PEACEFUL AS HELL review - A match made in Hell

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)

Peaceful as Hell is a 2020 noise pop/industrial metal album from the hellcountry Canada's greatest not-a-band band. Both Ada Rook (AKA, sigil) and Devi McCallion (AKA, Girls Rituals; FKA, EAT BABIES) have been long active as solo musicians (and for Ada, also active as an independent game developer), but have been recording as a duo under the banner of Black Dresses for several years at this point. Their fourth album after 2018's WASTEISOLATION, 2019's THANK YOU, and (of course) 2019's LOVE AND AFFECTION FOR STUPID LITTLE BITCHES, Peaceful as Hell was their big breakthrough--but it coincided with a time of turmoil for Devi and Ada, as their music began to blow up on the hellapp TikTok. And not in a good way. See, these two are trans women, and we all know how kind, and accepting, and respectful the Internet is of trans women, particularly visible ones. And so, naturally, this deep compassion led to TikTokers harassing the band to the point that they broke up after Peaceful as Hell. (Ssshhh, don't tell them that Black Dresses have released two new albums since officially disbanding.)

Implacable is about the best word for describing the sonic palette Black Dresses employs. Or maybe, "eclectic". It's buzzing, blaring noise that occasionally breaks down and makes you think that the album must be haunted if it makes such unnerving glitches. That dissonance can absolutely be a turn-off, if you are weak of will and ear. Because if you stick with the album, those sputtering glitch passages on tracks such as "ANGEL HAIR" lead to incredible catharsis. Whether it's more poppy, or pulse-pounding metal, or even chiptunes, no genre is safe from Devi & Ada's path on this LP. And you might say to yourself, "oh, so this is a jack of all trades and a master of no--", at which point, I throat-punch you for thinking I can't read your mind in the hypothetical I wrote.

I am breathless every fucking time I listen to tracks like "DAMAGE SUPPRESSOR", as they transition so effortlessly from crushing and industrial to propulsive choruses that slay most pop music in pure hookiness. "MiRRORGiRL" is the perfect example of the unholy matrimony on offer in their genre fusions. It is relentless, and yet so incredibly fun to listen to. There are days where it is the only song I want to listen to. Which, you know, is a song I cannot quite relate to lyrically in a lot of ways (I am not a trans woman, in case you were unaware), though the darkness on hand is certainly something I've coveted during this perpetual post-apocalypse we live in. But we'll get to lyrics in a bit. We've got a bigger fish to fry critically next.

Vocals are incredibly important in music that has them, and if you are also weak of will and ear (and some folks are just being transphobic), you may have problems with Devi and/or Ada's vocals. They can be a little raw, a little nasal. Good. This is not an album you go to for overly prim and technical virtuosity. You go to it to get your head kicked in and your heart ripped out. Not only do Ada and Devi accomplish these acts handily, the fact that they sound like themselves, and not like every third-stringer from Glee, lends a human, uncommercial quality to the performances. Also, *imagine* thinking the vocals on tracks like "EXPRESS YOURSELF" or "SCARED 2 DEATH" are anything but personable, expressive, and fucking satisfying as hell sonically.

It's that personability that always makes the occasional autotune and whatnot so consistently dumbfounding. Alas... for people who want me to slag this record off for some reason, somehow. It absolutely adds to the glitchy elements of the record, and it always feels fresh when it crops up, as it is otherwise used a lil sparingly.

But what of those lyrics, eh? Oh, there's some good shit there. Whether it's discussing anxiety and feeling like a constant outsider on cuts such as "IM A FREAK CUZ IM ALWAYS FREAKED OUT", "MiRRORGiRL", the aptly titled "CREEP U"; or more "wholesome" tracks like the absolute barn-burner that is "BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP". Additionally, you have tunes like "SHARP HALO" that carry a horror tinge with apparent ease.

As for highlights... the toughest part of this review. I could basically rattle off every single track off of the album if I wasn't stopping myself. I'll say that the most sonically "enjoyable" stuff on the album would be, "MiRRORGiRL", "SCARED 2 DEATH", "BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP", "SHARP HALO", "DAMAGE SUPPRESSOR", and "CREEP U". But I think you'd be missing out on some genuinely chilling and/or magical music if you only listen to the "bangers" on the tracklist. I'd say dip your toes into one or two of those and, if you dig 'em, definitely dig into a full album listen. It's got a great flow to it, and is a real breeze in terms of pacing. It feels way shorter than it really is, but it also feels like I could listen to it for years and still find new elements to appreciate about it. Of course, only time will tell. As of now, though, this is one of my favorite albums ever. Easily. Hands down.

So, with that in mind, I think we already know what I'm gonna say. That I've since done a full discog listen, including their two subsequent albums (Forever in Your Heart, plus Forget Your Own Face) and am consequently, fully "Black Dresses pilled". Well, no. I struggle to find time for one album at a time, let alone diving into five others (not to mention the extracurriculars in their solo projects, which I also want to fill my ears with at some point). Black Dresses is one of those acts that you can listen to nothing but and be more than fed, as these two are clearly very prolific, and good at what they do. Also... there's obviously the fear that I will listen to their other projects and not enjoy them very much. I do fully intend to listen to them, ideally the last two this year at least. But, of course, only time will tell. What time doesn't need to tell, though, is that Peaceful as Hell gets a 10/10 from me. I can say at least that obvious bit. Peace ✌️

Masterpiece

Summary:

A match made in Hell, Black Dresses blew my mind on Peaceful as Hell, which managed to be my favorite album of its year, in a year with RTJ4. It's perfect, as far as I'm concerned.