Since forming in 1999, My Ruin have continued to enable metal/rock fans with an addiction. An addiction that is unable to be cured, especially with their 2014 release ‘The Sacred Mood’.

Lead vocalist/wordsmith Tairrie B Murphy has been circumnavigating the musical world for many years, from her time on Eazy E’s (N.W.A) record label to the reinvention of herself in Manhole/Tura Satana, the band disbanded two albums later. In 1999 the My Ruin journey begins.

‘The Sacred Mood’ is full of blistering screaming guitar solos that accompany the unique and powerful style of Tairrie B, who is THE greatest female vocalist around. This is proven, on Moriendo Renascor, a highlight (or darklight) of the album, her clean singing surrounding the solos, forcing the earth to shake and the dead to rattle back to life.

‘God is a Girl with a Butcher knife’ will go down as being the best song title of the year and is a tune that encompasses passion. ‘Insomniac Moon’, the ballad of the blasphemous girl, quoted by the lady of metal herself, Mrs B Murphy with her sinister edge, sings from the heart on her blasphemous girl sleeve.

Lifted from ‘Honey of the Human Soul’, “the pain inside is hard to hide, our scars are sung in lullabies, sung in lullabies” is confidently screamed by a front-person who believes in what she is singing. But what stands out is the hard bass-lines by Luciano Ferrea, deep and penetrating, I listened to the album on full volume and felt quite violated!

The myriad of feelings that My Ruin make you go through is crazy, ‘The Harsh Light of Day’ is pedal to the metal and with someone like multi-instrumentalist Mick Murphy on board who is always able to add a different style to the proceedings which Tairrie B creeps in with some sensitive but stalker-ish vocals that would befit a Chuck Palahniuk book turned movie.

Over the years, bands cover songs that try to be like the owner, but My Ruin give it their own vibe. With final track ‘Trouble’, the Elvis track, yeah Elvis Presley. ‘Trouble’ screams from the roof tops what My Ruin fans already know and why their talent far exceeds many bands out there who are too afraid to change and speak from their hearts.

A solid career in the music world is what My Ruin have, not by sitting around wondering “why not me”, they get up and make their fingers bleed to get a sound that fits their moment. The Sacred Mood in this listener’s opinion (and opinions are like arseholes in that everyone’s got one) is their greatest achievement, so listen to the evolution of My Ruin.

Lineup

Tairrie B – Vocals

Mick Murphy – Guitar/Drums

Luciano Ferrea - Bass

Tracklist

Monolith of Wrath

Moriendo Renascor

God is a Girl With a Butcher Knife

Heretic Dreams

Honey of the Human Soul

Insomniac Moon

Hour of the Wolf

Del Riche

The Harsh Light of Day

Trouble

Review by Mark Wincott

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