current sonic warriors like Pussy Riot or War On Women and in regards to Ms. B, digs deep into her Hip-Hop roots and hints at what’s to come later within.
“Hardcore” is the sickest old-school Tairrie B rap anthem but made in the modern era. That is, until “KNXVLN” drops with sicker rhymes, sicker riffs and sicker beats. Ms. B’s partner-in-crime and partner-in-life Mick Murphy handles the sonic boom (Guitars, bass, and drums) throughout Feminenergy, building a fantastical world that harnesses the Hip-Hop of the early ’90’s while tackling modern issues.
Later, “The Coldest” is probably the closest you’ll get to “old school” Tairrie B and those familiar with My Ruin/Tura Satana/Manhole will surely perk up at the start before the track takes a turn issuing what can only be described as a triumphant warning mixing samples of Flavor Flav with Foreigner and a sinister bass hum bringing to mind Digital Underground.
“Truth Bomb” is an ode to fallen modern leaders (RBG, John Lewis) while “American Carnage” is another vicious diatribe against the current “leaders” and is the Hip-Hop equivalent to Al Jourgensen’s Industrial Metal takedown of the Bush administration with Ministry in the mid-’00’s.
“Fistful Of Steel” is another track proving just how potent and relevant Ms. B still is behind the mic with this kind of early Rage Against The Machine magic permeating from Murphy’s riffs and bass bounce. Closing with a retread of “I’m A Woman”, the “MM Resistmix 2020” is another reminder of the fight that still rages on and the fire and passion that still rages on within Tairrie B.
Feminenergy is available now and can be yours by heading here. For the latest on Tairrie B, follow her across the interwebs by clicking here, here, or here.