Losing Scarlet - Learning to Bleed
CD Info
2011
Self-Released
8 Tracks
English Lyrics
Metal is the most aggressive genre of music by nature. Despite that, most people wouldn’t describe the music of most female-fronted metal bands as aggressive or intense – but some such bands achieve that kind of sound. Losing Scarlet is one of those bands. This Chicago-area quartet takes the turbulent hard rock / alternative metal style made famous by male-fronted bands such as Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, and Bullet for My Valentine and gives it a feminine twist. However, just because Losing Scarlet is female fronted doesn’t zap the music of its fierceness. And with their latest album, Learning to Bleed, Losing Scarlet proves they’re a real threat to the big boys of their genre.
Learning to Bleed, which Losing Scarlet released in March 2011, is picks up where the band left off on its self-titled debut CD: track after track of crushing rhythms, in-your-face guitars, and clean yet incisive vocals. When you play both of Losing Scarlet’s albums back to back, however, it’s evident that the band has evolved on Learning to Bleed. The new songs are stronger, and the production is tighter and crystal clear. So clear, in fact, that listening to Learning to Bleed gives you an accurate idea of Losing Scarlet’s live sound. And don’t forget about frontwoman Jodi Kell. Vocally, she’s like a cat with her claws unsheathed and her teeth bared; she’s not afraid to sweet-talk, threaten, or scream at the top of her lungs. Because of Kell and the blast of metal delivered by her bandmates, it’s an understatement to call Learning to Bleed a firecracker of a record.
What makes Learning to Bleed such a cool record is the lyrics’ ability to take the Losing Scarlet sound in different directions. On "Halo of Stone," Kell lets you know that she’s as angry as hell. She snarls the verses over Scott Haith’s nu-metal chugs with short breaths in between lines. Then, she belts out a chorus that sums up how she feels: "Open your eyes / I’m not your pretty angel / Halo of stone / Leave me alone." "Shameless Prayer" has a more tormented tone. Its quiet intro accelerated into a rip-roaring plea for salvation, complete with choppy riffs and bass lines. "With This We Fight" hits a more positive note as a statement of self-assurance. Double-kick drumming, spiraling guitars, and Kell’s layered harmonies on the refrain make it an even more convincing statement.
And with a sound this unruly, you know Losing Scarlet has some party tracks up its sleeve. Learning to Bleed has two such songs. "Kiss the Guilt Away" starts off with a marching rhythm before shooting like a bullet into metal mayhem. The lyrics parallel the music’s violence; they depict a situation that’s a cross between rough sex and a bloody fistfight. Then there’s the album’s first single, "Dick, Whiskey." (Yes, you read that correctly!) With sing-along melodies against thunderous arrangements, this "drunk-when-you’re-lonely" anthem will have you headbanging, dancing, and shouting the chorus because it’s so contagious. And that’s a lot to accomplish in less than two-and-a-half minutes.
Every song on Learning to Bleed has its own strengths and personality. However, two songs will take more time for listeners to appreciate. "Inclusions" lacks any unique details to make it stand out from the rest of the set, while the title track follows a flip-flopped song structure ("chorus-verse" instead of "verse-chorus") that’s difficult for one’s brain to adjust to for the first few plays. Otherwise, Learning to Bleed is a raucous record – and you need to be ready for it when you listen to it. That’s because the nature of the lyrics matches the music’s intensity, and sometimes can be crude or provocative. Thus, it takes a backbone to endure lines such as "As I rip the heart out of your chest" ("Halo of Stone") or "Spit your red blood right back in my face" ("Kiss the Guilt Away"). This alone explains the Parental Advisory sticker on the album’s cover.
That "black box," however, shouldn’t deter anyone from giving Learning to Bleed a chance. Sure, this album is a far cry from the complex and sweeping styles you’ll hear from European bands – but Losing Scarlet is an American band, playing distinctly American metal music. And, they play it with balls and fire. Every aspect of Learning to Bleed, especially Haith’s grooves and thrashing on guitars and Kell’s spitfire performance on vocals, will grab your attention and refuse to let go. Even for listeners like myself who don’t normally listen to this kind of metal, the raw, almost animalistic nature of Losing Scarlet’s music is what draws you in. So, if you want a dose of bad-ass female-fronted metal, Learning to Bleed is your solution. Just make sure you hang on tight as soon as you press "play"!
8.5 / 10
Best Songs: "Halo of Stone," "Dick Whiskey," "With This We Fight"
Recommended for fans of In This Moment, Straight Line Stitch, Eyes Set to Kill, and other female-fronted heavy metal or hard rock bands
Learning to Bleed is currently available through Losing Scarlet’s webshop, Amazon, iTunes, and eMusic
