Kittie
‘Safe’
Artemis Records
For fans only: a seven song EP that collects five live recordings of previous recordings from the female hardcore stars, plus two versions of the titular song, originally heard on the girls’ last full-length release, “Oracle”.
There’s the original radio edit of the mournful Goth ballad “Safe,” as well as a remake courtesy of cult metal group KMFDM, which manages an even eerier vibe than the original. The rest consists of live recordings that sound like nothing more than mindless screaming. Musical ingredients get reduced to an incoherent snarl from lead singer Mercedes Lander, while the tuneless riffage makes mincemeat of melody and harmony.
– Johnny Donaldson
