they might be indebted to bands like helmet, big black, and babes in toyland, but made out of babies` sound is all their own. “cooker,” which is one of the best album openers i’ve heard in a long time, starts with julie christmas’ voice being manipulated into a deep, guttural roar over top of the erratic clinking and clanging of brendan tobin’s overdriven guitar. along with bassist cooper’s pronounced rumblings, christmas’ voice is the highlight of the ruiner, shifting from gentle cooing to intense barking with ease. the song then erupts into a rolling assault of primal drums and pummelling riffs, and it’s that abrasive juxtaposition of noise and rhythm where MOOB shine creatively; the way in which they reconcile their influences with their own style is what makes the album such a gratifying listen.
Filed under: Album Review , 2008, babes in toyland, big black, brendan tobin, cooper, helmet, julie christmas, made out of babies, the ruiner
