by Matt Karpe
– Senior Columnist —
Sister Sin’s fifth studio album Black Lotus brings more 80s’ influenced heavy metal to the table.
The Swedish quartet, led by the charismatic vixen that is Liv Jagrell don’t stray too far from the formula of their previous records, yet Black Lotus is still a hugely enjoyable listen.
“Food For Worms” is a chaotic opener, fusing together some heavy bass and guitar riffs with explosive drumming. Liv’s vocals are packed with fiery attitude that underlines the fact that she is one of the top female vocalists in heavy metal today.
“Chaos Royale” is fast and ferocious, with some good melodic hooks and a decent chorus.
“Au Revoir” brings to mind Judas Priest in its metallic delivery, and even Liv’s howls seem to be an ode to the great Rob Halford.
“Desert Queen” has a slightly darker feel with some more melodic verses that lead up to a strong chorus. It has more of a mid-tempo feel and although there is less aggression in the vocals, the song is still hugely effective.
“Count Me Out” has some good symphonic backing, and with the angry chorus line screamed by Liv, “stay the fuck away from me…” maybe you would be best advised to do exactly that- but with a song so catchy, I don’t think anyone is going to leave Sister Sin alone any time soon.
“Stones Thrown” is a straight forward hard rocker, but it’s the last three songs that really steal the show.
“The Jinx” is a largely acoustic dominated song, and Liv’s vocals are more delicate, even ballad-like. The second half of the song picks up in speed and volume with some delicious guitar rhythms and excellent drumming. It is a change in style but Sister Sin really have pulled it off.
“Ruled By None” has a thrashy opening and with some good backing vocals and a strong chorus, this is a contender for the best song on the record.
“Sail North” ends Black Lotus with some of the best guitar riffs throughout. The drumming is immensely heavy and guitarist Jimmy Hiltula’s vocal combination with Liv works wonders. With one final riotous chorus, the album ends just shy of the 40-minute mark.
Black Lotus is a hugely successful record that will no doubt get positive feedback from the bands fanbase, but it is a shame that only nine tracks made the final cut as there is easily room for another two or three tracks that could have taken this album to even loftier heights.
With that said, there is still enough on here to go back and listen to again and again, and with a sexy lead singer that has the voice to match, then maybe now is the time for Sister Sin to truly explode into the limelight.
Genre: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Band:
Liv Jagrell- Vocals
Jimmy Hiltula- Guitar, Backing Vocals
Strandh- Bass
Dave Sundberg- Drums
Track Listing:
1. Food For Worms
2. Chaos Royale
3. Au Revoir
4. Desert Queen
5. Count Me Out
6. Stones Thrown
7. The Jinx
8. Ruled By None
9. Sail North
Label: Victory Records
Website: www.sistersin.com
Hardrock Haven Rating: 7/10
