Ligeia

Ligeia are a band whose perseverance and overall drive actually paid off, as opposed to steering them headfirst into premature financial and emotional ruin at the mercy of Tony Brummel or a comparable tyrant. After self-financing the recording of their first full-length, Your Ghost is a Gift, they shopped it around for quite some time until Ferret eventually jumped on board, and the label figured that this three-year-old, producer-less album was simply too solid to pass up releasing as their professional debut. They were most certainly right, as the group’s classic Poison the Well meets old Unearth by way of capital mosh punishment approach hearkened back to a time that feels a lot longer ago than it was, catching the attention of tough guys and sensitive types alike. Bad News essentially outdoes its predecessor in every respect, with the exception of some questionable lyrical couplets and a disappointingly brief running time. Shorter songs, tighter clean vocals and less frequent, yet equally effective, breakdowns all lend a hand in reining in the group’s more open-ended, expansive tendencies, leading to a much more focused release. While Ligeia haven’t necessarily morphed into a Scott Vogel side project overnight, Bad News sees the band stripping down their sound to the essentials without losing any of the infectious melody or suffocating power they’ve become infamous for. Tailored for the live setting and free of anything less than arresting, Ligeia are making the most of their genre niche while they still can, and the kids will doubtlessly be right up front with them, screaming along through all 29 sweat-drenched minutes.