STITCHED UP HEART

STITCHED UP HEART have been rocking it in Los Angeles since 2010, and even though they've been together more than a decade, the band is still considered in many circles a fresh talent. Vocalist Alecia "Mixi" Demner heads up the outfit, and even though they can be played alongside bands such as IN THIS MOMENT, LACUNA COIL and BUTCHER BABIES and sound seemingly perfect with those groups, they have a sound all their own.

Mixi switches between clean, soprano vocals and guttural, death metal growls on the band's new album, "Medusa". If you're looking for an album that's jam packed with radio-friendly hard rock tunes, this is it. That's a good thing. The set arrives on Judge & Jury Records, the label founded by producer Howard Benson and THREE DAYS GRACE drummer Neil Sanderson.

"Medusa" kicks off with "Love & Death", which is a strong contender for a future radio single. The track, which features singer-songwriter Austin John Winkler, has the perfect mix of heavy and melodic with Mixi showing off both her pure vocal side and those growling vocals. On "Love & Death" and much of the album, choruses soar and Mixi locks in rhythm with her band, making for a wall of sound that's cohesive and polished.

There are plenty of standouts on here. One is "Beast", featuring NONPOINT's Elias Soriano, includes a catchy, dance-happy beat with heavy guitars and Mixi and Soriano's dueling vocals. Another star-studded song is "Cannibal" with BUTCHER BABIES' Heidi Shepherd, featuring a breathy, sing-talk passage that crashes into a full-throttle metal anthem.

"Sick Sick Sick" and "Beast" are two more songs that hit hard and really lock into that push-pull between clean singing and full-on screaming. There's a nice volatility to both tracks, like they're constantly deciding whether to float or fight, and usually choosing both at the same time. The hooks land, but they don't soften the edges, which keeps the energy feeling sharp rather than polished.

"Ex-termination" closes out the album like a door being slammed at just the right moment. It's heavy and with zero interest in being polite. The guitars come in thick and relentless, and the death metal growls push everything into darker territory making sure the record ends on impact rather than resolution.

STITCHED UP HEART really show their talent with "Medusa", and it's a delight to see this band grow and evolve. There's a confidence in the way they handle the dynamics, like they finally trust the space between the heavy moments and the melodic ones instead of rushing to fill every gap.