Sister Shotgun - 'Fragments' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Sacred Heart

2. She Lives

3. From The Ashes

4. Fragments

5. Miss Fortune

6. For The Love Of Hate

7. Kill the Lights

8. Silhouettes

9. Mourning Iris

10. Scorn

11. No Hope (Bonus Track)

I was lucky enough to see Sister Shotgun live a couple of weeks ago, when I reviewed a Skarlett Riot gig for this very website. I loved them then, so when the chance to review their debut album came up, I jumped at the chance.

And I am truly glad that I did.

“Sacred Heart” gets this album off to a smashing start, and clearly establishes what you are going to be enjoying for the next fifty or so minutes – it’s a classic Metal album, with an incredibly strong vocalist, a selection of talented musicians and the desire to create some memorable songs.

And let’s talk about that vocalist for a moment. While a band is always made up of many people, and the vocalist is no more or less important than the others, Chloe Ozwell’s voice just has to be mentioned when you talk about this album – she really sells the emotion and the range required to do these songs justice.

Everything is strong here – not one song lets the album down whatsoever. I mean, I have favourites – of course I do – “From The Ashes” is an absolute belter, and “Mourning Iris” is astounding, with a brilliant little guitar riff to boot. Even the traditional mid-album slow song (represented here by “For The Love Of Hate”) is a great tune in its own right, and is a nice little breather before you head back into the insanity of “Kill The Lights”.

I could go on – I could list every thing I like in every song, but I genuinely think that as many people should experience this album as possible so that they can appreciate the sheer wonder and craftsmanship that has gone into it.

This is an exceptional album. It doesn’t sound like a band making their first album, more like an experienced band making their fourth or fifth. There is not a bad track here – mark my words, “Fragments” is a strong contender for my album of the year. And it’s only April!