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Washington-based five piece female-fronted
Christian Mistress create timeless metal by utilizing NWOBHM influences,
classic ’70s rock, stoner rock, and classic metal elements.
On their sophomore release, Possession,
the band possesses (pun intended) a great old school metal sound —
particularly of the British kind, with nods toward Saxon, Diamond Head and
even Mötörhead. They also throw in some Metallica-esque riffs, most notably
from the Kill Em All-era, and some doomy Sabbath bits as well
(“Possession”).
What you get with CM is a lethal twin-axe
attack with ripping leads, chugging grooves, frantic drumming and
stripped-down, raw distortion-fuzzed riffs.
The gruff, gritty but melodic vocals of
Christine Davis complement the barrage of riffs and twin leads. She sounds
like a cross between Doro and Dawn Crosby of Fear of God, with a few other
non-metal artist similarities thrown in as well.
The riffs and leads from Oscar Sparbel and Ryan
McClain are what standout the most on Possession. They convey the old
school mood while creating harmonized melodies which drive the songs along.
Also of note, Reuben W. Storey is like a human metronome behind the drum kit
— keeping the beat fast and furious.
Although there’s not much variation within the
songs themselves, there’s some cool acoustic interludes (“All Abandon”, “The
Way Beyond”) which break up the fast pace and adds some nice mood dynamics.
The production is warm, organic and “live”-sounding — as if the band
actually recorded the songs all together in the studio. Plus, there was no
studio trickery or studio effects — it was recorded all in analog.
I wasn’t familiar with the band’s previous
material, but Possession sure is a fun listen and you just can’t go
wrong with Christian Mistress.
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