Butcher Babies – Take It Like a Man

After being lucky enough to catch this band live twice this year, firstly tearing up the HMS Hammer cramming so much intensity and energy in a 15 minute slot it was crazy.  Secondly witnessing them whipping the main stage crowd at Graspop into a metal frenzy, I could not wait for this album.  If you have been lucky enough to see Butcher Babies live you know what a good show you get, a tight musical performance and so much energy!  If you blink you’ll miss Heidi and Carla launching across the stage and into the crowd, whilst delivering crushing vocals.   I have to say hearing their ‘Crazy Horses’ cover live was just incredible, and seeing thousands of metal heads head banging and screaming along to ‘The Osmond’s’ classic was ridiculously brilliant.  Having really enjoyed their first full release Goliath and their covers EP Uncovered I was hopeful Take It Like a Man would be just as much a treat.

I’ve spent the last few days listening to this album, and checking out the videos up on the Century Media YouTube page for each song (I will post a link at the end as I really recommend checking them out).  What I really love about this album, it is still very true to Butcher Babies and their trademark sound, but really shows their growth as a band and progression to really putting themselves out there with much more personal songs.  ‘Goliath’ was full on brutality which earned them their place in the metal scene, and ‘Uncovered EP’ was a good bit of fun filling the gap between albums.  Now ‘Take It Like a Man’ has stepped up their game even more, I get really annoyed reading articles and reviews on how it’s just the band with 2 beautiful ladies that scream, and everything else doesn’t matter.  This album is a kick to the teeth to everyone who has pre-judged them, the guys deliver such creativity and killer riffs and grooves.  One of my favourites has to be ‘The Butcher’ Henry Flury, Jason Klein and Chris Warner have shown they are just as integral to the band, dishing up equal measures of brutality and melody.

This album really shows Butcher Babies exploring so much more, with 2 vocalists it really opens up so many possibilities and ways to keep things interesting.  Ranging from their trademark screams, and now to haunting clean vocals, as well as spoken parts, it really mixes things up and shows such progression.  My favourite track on the album is ‘Thrown Away’ featuring clean vocals from Heidi and Carla this track is so different from their usual material, showing a much more vulnerable side to them, they took a chance putting more of themselves into the music and not just using their trademark dual scream vocals, and for me personally its really paid off showing just how much this band have to offer.  Another favourite for me is the debut single ‘Monster Ball’ with Heidi being the ring leader and the incredibly addictive chorus it offers up a good insight into Take It Like a Man and you can’t help but head-bang along.

Overall a fantastic album a great step forward for Butcher Babies carving their place in the Metal world showing they are a force to be reckoned with and they pack quite a punch!  I really hope we get treated to a UK tour soon so we can see it in action, 5 stars from me and my favourite release this year, it’s gonna be a hard one to top!