A throat full of heart and a tongue made of steel!
Tairrie B and her boys are back with their newest offering of honest and straight to the point hardcore in their most brutal release to date. Whereas previous releases tackle the difficult issues faced by the conflict of artists and the media, and fashion and the personal image, ‘Throat Full of Heart’ brings forth deeper and darker feelings, expressed through the sheer power of Tairrie B’s personality that emanates through the music. Unchanged and as raw and sword edged as ever in its deliverance, the music My Ruin puts forth creeps up behind you with the sexy blues style guitar licks and slaps you round the face hard with the roaring, forceful and yet feminine voice of the lady herself. Her voice alone in its power could grab you by the throat and throw you against the wall, the force of the personality and strength of Tairrie B ever present in its brash and enticing deliverance. The message remains the same, honesty, pride, and individuality, always stay true to yourself and forget what others may say, a lesson Tairrie B can teach better than anyone else.
Keeping within their iconic and unique blend of old school blues solos and the most abrasive of metal riffs this side of the Atlantic Ocean, ‘Throat Full of Heart’ promises all the fruits of the last albums, all the sexual riffs, infectious rhythms and straight to the point lyrics that their last offerings delivered but only this time, sharper, heavier and louder. The album in it’s overall sound has a more mature and experienced feel to it, only natural after all the band have endured in the past year or so and really drives home the imagery of survival and empowerment. Opening with the abrasive and aggressive ‘Ready for Blood’, the music begins on sliding guitar licks and snappy snare drum rolls that have a very distinctive and punctuated rhythm that makes the blood boil and the hair swing as Tairrie B’s blood curdling scream runs across the brutal riffs. Sharp and to the point blues solos between verses break up the forceful assault put forth by the vocals and the crushing slap bass laying down the foundation of the sound. The choruses however pack the most punch, with short and rolling riffs almost challenging in the deliverance and of course, Tairrie B’s violent sermons of brutality as honest as ever.
In all of the musical talent that My Ruin have to offer, the most potent and heart wrenching of all is the ability of Tairrie B to write lyrics that are provocative and true to themselves, honesty on her own terms, not swayed by the influence of the media or the ideals of what a woman should act like but rather used as ammunition against them. This is what makes Tairrie B the ideal and real role model of today’s society, she is beautiful but only on her own terms and not consumed by what others say she should be, when the media give her lemons she throws the finger back and is the stronger and better woman by expressing her feelings through her music rather then sinking to their level, in turn giving strength to those that draw it from her inspiring words. All of this shines through in each and every song, in every melody that she lovingly creates, and gives those heavy riffs and irresistible rhythms that bit more of a personal edge. This is particularly true of ‘Through the Wound’, the closing track which was renamed and become more of a tale of personal survival and appreciation for life to Tairrie B who suffered a horrific car accident and nearly lost her arm. Starting off with a dark and sinister bass riff over single and distorted chords, the scene is set for a melancholy and suffering rhythmic serenade. The song itself resonates sheer desperation and reverence, a taste for the experience that was so nearly served so coldly on the plate of life and a growth from this. The utter power of survival and recovery emanates throughout the empowered pleas of Tairrie’s wild voice and gives the song that much more of a personal edge, making it easily the most powerful and evocative track on the record.
There is something truly deep and heartfelt about this record, more so then anything that My Ruin has produced before. There is something more mature about the sound but yet it has lost none of its edge, or its evocative strength or most importantly its honesty and that is what makes My Ruin’s music a cut above the rest.