45 Grave - "Pick Your Poison"

Well, you know, it's been 25 years since there was a legitimate 45 Grave release. All of the members that made "Sleep In Safety" unforgettable and culturally significant have passed on or moved on, save the intoxicating banshee, Dinah Cancer. There were only brief moments since 1989 that 45 Grave were at rest... but sometimes the dead refuse to stay in the ground. Since the early '90s, Dinah has made efforts to return to the rightful throne of punk's Scream Queen. The deplorable and unwelcomed "Debasement Tapes" from Cleopatra Records offered very little to someone unfamiliar with 45 Grave's legacy, and only annoyance to long-time fans. Dinah again began to make resounding waves with Penis Flytrap, and ironically that bone-shattering wail was such a comfort to hear. In a few short years to follow, 45 Grave began touring the U.S. and Europe with assurances of a new album. We've waited with baited breath for nearly a decade for it to come to fruition, and this August (earlier for mp3) we are presented with, "Pick Your Poison".

Of course there's expectations, 45 Grave is my love-child. You immediately recognize some titles, "Akira", "Sorceress", and the teaser from the past couple of years, "Night Of The Demons". No, right from the start, this is not "Sleep In Safety II". Dinah has been exposed to countless musical influences in 25 years, is no longer addled by addictions, and she's the sole remaining member. Not to mention, it would sound frighteningly dated if she even tried to record "Sleep In Safety II". I am guilty however of thinking maybe something along Penis Flytrap might emerge, but that too is more than a decade ago. So, what do we have??

"Pick Your Poison" is appropriately titled to be honest. One can look at it as a tip of the hat to musical influences, or you can break it down to the simple fact that this is dirty, scary, campy, bar rock album. Like Bordello Of Blood's house band. No disrespect at all is intended by those comments. Dinah's voice is still strong, and her presence is inescapable, but if you are looking for "Partytime" wails, then you will be a sad, sad deathrocker. There are elements of hard rock, post punk, dare I say, an effort at cowpunk, no, no - can't be, and a measure of rockabilly and ska. "Johnny" definitely comes from left field, which is apparently a dusty, bar with a jukebox containing only early country & western. Hey, it's fine! This is a drinking album, seriously. No beer - straight whisky my friend.

"Sorceress" is goth/death rock, and it's the skeleton from the 45 Grave wardrobe of horrors. It will appeal to hardcore fans, with it's polished vocals, a driving rhythm, and seedy guitar. It's a warm and bloody bath of familiar phantoms. It would easily be my favorite track from the disc, but I actually am impressed most with "Child Of Fear". It has a bit of fairytale horror to it, similar to early Switchblade Symphony, but with more complex guitar progressions, and I love the layered vocal effects. This is actually quite familiar to me, but damn if I can place it. Doesn't really matter, 45 Grave put forth a solid track that would make Alice Cooper take notice.

"A Desert Dream" is unexpected, a piano-driven instrumental that is a child's music box left behind after The Dust Bowl. It could easily fall into a post-rock category, but the guitar aspect is reminiscent of the 70's. It's an interesting mix that works well, and if there has to be a ballad - I'm glad we decided to be original with it.

"Winds Of Change" is the closer, and it's got horns, it's got rhythm, and yes, I want to dance, thank you for asking. It's another oddity from the curio cabinet that is "Pick Your Poison", but hell, maybe Dinah is an Oingo Boingo fan like me? It works, it's wonderful, it belongs.

Yes, "Pick Your Poison" does suffer a bit from a scattering effect of influences. It's binding element is the macabre, creep-campiness of the lyrics. You are making a mistake if you want to take this seriously and choose to accept this in any other way than a band that had a blast recording an album that is amazing to drink to. It's been 25 years, and to expect something different is unfair. Honestly, it would be unbelievable and regrettable. Elements of the part are present, a healthy enough does to know that the film projector running 80's horror movies in Dinah's heart is still a well-oiled machine, and she is still the ultimate deathrock party girl that we all love. It's enough and I thank 45 Grave for bringing the party to me.