Olympia metalheads Christian Mistress have a lot going for them on their third record – second for Relapse. Their biggest asset is Christine Davis, whose voice is tunefully gritty like some of the best rock ‘n’ rollers’ and effortlessly complements the five-piece band’s classic, heavy guitar riffage. She can howl and emote, and she helps set the band apart from all the others currently flying the NWOBHM flag.
But there’s a consistent dragginess to the eight songs, most of which could’ve been trimmed by at least a minute. Promising headbanging introductions unwind into plodding verses upon verses, and the general tempo is curiously sluggish for a decidedly undoomy band. Even Davis, who ironically used to front a thrash outfit, seems eager to speed things up, occasionally singing slightly ahead of the music.
But certainly the instrumentalists deserve props, too. Final (and shortest) song III brings to mind the catchy multi-part riffage and guitarmonies of High Spirits, with whom the band play on Sunday – and there’s nary a vocal to be heard.
Top track: III
Christian Mistress play Coalition on Sunday (September 13).
