Alt-Fest

The opening track 'Monolith of Wrath' sets the tone for 'The Sacred Mood'. Drenched in the heat of the South and doused in humid heaviness under a Tennessee sky in the summertime, My Ruin's eighth studio album is the opposite of light. A damned and divine offering which begins with a dark and heavy memoriam to insomnia fueled nights. Written in a sleepless state of mind, Tairrie B laments unconscious anxieties invoking a woman possessed and preoccupied with loathing the sunrise. A percolating drum line builds tension exploding into a mammoth chorus of ascending guitar and bass riffs. The loud to quiet push and pull feel of the song makes for a unique and thematic introduction to the album.

The heart pumping 'Moriendo Renascor' which translates to 'In death, I am reborn' is an up tempo wall of riffs with elements of stoner metal and vintage California hardcore. Like a phoenix rising from the fiery ash and bone this track boasts fuzzy guitars sizzling over driving drums, infernal bass and ferocious vocals with reflective lyrics of rebirth and renewal. Cryptic as it is catchy; 'God is a Girl with a Butcher Knife' cuts like a killer from the songs first searing solo, through each memorable chorus. Dynamically vocals allow Tairrie B to contrast her sultry spoken words with her trademark throaty screams while intricate drums, thick guitar and big bass converge for maximum impact to create an instant My Ruin classic.

The unholy eloquence of 'Heretic Dreams' invites listeners to worship at the alter of their own imaginations taking them on a magical journey through the heart of a non believer with percussive lyrical patterns winding through a sludgy musical rock garden of driving anthem riffs and anathema sentiment. Southern rock proclivities permeate 'Honey of the Human Soul' and paint the proceedings with vivid language and dreamy imagery as vocals writhe with passion and pain resonating over Mick Murphy's menacing drums, gargantuan riffing and emotive guitar solos. The bass lays down a thick seismic groove that underlines the heaviness throughout the entire song. Ominous and otherworldly, 'Insomniac Moon' is a spine-chillingly hypnotic spoken word styling delivered over haunting dirge like drones. This atmospheric soundtrack of the South opens with the tranquil sounds of cicadas buzzing in the trees while Tairrie B illustrates her surroundings as the high priestess of poetic intensity. Deeply sullen doom-laden riffs baptize the bass with smoke and swampy solos as the drums evoke the slow roll of a train inching by in the distance. The visceral vocals in 'Hour of the Wolf' howl with an unrestrained gut wrenching urgency as the death n roll style riffage bewitches the monster bass of Luciano Ferrea to form a massive mountain of earth shaking fury.

"Southern California heavy rock veterans, My Ruin lead by violent scream vocalist Tairrie B. Murphy and husband/guitarist Mick Murphy will be storming the metal stage at Alt Fest with their new album "The Sacred Mood". A beautifully brutal mix of metal, doom and hardcore. Not for the faint of heart!"

The conviction of 'Del Riche' is a character assassination on artistic integrity which stands alone as the only confrontational track on the album. This cathartic sequel to A Southern Revelation's 2011 'Vultures' continues to call out a ghost of the past with a conflicted ego-bruising ode to a digital girl with an analogue heart. Luciano Ferrea's low-end pummels you into the abyss that awaits in Mick Murphy's guitar as his axe illustrates the story between the lines of Tairrie B's lyrical tale of dishonesty and deceit. A head banging induced Southern roots stomper inspired by the much-quoted poem in which Sylvia Plath compares herself to that Biblical figure once resurrected by Christ. 'Harsh Light of Day', summons Lady Lazarus as muse while Tairrie B preaches her ultra personal trademark sermons of exquisite beauty and divine despair from the depths of her self inflicted mind as she mourns little slices of death and sunshine.

Praise is paid to the king of rock & roll with a down tuned sexy vocal swagger and growling red lipstick snarl in this provocative evil twist of Elvis Presley's 1958 blues classic 'Trouble' which is a captivatingly unexpected album closer for My Ruin's 2013 comeback.

As My Ruin's founder and formidable frontwoman, Tairrie B Murphy is the metal world's patron saint of blasphemy and one of rocks most harrowing performers. An elegant wordsmith whose blood-curdling signature screams blended with Whiskey soaked spoken words create a unique dichotomy of beautifully brutal lyrical storytelling that is hers alone. Best known for spitting her distinct brand of Old Testament influenced hellfire and damnation stylish violence, on 'The Sacred Mood' she is no longer exorcising her demons, she is embracing them while doing what she does best, conjuring up religiously ethereal content that continues to set her apart from the many women who have followed in her footseteps.

Mick Murphy is the rock counterpart to Tairrie's ruin and a master of heaviosity. From his majestic guitar work to his powerhouse drumming, the talents of Knoxville born multi instrumentalist and co producer shine throughout 'The Sacred Mood' with his organic homegrown essence of 70's influenced musicianship. His penchant for big backbeats, stunning riffs, searing solos and memorable songs are showcased here like never before. Having joined the husband and wife duo in 2011 for My Ruin's 'Ghosts and Good Stories' UK tour, Argentinian born bassist Luciano Ferrea holds down the thunderous low end with a mean rumble and a no nonsense approach adding a thick smoldering bottom layer of vibe and ambiance to the new album enhancing the weight of the grooves.

My Ruin returned to Soundtrack Black Studio in the hills of East Tennessee to once again work with longtime friend and Joel Stooksbury, who mixed, engineered and co-produced the new album along with Mick Murphy as a follow up to their 2011 critically acclaimed last album 'A Southern Revelation' which they released as a free download and gift to fans via their Bandcamp page www.myruin.bandcamp.com

'The Sacred Mood' is a subtle reinvention for My Ruin who have found their sound and honed it into a timeless work of art while staying true to their roots. Paying no attention to the current trends, the band allowed itself to explore a darker side of lush textures and natural tones maintaining their authentic musical sensibility mixed with ultra personal anti-pious poetry to craft a new dimension to their songwriting resulting in their most abstract yet engaging album to date.

Keep it Sacred.

♥