Review Summary: A nice step up from their last album.
The Butcher Babies hit and miss with their 2013 full-length "Goliath." It's evident that the band's two front-women, Carla Harvey and Heidi Shepherd, have certainly gathered a devoted following of fans, and why not be a fan of them? You have these two gorgeous gals who can scream their asses off. That's a pretty alluring aspect. It's just a matter of their last album just going to too many different places. It's this mix of In This Moment (who shares a record label with them), the Plasmatics, among others. What's more is that they tried too hard to channel these artists that it got to the point that it was more of a carbon copy then building off the established acts' sounds.
But that's two years of blacks and whites they've clearly forgotten. This new project, "Take It Like A Man", certainly carries that penchant "Goliath" created for this female aggression they embody. Luckily, it manages to build off that cookie cutter debut to create something much more cohesive.
Before we look into the individual tracks, let's note the positives that endure this 12 track long player. Well, it's clearer than ever that Harvey and Shepherd can co-exist together now. The screams actually sound like screams now. They're more audible, and to be honest, they were simply yelling on "Goliath." Luckily, that's a thing of the past and guess what else? These girls can sing. And damn well too. Another good sign is that the instrumentalists behind them; guitarist Henry Flury, drummer Chrissy Warner, and bassist Jason Klein; now all have audible instrumentation. What started as a hot mess has now become a five-piece thrash metal suit where all the personnel go hand in hand with eah other.
The first sign that the group had grown up was in lead-off single "Monsters Ball." Shepherd opens the track by speaking through a monotone mic depicting what you would hear if you went to the circus ("Ladies and gentlemen/Step right up and get your ticket/ To the greatest show on earth.") That's where the instruments kick in, along with Harvey's screams to complement Shepherd. The track abuses a chugging guitar a bit, but Harvey and Shepherd keep the song moving aptly along.
Once this record picks up a head of steam, the Butcher Babies manage to keep the listener immersed in the experience for the whole 44 minute effort, something "Goliath" lacked in. Tracks like the hard-hitting "Gravemaker" open with Harvey's screams as opposed to other tracks opening with Heidi's, but at least the listener can differentiate the two. Heidi has a bit of a higher pitch to her screams, whereas Carla's sound not only a tad deeper, but more masculine as well.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where this album really succeeds. Aforementioned, the album embodies more cohesiveness as opposed to what was missing before, and there is more consistency behind these tracks. If you're not careful, these tracks will get stuck in your head. They're enjoyable, audible, and above all - structurally sound.
"Take It Like A Man" has so much depth for what is a rather simplistic approach. Each song follows the same blueprint, making each song an appropriate successor of the last. But that's where "Goliath" and this album really part ways. On top of inconsistency, "Goliath" had songs that did a lackluster job at building towards what was to come, along with making what proceeded the tracks all the more forgettable. This album features tracks, particularly tracks like "Blood Soaked Hero" and "Dead Man Walking", that do a terrific job at setting the pace for what is bound to follow, while the listener is still capable of remembering what son had just played minutes ago. Furthermore, the listener is able to compare the songs more coherently, and this correlates with the Butcher Babies' new found ability to encompass a more steady and secure musical base.
