REVIEWS

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The Birthday Massacre
Violet

Metropolis Records

Posted: Thursday, March 30, 2006
By: Erica Anderson

Combining the sound of ‘80s new wave with aggressive guitar riffs is nothing new in music nowadays. Making that sound memorable and leaving a long lasting impression on the listener is another story. Bands such as Curve and Garbage have been able to make the combination of new wave and rock music successfully, attracting a legion of fans. Now it is the Canadian band The Birthday Massacre who has created its own hybrid; the result is pure ear candy. Their music is laden with addictive synthesized melodies in the vein of bands like Berlin and Human League, and searing guitar riffs that would satisfy any rock fan.

Violet was originally released in 2003 as an EP, but was re-mastered earlier this year as a full-length album, which includes four bonus tracks. If there is one quality about The Birthday Massacre that really stands out, it is their ear for a good hook. “Violet” and “Holiday” are good examples. “Holiday” in particular brought back memories of the band Berlin with its irresistibly catchy synthesized melodies and Chibi’s semi high-pitched vocals. It is hard not to think of Berlin when listening to this entire album as Lead singer Chibi reminded this listener of Terri Nunn. For most of the album, Chibi’s vocals are clean and polished. The only exception is on the song “Blue,” Chibi takes a different approach to singing during the chorus, sounding more like Hanzel und Gretyl’s Vas Kallas with her death metal-like growl. Chibi quickly goes back to singing on the verses so there is a nice balance between her polished vocals and her ferocious growl. Hearing Chibi sing in a completely different manner is very interesting, to say the very least, though some might find Chibi’s vocals on the chorus rather abrasive and harsh. “Blue” is easily the heaviest song on the album with the aggressive guitar riffs provided by guitarists M. Falcore and Rainbow. “Violet” is one of the handful of songs that really stood out among the other songs. The power pop hooks bear a striking resemblance to The Go-Go’s, but with synthesizers. “Video Kid” is another excellent song that has a lot of energy and infectious pop hooks. The percolating synthesized melodies and crushing guitar riffs make this song an immense joy to listen to.

The combination of new wave and rock bears a vague resemblance to Orgy’s interpretation of New Order’s “Blue Monday,” but with better melodies. The lyrics are nothing particularly special; they are not bad, but there isn’t anything about the lyrics that makes them stand out. The weakest lyrics have to be for “Happy Birthday.” They were repetitious and silly, with lines like “I wore my black and white dress to the birthday massacre, birthday massacre, birthday. I wore my black and white dress.” On the other hand, the band doesn’t take itself so seriously, hence the silliness in their lyrics. The production on Violet is excellent, possessing a big sound that will make the listener feel like he or she is seeing the band perform live. Despite the mediocre lyrics, what really drives The Birthday Massacre are their pop sensibilities and ability to lure listeners in with their catchy hooks and pulsating synth beats. It would be difficult to not fall in love with The Birthday Massacre after hearing Violet.