Priestess – Prior To the Fire (Tee Pee)

On Prior To the Fire, the follow-up to its debut album Hello Master, Priestess worships the almighty riff. Weaving as many six-string threads into its songs as possible, the Montreal quartet pays homage to the work of everyone from IRON MAIDEN to MOTÖRHEAD to SOUNDGARDEN. But the axes don’t chop their way through the musical underbrush willy nilly – every lick is under tight control, working with the rhythm section, rather than on top of it. Singer MIKEY TEPPNER‘s raspy howl sits front-and-center in the mix, as it should, especially given his oft-unusual lyrical style (cf. “It Baffles the Mind,” “Communicating Via-Eyes,” “Raccoon Eyes”). There’s more going on in the Priestess galaxy than brainless thud – there’s just enough art in its attack to set it leagues above its neo-metal peers, but not enough to interfere with headbanging delights like “Lady Killer” and “Murphy’s Law.” No wonder they’ve toured with bands as disparate as MEGADETH, DINOSAUR JR., CONVERGE, MURDER BY DEATH and GWAR. Unreconstructed boogiecrunch fans will find Priestess easy to love, but those seeking a deeper, richer experience will also be rewarded.

http://www.myspace.com/priestessband
http://www.teepeerecords.com