4/5 stars
New Jersey’s Screaming Females have been kicking around for the past decade, strong in certain circles but for the most part flying under the radar, at least in this country.
A power trio in the true sense of the term – no note wasted – their sound has always been confronting. Their calling card is singer and shredder Marissa Paternoster’s sucker-punch vocals and zig-zag riffs that snake around each other.
But for all its metal-inspired licks and stop-start sharp turns, Rose Mountain is an unexpectedly pop album, and maybe their most accessible to date. Paternoster’s voice sounds more controlled than on previous recordings, but not completely tamed. The Screamales could always write a decent hook, but everything feels amplified on Rose Mountain, from chugging opener of ‘Empty Head’ to the relentless back-and-forth pull of ‘Broken Neck’ that breaks down into one of their more tender moments. While dipping back into the hard rock territory they explored on 2012’s Ugly (‘Leave It All Up To Me’), the real surprise is how big the choruses are getting, particularly ‘Wishing Well’. The last three songs are killer, with album highlights ‘Triumph’ and closer ‘Criminal Image’ boasting a classic rock feel but with more bite.
Their sound is cleaner – stray ends slicked down – without sacrificing any of their brutality.
