Awesome stuff. Acid Bath really matured with their sophomore album. The songs are still brimming with massive Southern grooves, but they became more phlegmatic and controlled, opting for dark introspection instead of uncontrollable rage which prevailed on "When The Kite String Pops." The majority of Dax's vocals are clean, but the song writing is better than ever. "Pagan Love Song," "Bleed Me An Ocean," "Graveflower," "Diab Soule" are nothing short of excellent. The band still threw in a couple of driving, bulldozer-heavy, bile-dripping stompers like "Locust Spawning" and "13 Fingers" or a vicious death/hardcore blender "New Corpse." But right next to these furious nuggets we discover a melancholic "New Death Sensation," very emotional "Venus Blue" and probably the real corker of the album, a seven minute long bluesy acoustic ballad "Dead Girl."

To make a long story short, I'll just say that this is an amazing piece of music. There are absolutely no fillers. Every song is outstanding and deserves your undivided attention. Last but not least, the cover artwork this time is by the notorious euthanasia practitioner Jack "Dr. Death" Kevorkian. I am not kidding people, put this album on the top of your shopping list. If you don't dig this, your mama must have dropped you on a floor a few too many times during your not-so-happy childhood.

© 2000 boris