Review Summary: Sister Sin have may not have yet met their pinnacle, but Now and Forever is certainly their best effort so far.
It seems female-led metal group Sister Sin have at last earned a spot in my good books, after a disappointing and some what rocky start. Compared to their previous record 'The Sound of the Underground', this album is far superior melodically, and comes complete with admirable hooks. However, there is still room for lyrical improvement and variety. After four LP's on the market now, I feel a change in direction would benefit the group and may even assist them in growing a stronger fan base.
The intro track did not give me much hope when I first downloaded this album for a hefty £7.99, and I instantly felt that my money had been thrown down the drain. There does not seem to be much direction or fluidity to this track compared with the likes of Avenged Sevenfold's 'Waking the Fallen' and Ghost B.C.s' 'Deus Culpa '. Instead, the forgettable 'MMXII' seems to echo generic strings and basic drum patterns, leaving an unfilled hole in the audiophiles heart. However, this is simply the intro track- now onto the good stuff.
This fourth album boasts fast, catchy guitar solos form the very beginning in the second track 'End of the Line'. It comes complete with a chorus that yells out a stage performance atmosphere, and throws the listener into a headbanging frenzy. Other songs that provide the same attitude include 'Fight Song', 'Hearts of Cold', 'The Chosen Few?', 'Hang 'Em High'.. hmm, see the pattern here? Don't get me wrong, I like all of these songs, and they are all great to listen to, but I'm sure I am not the only one who would like a little diversity in a Sister Sin album. Thankfully, the group breaks this trend to include a slow ballad as the exit song. This track 'Morning After' has some nice strings and calm vocals (as opposed to the angry, juvenile yells heard in all the other tracks). Sure, things get a little louder towards the end of this song, but hey, at least we were delivered two and a half minutes of peace to rest our ears.
The album is mixed well and the lead guitars and the bass are punchy as hell, but I felt that on some of the tracks, I would have liked to hear a little more drum action - It was rather drowned out in some songs. Overall, I'm giving this a 3 out of 5. A great improvement to the Sin saga, but with rooms for dynamic improvements.
