Saint Agnes - Bloodsuckers [CD]

Hailing from the UK, this four-strong outfit are all about honest lyrics, raw vocal performances (delivered by frontperson, Kitty A. Austen), plus rage-fuelled music intended to give a voice to those closer to the fringe than the center. More gang than band, Saint Agnes (Roman martyr, patron saint of a number of things, including girls) seek to empower those who've been battered and bruised yet refuse to lie down, and it's a thread that runs deep within their second studio album, Bloodsuckers. From the title track onwards, this is a genre-jumping body of work, taking in elements of metal, punk, industrial and grunge, without being bound by any specific style. The 11 tracks here come straight from the source, largely self-produced and mixed, and this self-contained approach provides an extra emotional weight throughout.