When you've been fucked over by the record industry in more ways than you could imagine, you have two choices: give up or front the fuck up. In My Ruin's case it has most certainly been a case of the latter, taking it upon themselves to stick a middle finger up at the record companies and self-releasing their output. The first fruits of these efforts were the quite stunning self-promotion and subsequent release of last year's 'Ghosts And Good Stories'. That album was an absolute cracker, showcasing what a band can achieve once they've shorn themselves of negative outside influence. Now they've released their new opus 'A Southern Revelation' and it's more of the same I'm glad to report, with Tairrie B. Murphy and her multi-instrumentalist husband Mick producing another set of ten songs of the highest order.

Recorded in the Tennessee backwaters this album is an absolute beast. Kicking off with the down-tuned, lurching riff of 'Tennessee Elegy' the song's lyrics give off the sense of isolation the band experienced during the recording processes and also brings forth many of the demons Mrs Murphy exorcises on the record. The groove that ran through their previous album is also evident in spades on here, with 'Highly Explosive' and 'Reckoning' thundering along like freight trains with no brakes, and Mick Murphy's guitar solos provide a welcome nod back to a time when solos were an integral part of songs, pulling off some truly awesome shit along the way. It should also be no surprise that Tairrie spits incredible amounts of vitriol in her lyrics, railing against what I'm sure many of us with any musical integrity can appreciate, with 'Walk Of Shame' taking particular pride of place in its brilliant portrayal of the bullshit that seeps from every pore of Los Angeles.

There's also some great traditional metal on here as well and Mick Murphy's guitar work don't half bring Eddie Van Halen to mind, in more than one place. No surprise then that they also top the album off with a rather natty version of Van Halen's 'Mean Street'. Never a song you'd name as archetypal VH, but for that reason it probably works better than any other song of theirs would have; Tairrie's gruff vocal delivery suiting the song perfectly.

If you want an antidote for the bullshit of everyday life and a band to provide the soundtrack to fighting the bullshit and the bullshitters, once again My Ruin have made themselves the number one choice. Just stick on 'Middle Finger' and let the sentiment take you over.

As the album is self-released the easiest way to get it is from their website where it's available as a "Free" Download. You can make a donation directly to the band in the process and if you've got any conscience it won't be a small one. Fuck the vacuous shit that clutters record shop shelves with major label on the outside and utter shit on the inside, go get some real fucking music.

http://www.myruin.net/