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“A Prayer Under Pressure Of Violent Anguish” - My Ruin Album Review

At times she's been cast down as a hypocrite, and at others she's been put up on a pedestal. Whether or not her music has deserved the media attention she's received is constantly debated. Is Tairrie B the First Lady of Metal? I don't care. When you listen to a CD without the whole media-circus shit that surrounds it, all you've got to judge it against is the music. And in that sense, "A Prayer Under Pressure Of Violent Anguish" comes off very well indeed.

After the "Morning Prayer" intro, the album starts proper with "Beauty Fiend". Right from the word go, you can see why this was chosen as the single to herald the coming of this album. New boy Mick Murphy shows he's more than capable of holding his own with the six-string elite as the enormous grind of the central riff takes hold. Hard, heavy, and downright bitter, Tarrie B verbally lynches everyone who has ever judged her on her looks. It appears that My Ruin have entered the building.

The slow but self-assured grinds of "Beauty Fiend" are followed by the fast and furious "Stick It To Me". The fast paced verbal driven verses descend to a lower geared chorus where Tairrie bellows the irritatingly catchy line "Stick it to me - you know you want to". If this doesn't result in a bone-breaking pit live, then the audience should be pronounced dead in the face of something this hectic.

Somehow "A Prayer Under Pressure of Violent Anguish" squeezes into being the chorus lyric of "Heartsick". The low growls of the vocals mix with the frankly dirty grind of the guitars to make this the slow burning black heart of the album. If anything, this a refinement of the spoken-word-backed-by-guitars that Tairrie made such use of on "Speak and Destroy".

"Rock Star" (indeed the whole album in fact) is dedicated to the late great Lynn Strait. A bulldozer combination of nu-metal and punk, "Rock Star" could shred the skin off an audience at twenty paces. It's kinda reassuring to know that while Miss B is still out there, we're not going to be allowed to forget Snot and their late singer.

It's almost as if Tura Satana never split up when the band plug into "Sanctuary". Harking back to the "All Is Not Well" era, the broken up riffs pulse along to Tairrie's own unique style of rapping. Something about it reminds me of the long forgotten classic, "Hypocrite", except the target this time is religion rather than backstabbing sycophants.

"Miss Ann Thrope" brings the talents of Jack Off Jill Jessika to scream along with Tairrie. Jessika sounds all the more smooth compared to the raw and ravaged approach Tairrie takes. A swear-word-swapping-man-hating classic if ever there was one.

The slow and suggestive intro to "Hemorrhage" promises much, and it successfully delivers. Dodging from the carpet bombing intensity of the repeating lyric "In Praise of Him..." to the throaty whispers in the break-downs, this song is a 10-tonne juggernaut on a mission to re-educate the masses.

Tairrie still bitter over the article in Metal Hammer which had pictures of her that made her look "fat"? You'd better believe it if "Letter To The Editor" is to be believed. Ironically, Tairrie's arch-enemy (the media) have provided her with the coverage she's needed to get where she is today, but she's not too happy about the flip-side of the coin: criticism. It's one long lesson in how vocal distortion should be used to good effect.

"Let It Rain" is probably the weakest track on the album, not standing out in any particular way. It's not bad, but considering the potent track before it (and the one that follows) it seems a little flat. At times it suggests a little bit of Machine Head got in there, but it never gets developed enough to make a real impact. "Post Noise Revelation" is that intense next track: a bass led rumbler of the first degree. Chugging along at an ever increasing pace and intensity, it explodes in your face like a letter bomb.

The album closes with two covers. First is Nick Cave's "Do You Love Me?", and somehow My Ruin manage to add something to the darkness of the original. Tairrie's deep sultry tones, combined with the dry and windswept sounds of the guitars. In total contrast is what follows: Black Flag's "My War". Opening in a rumble of bass, its not long before Tairrie is spitting blood. No doubt Henry Rollins would be proud.

It's ironic that the last words on the album are "This is My War, baby, go home. Get the fuck outta here". "Speak and Destroy" was very much Tairrie B and her backing band, whereas "A Prayer Under Pressure From Violent Anguish" is definitely a My Ruin album. The sound is far more tight, and finally My Ruin sound like a band, rather than a group of musicians standing behind Tairrie to give some substance to her words. She can fight against it all she wants - but Tairrie B has become a poster girl, role model and spokesperson for the jilted generation whether she likes it or not. With "A Prayer Under Pressure of Violent Anguish", My Ruin are a band with a record powerful enough to fill all these roles and break the face of anyone who feels like standing in their way.


“To Britain With Love…And Bruises”-My Ruin Album Review


Let’s get this straight – as a 10,000 copy limited edition semi-live recording, the only people who are going to shell out money for this release are the My Ruin hardcore fans. As for anyone new to the band, I’d recommend “A Prayer Under Pressure Of Violent Anguish” as a first taster to this band. It’s got the teeth to get you hooked.

“Semi-live?” I hear you ask. That’s because while this entire album was recorded “live”, without production and all the gubbins that go with creating a studio record, it was still recorded in a studio, rather than in front of a live audience. This is a good thing though, as you get that echoing raw edge of a live sound without any teenage girls screaming “Fuck me, Tairrie!” after each song.

Anyone who’s ever been to a Ruin gig will testify this happens.

Opening with a little OTT spoken word piece about how much Tairrie loves our little island (gushing doesn’t get even close). But it’s good at last to see a band who really mean it when they say “The UK is the best place to tour”. None of the usual media bullshit. How many bands that say that immortal line back it up with a release like this?

Set-opening stalwart “Beauty Fiend” is the logical start for the record. The slow-grind of the riff has lost nothing in the transition, and if anything, Tairrie’s insistence on being called the “Throat” of My Ruin is more justified than ever, such is the increased ferocity of her screams.

Anger-management in the form of “Stick It To Me” is the next order of the day. Pummelling. Pounding. Punishing. Take your pick of those adjectives and you’ve just about got the intensity of this track sorted.

Mick Murphy’s guitar sounds sleazier than ever on “Heartsick”. By opening the album with the three opening songs from their last LP, there’s a sinister sense of déjà vu for a while. However, memories of the mosh pit will divert you for a while until the next song, which also happens to be the first from the My Ruin debut record, “Speak and Destroy”. “Sick With It” was what the band used to close with before they completed the second record, and listening to it again now I can see why. It’s a bowel-crunching exercise in heavy music.

However, my personal high-point from “Speak And Destroy” was the introspective and furiously psychotic “Blasphemous Girl”. The dark slow pulse of the strings at the start of the track soon slip into the ever-accelerating snapping rhythm of the verse, before THAT screaming killer chorus kicks in. The best song on the album.

“My Beautiful Flower” is the token slow song on the album. Even when it picks up a bit of pace, it still seems stuck in sunstroked sedateness. I’ve never quite got why bands feel they need to put this kind of song into their live set, and this solidified my opinion. The one and only weak link of the album.

It’s rare these days to hear bands taking time out to make their B-sides a worthy addition to their main material, and that’s exactly what “Masochrist” is. All the riffs in this tune could have been easily used in any of the songs off the album. A worthy and often-overlooked addition.

Someone seems to have turned the tempo up on “Sycophant” since it was first committed to record. Tairrie’s vocals literally run over each other as she screams out the speed-vocals to the chorus. The effect of the chugging, sped-up riff at the heart of it all gives the song far more bile and venom that it ever did previously. A far more sinister proposition indeed. Satisfyingly nasty.

“Hemorrhage” seems to have grown claws since I last listened to it! I remember it being one of the more water-treading tracks off “A Prayer…” but here it’s a pumping angry bastard of a song. Closing the album with “Rockstar”, Tairrie’s heartfelt tribute to Lynn Strait, is a nice touch, and shows the band hit a more human note.

If you’ve ever seen the force of My Ruin live, this album will be a nice reminder of that night. If you’re a Ruin obsessive (and there are enough of you out there) and haven’t seen them live, then you’ll love this. If you ain’t into this band, then I very much doubt this will change your mind. This record is very much a “big up!” to all the current Ruin masses, rather than an attempt to gain new fans. If that’s your situation, go buy the studio releases.

And I got my name in the Thanx list AND a nice pic of Tairrie throttling the living hell out of me on page 4 (“Vision/Truth) of the sleeve. Now THAT’S a good way of buttering up your reviewer!


My Ruin- Live at the London Highbury Garage: December 7th 2000 Supported by SugarComa


SugarComa have the unfortunate ask of opening tonight’s double bill of ¾ female demonstrations of how to murder an audience through sound. I say unfortunately, as although SugarComa have had their support slot upgraded as a result of Snake River Conspiracy pulling out due to drummer injury, they’re still the first act on.

Let’s be honest here – no-one was ever going to have an easy time opening up over half an hour later than planned in front of a crowd of Tairrie B fanatics.

In the past, invariably the name “Kittie” has been brought up whenever SugarComa get some column inches, but this is not only unfair, but it is also dumb and lazy. As far as tonight was concerned, the only similarity between the two bands is the fact that both Jessica Mayers have a scream that can knock off roof tiles. Other than that, vocally they are vastly different, with the Kittie woman screeching most of the time, and Jessica taking a little more time to actually sing.

Walking on to a backing tape playing, “A Man’s World”, the band soon start thumping out “Queenie”. The crowd dance a little – but is there a pit? The London crowd is just a little too jaded, with just a little pre-Tairrie tension to get into a moshing mood.

Jessica seems to have picked up her stage mannerisms from Ms B herself, right down to the twitching head movements. However, it’ll be a while yet before she learns how to deal with the throng of teenage boys and their testosterone at the base of the stage. But who better to learn from than Tairrie? As female frontwomen to go, she wrote the book…

Embarrassingly for all involved, a pit only erupts after Jessica shouts at the crowd between songs: “C’mon! Where’s the pit! This is the worst we’ve ever had it! And this is our home town!” When a band has songs as good as “Milk Fed”, which has a rhythmic thump which could dislodge internal organs, it kinda casts a shadow of doubt on every band who’ve told us that we’ve got the best pits in the world. For shame on you audience, for shame!

Perhaps the most strangest (and funniest) moment of SugarComa’s set was their obligatory cover song. Hey, it’s a virtual requirement for bands these days! But instead of dredging up some dodgy awful example of 80s pop trash, SugarComa go for something a little more contemporary. When Jessica asks the audience “Does anyone out there like Britney Spears?” the band crash into a guitar-driven-steroid-pumped version of “Crazy”. As Jessica pouts and flouts onstage, it’s clear that their tongues are rammed firmly into their cheeks.

I expect most of the crowd had heard set closer “Bed of Dolls” through the Kerrang CD that had come out just a few days before. Building up from an innocent enough guitar line, it explodes into a chorus that sees Jessica screaming blinding into the mic “You won’t forget!”. The song really stirs the masses though when the final, brooding build up is pounded out by James on drums, with Jessica calmly chanting “I drank your blood…it looked like mine…” before the chorus brings it to it’s violent conclusion.

Despite a lukewarm reception to start off with, the band walks off stage to chants of their name and mass devil-signs. Respect is indeed due.

But everyone was at the Garage for one reason and one reason only: My Ruin. It’s been just over a year since the Ms B led metal crew have graced our shores, but this time they’re doing it with a streamlined and re-vitalised line-up. The roar of approval when Yael walks on stage to get behind her drum kit. Similar noise erupts for Meghan (in her SugarComa shirt, no less) and Mick as they pick up their guitars. But the lights dim and the biggest cheer of all accompanies Tairrie B as she walks up to the microphone.

“I had a dream last night…” With just the first line from the “Morning Prayer” intro from their latest album, Tairrie has the place screaming. Going through line by line, grinning as the reception builds, Tairrie and her band then explode into “Beauty Fiend”. Twisting into a snarl, Tairrie throws herself around the stage to the vicious noise produced by her band. When she screams “Watch me Bleed!” to the insane pump of the music, you know you’ve got to stand back or suffer the consequences.

With barely seconds between songs, Mick pummels out the opening chords to “Stick It To Me”. Tairrie clutches her hair and thrashes her head from side to side like an asylum inmate. Sharing vocal duties with any member of the front row she cared to choose, Tairrie snarls, growls and screams like a tornado unleashed in a small room.

Anyone who has ever write a letter to a magazine criticising this woman and her band clearly have never seen them live.

“Heartsick” is the slow-grind monster from “A Prayer Under Pressure Of Violent Anguish”, and it bears the album title as it’s chorus line. Everyone in the crowd is screaming along to the lyrics as the band stalk the stage

“Sick With It” was the song My Ruin closed their set with back in the dark das of 1999, but now it’s been relegated to a mid-set position in favour of some of the violent new tracks. All the old venom and anger is still there though, and My Ruin ploughs into it as if it’s the last song they will ever play. The fact there are any strings at all left on the guitars afterwards is a miracle.

“Post Noise Revelation” was always one of my least favourite songs off “A Prayer Under Pressure…” but when unleashed in a live environment it takes on a pace and ferocity that is missing from the recorded version. By now, Tairrie’s make-up is spread across her face, so when she throws her head from side to side she makes a truly terrifying figure.

Tairrie is obviously feeling the pressure when she introduces “Rockstar”. She tells us that now she’s been able to write her own tribute song, she no-longer has to sing “Stoopid”. The amount of applause she gets is enough to bring a smile to even the most jaded of cynics. She reminds us all that if you go out and buy the “Strait Up” tribute album that we should buy it for the man it remembers, not “all the fucking rock stars that are on it”. As Tairrie screams out the painful lyrics to the song, she gets visibly distressed, and her eyes are on the verge of tears when she screams the final words “I am just a girl that hurts”.

Tairrie dedicates “Blasphemous Girl” to her spiritual sister, Klaire, who runs the Ruined website (www.angelfire.com/mb/blasphemousgirl for any of you slow on the uptake) and apologises for not having her in the Special Thanks section of the album sleeve. The band then pound out one of the most skin-blistering songs of the set so far. Mick and Yael’s mastery of the songs from “Speak and Destroy” is note perfect.

“Do You Love Me?” was the mid-set interval for the mosh-pit. The slow beats of Nick Cave take on a sultry tinge as Tairrie pouts and asks the sweating men of the front row “Do you love me?” She finds it hard to not break into a smile as she sees the reaction on their faces. Respect is indeed due.

“Sycophant” is a song that the fans had been crying out for all night, and when the band bring it out in the encore the waves of bodies flying over the barriers increases tenfold. The live pace of the song is so great, Tairrie can barely keep up with the music as she belts out the chorus. An apocalyptic display of rage against bullshit in all its shapes and forms.

And so…the end! Tairrie wants to “bring on a few friends”, and this time it’s Ray Mayorga, ex-Soulfly drummer and My Ruin soundman, and Jessica Mayers, the returning SugarComa vocalist. The cheer for Ray is huge, especially when Tairrie reminds us that Mr Cavelera and his new tribe are at the Astoria tonight….

“My War” is only a mere two minutes long, but what two minutes they are! The fiercest pit of the night erupts as Jessica and Tairrie swap lines: “You’re one of them! You said you’re my friend, but you’re one of them!” The amount of spitting rage coming from the stage is equalled only by the mass of thrashing bodies and manic crowdsurfers off it. Henry Rollins himself would be proud. The sheer volume of cheering at the song’s end is deafening, and is testimony to the fact that now My Ruin have truly arrived, they ain’t gonna go away without knocking out some murderously good noise.

The only songs conspicuous by their absence were “Terror”, “Stoopid” and “Tainted Love”, but looking at it logically, there were already two cover songs played tonight, and “Rockstar” is the My Ruin tribute song to Lynn Strait, making “Stoopid” a little defunct. And other than these minor, minor, minor quibbles, tonight was one of the most intense, well-crafted, personal and downright superb displays of metal musicianship I’ve had the pleasure to witness all year. The band played most of the new album and a few choice cuts from “Speak and Destroy”.

And much respect goes out to Tairrie for dedicating the last song to all the magazine people who write bullshit and all the fanzine people who ask the questions the fans want to hear!