READER-SUGGESTED CHICK METAL, PART 1: LUDICRA
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 12:30pm by Axl Rosenberg
Last week I solicited suggestions for awesome bands with female members that we don’t routinely write about here at MS, and a bunch of you obliged. So now I’m gonna try and actually listen to some of these bands over the next few days.
Ludicra was the very first band suggested, but the reader known as “lo;” Arthur von Nagel of Cormorant and sometimes MetalSucks and then Ziltoid chimed in with their seal of approval, too. Then last night the band came up again when we got a press release announcing that Ludicra are “putting the finishing touches” on their fourth full-length album, The Tenant, which will be out on Profound Lore in March 2010.
So, yeah. Let’s start with Ludicra.
I’ve actually heard Ludicra before (when Cosmo Lee called them “metal’s most underrated band”), and have no idea why I never wrote about them. Shame on me.
So, how do I describe their music?It’s like this really awesome, really raw black metal that I imagine will appeal to the tr00est amoung you (e.g., not the Abigail Williams fans), and the singer, Laurie Shanaman, sounds like she’s taking the most painful shit ever. Like, if Regan from The Exorcist took a shit. Just… nasty.
One of the guitar players, Christy Canter, is also a woman, which seems like it’s worth mentioning given what got us started down this road. And while the other guitarist, John Cobbett, has a penis, he’s also in Slough Feg, which is a plus.
They have an album called Another Great Love Song, but don’t let that fool you: this band does not sound like an American band that sounds like a Swedish band, which is what that album title might lead you to believe.
In conclusion, I look forward to hearing The Tenant.
-AR
you lost me with the ” really raw black metal ” tag,….
QFT
Ludicra are a pretty solid band…The black metal tag totally fits what they do, but they also embrace a bit of Converge with their music. Thanks for giving them some exposure on here!
wow now profound lore has ludicra too
Fun fact: The drummer is also in Agalloch.
Ludicra is awesome. But John Cobbet isn’t in Slough Feg anymore, but he still has his band Hammers of Misfortune, probably one of the best bands of all time (Mike Scalzi, of Slough Feg, is also a former member of Hammers).
dude profound lore has an unstoppable roster
hmm…. if anybody could send me suggestions on how to find one of these hot metal chick girlfriends I would enjoy that. they’re like fucking unicorns i swear.
Y’all should check out Saros as well…awesome female fronted Bay Area blackened prog whatever metal. They are a little more Opeth or Agalloch than Black Metal, and also feature Blood Eagle from Weakling on the skins!
http://www.myspace.com/saros
Geez. After hearing your description of her singing, Axl, I just had to hear her and them for myself.
And let me tell you, this image of a painful shit is clinging in my memory as I’m listening to her.
And I’m thinking..someone help that woman!
But seriously, this is pretty cool. I like them.
I’m not big on screamers n death throats, but this is pretty cool precisely because it is a woman singer.
Ludicra’s drummer, Aesop, also has an amazing fucking blog called Cosmic Hearse (www.cosmichearse.blogspot.com) and he posts some of the weirdest, rarest, and most fucked up albums EVER on there. Fans of all types of ultra-obscure music should check it out.
And I second the notion of checking out Saros. Another amazing female-fronted SF metal band.
Landmine Marathon
Black September
Salome
Battle of Mice
Made Out of Babies
The Devil’s Blood
Made out of babies is fucking awful.
your face is fucking awful.
MOoB has been featured on here quite a bit anyways (like all of 2008). great band, particularly live.
You know who else was featured here? IWRESTLEDABEARONCE. Using metalsucks as an appeal to authority is pretty fail.
Chick metal? Really?
ludicra are an amazing band…
The other peen in Ludicra belongs to Ross Sewage from Impaled, btw and in my opinion, calling Ludicra “chick metal” is doing them a disservice. Evanesence is chick metal. Ludicra is metal. Period. End of sentence.
Drain, STH. I’d do ‘em.
“… in my opinion, calling Ludicra ‘Chick metal’ is doing them a disservice. Evanesence is chick metal. Ludicra is metal. Period. End of sentence.”
since i saw this on ludicra’s facebook status with the words “chick metal?” written by the url of the article, I’m assuming at least one of the bandmembers feels the same as the guy posting above me. and i also feel the same way. ludicra is one of my favorite bands and I see no connection between their very raw, creative and powerful music and a title which reminds me of paramore and kittie and all the other shitty bands trying to appeal to little girls.
the thing about the bay area music scene is that theres a hell of a lot of female musicians, and most of those particular musicians really find this annoying because its a label which makes people think they’re trying to appeal to a particular audience. i mean really, i could probablty name 4-6 heavy metal bands from the bay area that have or have had chicks in them. graves at sea, Laudanum, Saros, Grayceon, Hammers Of Misfortune, Weakling, would you call all them “chick metal?” i also wouldn’t call ludicra black metal really, their first album is sort of blackish and weakling was a strong influence in their songwriting, but i would call them just “metal” not “black metal” or “chick metal” just good music.
blah!
/endrant
but i also strongly reccomend Saros. they’re fucking amazing.
agreed. even though it’s rather well intentioned, it’s still fucking stupid.
what the hell does that mean: chick metal?
Ludicra is amazing. I suggest anyone to listen to “Fex Urbis Lex Orbis” (latest album) and you will be surprised.
http://www.myspace.com/ludicra
I’ll check out Ludicra tomorrow. I think the “chick metal” tag is a bit pejorative and objectifying…
At least have a listen to Estuary – http://www.myspace.com/estuary
Check out this band from Austin, TX: http://www.myspace.com/blackholicus
I caught their set at SXSW a couple of years ago and the bassist / vocalist, Margaret, is completely out of this world. she was dressed like Lucille Ball – hair, big plastic beaded necklace and all, but man, she could howl. Check their Myspace.
Have you guys mentioned Dark Castle yet? The chick from that band is fucking intense.
http://www.myspace.com/texasprisonrodeo
Texas Prison Rodeo is the best female-fronted metal band ever.
Ludicra are amazing. Bravo, MetalSucks!
christ, axl. you would think that from the sounds of things, the only thing chicks in metal bands know how to do is look pretty and pose for pictures like liv kristine and whoever that chick from lacuna coil is. so here’s a righteous sludge band with a woman who looks like an average woman, but you know what? fuck it. the music’s awesome and that’s all i give a shit about.
http://www.myspace.com/hcminds
Holy shit, Ludicra kicks ass. That chick’s voice is fucking insane. I feel like she’s gonna jump out of my headphones and tear my nuts off. When it comes to harsh vocals, she puts Angela Gossow to shame. Shit, she puts a lot of male vocalists to shame. Straight venom right there.
Tits or GTFO
ludicra is one of my favorite bands ever,theyre not a “chick band”..theyre a fucking rad band who happens to have members of the female persuasion who are super badass at what they do. theyre more amazing than 95% of all the other stupid shit bands who get attention for god knows what these days..
fuck yeah ludicra
Awesome band, but their myspace page is an eyesore.