American-based label Give/Take are doing great things when it comes to dark and heavy music. Based in both LA and Minneapolis, they generally lean towards music produced in the US, but with a roster that includes Justin K Broadrick, Carthage and DB Armitage, it’s clear that they also have a predilection for music made on this side of the water. So, when Hana Piranha and Mishkin Fitzgerald both of longstanding prog-rock outfit Birdeatsbaby and metal combo Crimson Veil launched their side project HVIRESS, Give/Take leapt on board to release their long-awaited debut, BITCHHOUSE.

The “occult, musical love child” of the two Brighton-based musicians, Piranha and Fitzgerald first crossed paths over a decade ago when Birdeatsbaby needed a new violinist. Friends from having toured in similar circles, Piranha stepped in and the pair have never looked back. When it comes to songwriting, they were naturally drawn together not just thanks to a singular devotion to the music - their love for which is unequivocal, but also a deep friendship stemming from having grown up under the shadow of religion and the inner turmoil it produced. Together, they let loose and threw themselves into everything that the rock and roll lifestyle has to offer.

But that novelty soon began to wear off as the pair started to look inwards and explore their own sense of spirituality – Piranha drawing on her classical roots and the world of Greek mythology, Fitzgerald delving into her fascination with magick and occult practice.  All of which they fused with a dark, intense music that nevertheless refuses to be pigeonholed. Rock-oriented in the main but entwined with a clever use of electronics to give this epic storytelling a whole different dimension.

And BITCHHOUSE is everything that you would expect - their all-encompassing female power smeared thick across eleven songs. The aptly titled ‘Arrival’ and ‘Golden Apple’ are a hint of what is to come, teasing with the rock-electronic aesthetic, but it’s the third track ‘I Am the Snake Queen’ where the album really takes off. Twisting and turning, epic and understated – the missive of female strength palpable. ‘Secret’ then continues in the same vein, run through with melody and curiously reminiscent of Blackstar-era Bowie, the synth quite prominent here.

The second half is loaded with guest appearances. Welsh singer Catherine Elms features on ‘Witness’ and local Brighton musician Emberhoney on ‘Organ Grinder’, while American experimental rock doyen Wendy Rae Fowler stars on the ambitious ‘My Cup Runneth Over’ – a track that uses it’s light and shade to tremendous effect. But the winning guest spot for me is dirtcore star Samson Samson on ‘Pervert’, where the energy is propelled by rhythmic metal guitar and searing vocal performances. 

With added input from Birdseatsbaby producer Garry Mitchell and Cage 9’s Evan Rodaniche, who mixed the final product, this feels like a call to arms.  “BITCHHOUSE is an album about building a protective space where women can make the rules. Just like our music, it is a blend of extroversion and vulnerability, a place where you can be a queen or a demon,” says Fitzgerald. “ Welcome to the BITCHHOUSE, come as you are, do what thou willst.”