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In Rochester, NY, one could say that Bitter Flesh Thing is just another local band. However, if one were to say that, they should be dragged by the lips into the street and flogged repeatedly with a dead possum (which are in no short supply in Rochester). The new disc from BFT, titled Voodoo Kills, is the most impressive disc I have heard from a band in this town. Frontman Zazu Pitts not only produces a lyrical style comparable to that of Trent Reznor, but also lends his ear for electronics to the album. The first track, Sex on Venus, certainly proves this, showcasing his ability to hammer out a keyboard line sounding something like a fast pop-riff gone horribly evil.

Amongst other notable achievements of this album, the fifth track receives my hands down vote for best cover this year. Bitter Flesh Thing's cover of Missing Person's "Words" is more addictive than heroin and Space Invaders combined.

Live, it becomes an interactive song, as Pitts handed the mic to several different fans at the recent CD release party. The show opened with the song Flesh Wedding, which can also be heard on Voodoo Kills. Beginning with a piano line that hasn't been riddled with effects, it progresses into a whole new entity, making it not only the perfect track to open a show with, but an amazing intro to the track on the disc as well. Bloodlet in Vain showcases drummer Trahelio's ability to lay down more addictive beats, while keeping the song together. This is also one of the more bass-prominent tracks, which leads to another interesting point of Bitter Flesh Thing. While this entire album was recorded with Dain as bassist, he magically disappeared in February, forcing the band to recruit Leuth to take over as the new bassist, who seemed to fit in rather well at the CD release show.

Other notable tracks on the disc include Masher, which sounds like something out of the old Sega game Streets Of Rage musically, while reminding me eerily of some of Marilyn Manson’s earlier lyric styles. Immediately following that is Bound and Gagged, which is….well…damn, I don’t know how to describe this track, but damn it’s good!

Overall, this CD sounds like something you'd expect out of a signed band from Florida, where this type of music is better appreciated. Bitter Flesh Thing do an amazing job for a glam/industrial rock band in a town dominated by cheesy punk and countless teen-composed ska bands.