Drain STH - Freaks of Nature

"People just look at us really weird sometimes because we're four women playing heavy music. It's like we're freaks of nature."– Drain STH bassist Anna K.

I must confess, when I first saw the cover to Freaks of Nature, I immediately thought "oh no, what the hell is this? A Vixen for the late 90s?" Disturbing images of the terrible girl metal bands of the 80s (i.e., Lita Ford, Girlschool, Warlock, etc.) swirled through my head. Even their 90s equivalents, bands like L7, had never crossed the threshold of mediocrity. Call me a male chauvinist, but I just didn't think that these four made-up beauties could possibly amount to anything in the disc player.

Boy, was this man wrong! This album EXPLODES at the starting gate and never lets up through its eleven tracks, proving that neither gender nor appearance is a determinant factor in metallic excellence. Buttressed by an unbelievably huge production sound that is both thick and clean, Drain STH blends chunky guitar riffs, ethereal vocals, and a crashing rhythm section to great effect. And while they rarely deviate from this formula, each song still manages to take on its own identity.

Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, Drain STH formed in 1993 and experienced initial success touring the European club circuit. Four years later, the band would release its major label debut, Horror Wrestling, to good critical reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. The album established Drain's dark, heavy sound and emotional lyricism and landed them a spot on the high-profile Ozzfest ‘97 tour with bands such as Black Sabbath, Pantera and Marilyn Manson. More than holding their own on the festival stage, these four ladies then got back to the studio and finished their second album, Freaks of Nature, in 1999.

A true headbanger, Freaks showcases the talents of each band member and also puts their troubled souls on full display. Rhythm sections partners Anna K. (bass) and Martina Axen (drums) deliver huge beats that are simple but relentless. Guitarist Flavia Canel demonstrates a penchant for giant, grinding riffs that could tear aluminum off the sides of warehouses. Vocalist Maria Sjoholm uses her clear, powerful voice to deliver strikingly vulnerable messages of despair and frustration. Describing a doomed relationship on the disc's first track, "Enter my Mind," she harps on a familiar theme in the band's lyrics: "What would my life be without pain in me?" As she has noted, "I'm almost grateful for the pain I've experienced because it has given me a goldmine of things to write about." Ah, the joys of venting.

And vent they do, mixing industrial, alternative and even techno/hip-hop elements ("Simon Says") into their basic crunchy structure without disturbing the dreadful aspect of the music. Guitarist Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath even gets into the act, receiving a co-writing credit for his doomy chorus on "Black," a standout track on a disc that is solid from start to finish.

And perhaps if Tony knows better, than I should, too. These gorgeous ladies can play some metal, and along with other acts like The Gathering, Lacuna Coil and Optic Snot that feature female members, they are proving convincingly that women can do anything that men can do—even crush skulls. Yes gentlemen, the new millennium is here. Metal is not just for men and we had better take notice—or they'll be digging up our fossils before the decade's over.