Ani Kyd
Evil Needs Candy Too
7.4
I'm not sure everyone on this site is familiar with Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. And why should they be? Well, there isn't much of a reason for the average Egyptian death metal album toting knuckle-dragger, but for the rest of us, there's a few really great bands worth checking out. Akimbo, Amebix, Articles of Faith — and those are just the A's. Sure enough, with Ani Kyd's first album, if someone was just that goddamned lazy, they could find at least nine laudable bands without even having to use the scroll bar on Alternative Tentacle's website. Go ahead, give it a try.
Ani Kyd is no newcomer, truly. Belonging to a few bands whom I'm personally unfamiliar with such as Spanking Machine, Rumblefish, and Spankin' Betty. While these aren't exactly acts that sell out arenas, I still feel it's important to point out that she's had her hand in more than a few things. Evil Needs Candy Too does a proper job of proving that. Hell, she even played guitar for the almighty Thor at one point.
Remember way back when you recoiled at the thought of a female fronting a death metal band? The days when you wished that Kittie were actually just a musical killing machine comprised of clones of Bolt Thrower's bassist, Jo Bench? For those of us who managed to climb out of that mentality, you'll find a lot of redeeming qualities about this album. It's got its own gritty identity.
She's got sort of a charming and soulful Janis Joplin-esque wail which she uses much to her benefit on the sparse slide-guitar driven "Six Californian Dollars" and a thick voice during the various hard rock tracks on the album like "13". Gratefully, Evil Needs Candy Too offers a wide assortment of tunes ranging from being laced with brooding violin, to rough thrash, to complete beer-swilling songs. I was a little worried during the first initial moments of the record however, given some time with the album I've come to really appreciate the unique approach of Ani Kyd — more specifically the slower, less dense, and sadder tracks. I'd love to hear her completely dedicated to a more depressing and bare sound, as that's where she truly excels, like on "Silver Cage".
If that's not enough for you, note that the album is actually produced by Jello Biafra and the band is comprised of Byron Stroud (Strapping Young Lad, Zimmer's Hole), Gene Hoglan (Death, Testament), and Ian White (Caustic Thought).
I've been away from the MetalReview.com site for a few short months. Feeling somewhat guilty about neglecting my duties as a reviewer, I decided to take it upon myself to review nearly anything we have that isn't already spoken for by a fellow reviewer. Normally what's left is the worst of the worst — the stale grunge stuck to the bottom of the MetalReview.com table. Oddly and luckily enough for me, my first review in months happened to be of something quite good with a lot to offer.
