CD Review

Killing Miranda – “Consummate”

By Marcus Pan

Killing Miranda remain as raw, raucous and strong as ever on their latest release, Consummate, out on S.U.C.K./Diesel Motor Records. As always, never mincing words and getting as in your face as possible, which is a lyrical style held over from Blessed Deviant, I find this release to be just as powerful.

Guitars are more prevalent here, while Blessed Deviant would occasionally wander into lighter electronic territory. With the exception of some sample breaks on the recording, Consummate is most certainly a heavy/dark metal release laced into with well layed synth undertones and great sample placement.

Conspiracy Theory opens up the CD evenly with a not-as heavy piece. Then following a sample break (Five Minute Freeview) Consummate really kicks in hard with I Know What you Want, with Alien Dave shredding lead guitars and Filthy Rikki telling us point blank how he's going to "fuck us hard" and "make us cum." Again...no bother covering up lyrics with silky sweet innuendos...straight, hard and raw.

Embrace steps closer to popular metal with its catchy, well-produced riffwork and bass-laden lyrical slow downs. Contectually this song reminds me of Burn Sinister off of Blessed Deviant. Meanwhile, No More Love Songs is surely going to be a top hit for the group, with it's stompy grooviness and sweet licks. As we know...sex sells! If there was ever a studio track that I would kill to see performed live, this is it.

Track 9 is Boy Meets Gun, a riveting and blasting tirade about individualism: "Point at the freak, point at the freak." Done in a nursery rhyme style interspersed with unique synthetic melodies, funky bass lines and punctuated by solid guitars, it's also a highlight to this album. The deep-rap portion around two and a half minutes in is just ass-kickingly direct and spit like venom. The release closes with the Shadow Over Innsmouth break which fades into Enter the Dagon, which for some reason I want to say is related to good 'ol Lovecraft and his Cthulhu mythologies, though I could be wrong.

In closing, a solid and powerful collection we have here for UK love children Killing Miranda. A bit heavier than their previous work, and able to shred virtually any pop-rock act that's been cancering my stereo here in the states for the past couple years at least. It's good when old favorites come back to remind me they can still kick my ass…or fuck me hard.