Relief Through Release - Tura Satana > Reviews > Aural violence courtesy of Miss B

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	great sound, strong personal lyrics and religious imagery  -  almost the prototype for My Ruin
Disadvantages:	some songs sound slightly reminiscent of each other

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to violence. This time it comes in female form."

Surely, an opening like that will give an idea of what to expect from Miss Tairrie B's pre-My Ruin band, Tura Satana (once Manhole, the name change came around after threats of legal action from another band with the same name).

It is this album which seems to have Miss B in her musical niche after experiments with rap, rap metal, and then the style presented here which she has more or less stuck with. In this particular album though, the music often matches the feelings of the lyrics... vengeful anger, chaotic confusion, numb reflection.

LUNA feels and at times sounds like a sexual song, although it is about torment brought about by loving someone - "my lovely creature is quickly losing all his charms, and he'll be left with nothing and no one in his arms".
The lyrics are of sacrifice, and of a frightened and angry despair at not knowing what is going wrong. Definitely one of the strongest songs on the album.

Distorted guitars bring us to the next track, DRY. It seems to be about an infatuation - she doesn't want to be attracted or lusting after this person, but nevertheless she can't seem to help it.
Then it seems that she can't shut off her emotions anymore, and has perhaps begun to have feelings for her lover and is forced to call off the 'arrangement' - "I never wanted us to end this way, but something's changed in me, I'm not the same".
Then at the end of the track comes the sound of Tairrie B vomiting into a toilet, and speaking to somebody. God?

VENUS DIABLO. The bassline in this song I feel conveys just how dangerous a woman on a mission can be. Throughout the song, Tairrie unleashes that infamous roar that few men can match and vows "I'm gonna take you down".
She has set out to seduce this innocent man, and she succeeds. Despite this, she isn't responsible for bringing him down. He was brought down because he wanted to be. Musically I found this song uninteresting, which I hate admitting.

The instruments at the beginning of this song build up the anticipation, matching the adrenalin one feels when readying yourself for a confrontation with somebody.
UNCLEAN opens with that seductive low voice of Tairrie's that reminds you that the female of the species is in fact more deadly than the male.
Someone has treated you badly, and has left you feeling so used and dirty, like you will never be clean again. Tairrie is angry, and rightly so, but torn between mulling over this and letting it drag her down, or throwing all her energies into something else and embracing what could rescue her.

FLUX is a song about self harm. Blunt, straightforward - it just is. "Barely alive coz I'm dead on the inside" are the words Tairrie tells us in that breathy voice, then later screams furiously. Surely that says it all?
Self harming is a vicious circle. You want to feel better, and to do so - you cut. But to cut is to prove that you're not feeling better, and so you do it again and the cycle goes on - "Here I go again trying to numb my pain, cut a little deeper but it feels the same".
The more you hate yourself, the more you rely on it - "I love my self abuse, I hate myself". Though the more you see it as your best friend, then it becomes your worst enemy that you're losing control of - "I love this self abuse, I hate this self abuse".

ETERNALUX is a difficult track to decipher but great to listen to. Someone is so wrapped up in being a martyr that it's ruining the relationship and seriously p***ing off Tairrie - "release is never easy from his self inflicted pity, and my hate becomes more pretty as I'm scorned" and then she screams about how he's so trapped in this "Jesus Christ complex" that he'll never stop suffering from it, although it seems to be completely voluntary.
But despite being unhappy, she feels they are both so messed up but are perfect together.

STORAGE is one of the songs more weaker songs that I have a habit to just skip past.
It's about letting go: two people who don't seem to feel the same way they used to about each other - "we've become numb to the other one" - and Tairrie thinks it's best to just get out before any more damage is done and ends the song begging - "I need relief through release, I need to breathe, let me leave, release me please".

The intro to SCAVENGER HUNT gets your attention and you can't help but keep listening as Tairrie sings in hushed tones about this other person inside her, a voice who belittles her, telling her she's not good enough - her self esteem. It's affecting her so much that it's destroying her happiness - "when the boy has left you in the end pretend that you are blameless".
Tairrie knows how she's behaving isn't like her, and in frustration cries "I'm so confused, why can't you see, she isn't me". It's an ongoing battle between trying to ignore the negative things in her head, and just being happy and healthy and able to maintain a relationship.

The familiar guitar riff filled me with excitement as I realised the band had covered Nirvana's NEGATIVE CREEP. Featuring John Davis from Slick Fifty, Tura Satana truly make the song their own in what is one of most exceptional covers I've ever heard. In an act that many will consider blasphemy, I have to say I prefer this to the original. Even the exchange between Tairrie and John is highly enjoyable as they spit "c***.... b****!" at each other. This is definitely a song that everybody should hear.

RELAPSE opens with a slow bassline - the one that should be a warning to all that Tairrie has an agenda. The original version of this song features on the All Is Not Well album under the name Sickness, which leads me to believe that Tairrie had encountered yet more two faced females and decided to bring back this song to let them know she won't be messed around again.
The verses feature Tairrie calmly thinking things over, what this other woman has done and with the guitar gets gradually louder and angry in her certainty that "I'm being f***** while she's a friend to me, reality is lost I'm drowning in my enemy".
She defiantly refuses to play along as it becomes more obvious what this woman is really like and repeats how "I'm everything that's real while you know that you're just a fake".
When Tairrie has pretty much settled the score, and screams "Don't tell me that I can't be myself coz you can't be me", the song ends with the hushed words "All is not well...", indicating that is the end of the song, end of the discussion, and end of being manipulated.

Next comes LAST RITES, another of my favourite songs which is strong musically and lyrically. "Lies hurt, truth lives, no one forgives, love is sickness, we can't quit this" Tairrie tells us with words that struck a chord with me that I often find myself singing or doodling them when I'm bored.
This is about a doomed relationship in which Tairrie was literally everything to him, from - "I'll be your perfect drug when you need to escape" - to - "I am the pride you swallow, the venom that you spit".
She lists everything she is or will be in a tone that is promising and disturbing. She is his heaven and his hell, his Virgin Mary and his Mary Magdalene.
Throughout the song, Tairrie seems to get angrier, which is evident when the lyrics and delivery become more savage, though she is resigned to the fact that things will not work out when she cries "nothing can save us".

OMNIA VINAT AMOR, words which feature in one of Tairrie's numerous tattoos, is the telling of a modern day Romeo and Juliet. This is another song about a relationship doomed to fail and Tairrie being the one who's come off worst.
Together, Tairrie and bassist Rico speak and shout through the chorus of - "Truth... lies, joy... pain, love... hate, omnia vinat amor" which shows a calm and collected demeanour. That is, until, Tairrie simulataneously shows her anger and devastation while screaming - "One night in Spain, one day in Italy, you took away everything you've given me".
This pain continues throughout the rest of the track. The music seems to match the confusion and chaos in Tairrie's mind while the lyrics alternate between numbness and outrage. The song, and album, ends with the simple - "Love is to at last understand the suffering of another, you f*****".

The listener should notice that the last track is just over 15 minutes long, indicating some bonus material which consists of the band just talking and hanging out... then silence... and then Tairrie's monologue which later went on to become the song TERROR on the first My Ruin album.

Also on this CD (or on my copy anyways) are 2 of the band's music videos - Kiss Or Kill, and Luna. Both of which kick ass, may I say.

All in all, it's a great album. Granted, a couple of songs may not be to everybody's liking, but the performance throughout is cohesive and well produced. 

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you murder me, just to watch me bleed