Crucified Barbara - In The Red (2014)

It is always nice to see women in this male dominated world known as metal, and it is even nicer to see a full band of them. Crucified Barbara is a Swedish hard rock band consisting of 4 women known as Mia Coldheart, Klara Force, Ida Evileye and Nicki Wicked. With names like that, you can be sure that this all female band will create some head banging rock that is both heavy and catchy.

And sure enough, "In The Red" is a perfect continuation on what the band did on the 2012 release "The Midnight Chase". It is good solid hard rock with a little sleaze rock vibe, nice riffs and a Mia Coldheart that once again shows that she has one of the toughest voices in metal. And it also feels like the band has grown on several aspects since the last album. The band chemistry is at an all time high and the song writing is both versatile and dynamic. It is a good old punch that has the same strength as a amazon woman.

Don't believe me? Just check out "I Sell My Kids For Rock'N'Roll" and you will see the band's capability. fast and edgy riffs, tough drum beats and butt loads of attitude. However, that track is not the only track in the album that contains those elements. "Don't Call On Me", "Lunatic #1" and "Follow The Stream" are all songs that show both speed and toughness that out matches most of what their male equivalents can come up with.

Then we have the slower tunes that breaks up the album perfectly so it does not feel like one big blob. My favourite of those would probably be "To Kill A Man" that is about the urge to commit murder against men who abuse women. A great track with strong lyrics. Other slightly slower tunes that you should check out are the classic rock song "Electric Sky", the melodic "The Ghost Inside" and the simplistic "Do You Want Me".

The only real problem with "In The Red" is that there is no song that really stands out as a true winner. The album is very, very solid as a unity and most of the tracks can also stand on their own two legs, but it is very unlikely that any of the songs on "In the Red" will top the charts as one of the best songs of 2014. I also think that the production could have been a little better, but that is a very minor issue since the band plays as well as they do.

"In The Red" is indisputably Crucified Barbara's best work so far. It is a great hard rock album that shows a great variety and awesome musicality. There is no doubt in my mind that Crucified Barbara is the current leaders of the women rock movement and they carry that title with pride and honor. Do not miss this album out, it is one of the better hard rock albums that has been released in 2014. Female power at its best.

Songs worthy of recognition: To Kill A Man, Electric Sky, Don't Call On Me, Lunatic #1

Rating: 8,5/10 Shadows