Burning Brides - Leave No Ashes

When I listen to the Burning Brides, I get exactly what I want out of this band. Insert the CD, crank the shit, and rawk my ass off. It happened with the first CD, Fall of the Plastic Empire, and it happened with the sophomore release on V2 Records, Leave No Ashes. This time, though, we get more substance and less cookie cutter rock. The Brides, a three-piece based out of South Philly, bring on the noise from the get go on this release. This album, a cross genre of early 90’s post grunge and ham-fisted sludge metal, offers delights that leads listeners to question the exact categorization. That does not mean they hold back from raising their fists and saluting with the devil horns. Leave No Ashes utilizes a bevy of instruments including the farfisa, clavinet, theremin, and a variety of piano accompaniment not expected on a hard rock album. The last track, “Vampire Waltz,” a catchy sing along number, has its star power cameo with the addition of Mark Lanegan and Mike Watt. Radio would be best suited to chart “Heart Full of Black,” “Come Alive,” or “Dance with the Devil,” and bear fruit of a possible clone to the commercial viability of Queens of the Stone Age. Make no mistake, the Burning Brides’ main accomplishment in this album is using the different aspects of the rock spectrum to get listeners to move their ass. Unlike many garage rock counterparts, the Brides fill the plate and give us a complete album, not two or three minutes of noise per track. [www.burningbrides.com]