My Ruin – “Ghost and Good Stories” (2010)

Label : Tiefdruck Musik

Review by Tony Cannella

Before that was Otep, In This Moment, The Agonist and countless other bands with aggressive sounding female vocals, there was Tairre B. She originally began her metal career in Manhole who later changed their name to Tura Satana. After that came My Ruin, this has undergone some lineup changes. The latest version features only Tairrie B. Murphy on vocals along with her husband, multi instrumentalist Mick Murphy on everything else. Their new slab of aggro metal is titled, “Ghost and Good Stories”. It is good to see that Tairrie B. has maintained her aggressiveness, thoughtful and energetic approach to her music. The songs on “Ghosts and Good Stories” offer a huge shot of adrenalin to the listener. The CD begins with the moody “Diggin’ for Ghosts” a fine opener that shows the diversity this band is capable of. The next two tracks, “Long Dark Night” and “Excommunicated” are simply slamming. Mick Murphy is Tairrie B.’s partner in crime and he proves to be adept at several instruments. His riffs remind of early Black Sabbath at times and at others he borders almost on Thrash and then southern rock. Make no mistake the overall vibe on “Ghosts and Good Stories” is one of aggression and anger. Tairrie B. spits out the lyrics with such venomous contempt that one can’t help but sit up and take notice. Two of my favorite tracks “Eyes Black” and “Turned Out” are a perfect example of this. Forget everything you know or have heard about My Ruin. Just pop “Ghosts and Good Stories” into your CD player and let it rip! This is a band who sound as good as ever.