Emilie Autumn – Fight Like A Girl

Label: The Asylum Emporium

Release Date: July 24, 2012

Rating: 9.5/10

Reviewed by: ToddStar

Victoriandustrial.  Quite the label, but it is self chosen here.  Emilie Autumn took what she knew – instruments not typically used in metal or industrial music – and created something amazing.  Add to it her back story, and you have something that you need to hear.  Fight Like A Girl has been a long time coming and her fans, lovingly referred to as Plague Rats, will be enraptured with this release.

“Fight Like A Girl” kicks off like you would expect from Emilie at this point in her career.  The lyrics lay the groundwork for the rest of the disc, as does the instrumentation.  Listening to this track gets you ready for the journey that is this chapter in Ms. Autumn’s life.  “Time For Tea” has a powerful introduction – and the song doesn’t let up from there.  The lyrics build upon the previous track and start leading the listener down the twisted path of this story.  “4 o’clock Reprise” is a nod to a track on a previous effort.  This instrumental is beautiful and haunting at the same time, and a perfect segue way into the next track.  “What Will I Remember?” features Emilie’s beautiful voice over orchestral strings and add depth to the disc, in that it demonstrates the actual talent behind the artist.  This is a shining example of why the listener should not judge a book by its cover.  “Take The Pill” chimes in (literally) and tells a little more of the story behind Emilie’s history.  The vocals here are powerful, emotional, and blend perfectly with the instrumentation.

“Girls! Girls! Girls!” is very Broadway or Vaudevillian sonically, but it totally fits the lyrics and story presented.  Emilie is all about telling the story the way she either remembers it or has created it to protect herself or the other innocents!!  “I Don’t Understand” follows the previous tracks lead, in that it seems to tell a story in lighter tones, but with darker lyrics.  I have to ask – how does she do it?  Somehow Emilie weaves mini-stories within the framework of the album that keep you engaged.  “We Want Them Young” adds to the mystique of the story through the use of rhythmic and tribal scoring as well as carefully layered vocals.  “If I Burn” takes the interlude provided by the previous song and builds on the momentum.  It also brings the sounds and vocals one has become accustomed to on Emilie’s releases.  The dips and dives through her vocal range accentuate the lyrics.  The chorus, “If I burn, you will see the fire in your mind when you speak” let’s you know exactly where this story is and where it is headed.

“Scavenger” is clever in that it uses sound effects and instruments to help set the mood for this tale that emanates from deep within Emilie’s psyche.  The piece sets a mood and takes you into the darkness of the story.  One has to listen to the lyrics carefully when the scavenger refers to supply and demand.  It may or may not be exactly what you expected.  “Gaslight” musically lightens the mood from the previous track, but lyrically, this is as dark, if not darker.  This song helps move the story along and is one of the best uses of the harpsichord on the disc, as it is masterfully layered with a beautiful orchestral piece.  This would make an extraordinary interlude instrumental, but is just as effective the way it is.  “The Key” is a cool piece that uses dueling spoken vocals over top of another well composed orchestral piece.  “Hell Is Empty” is all orchestra and sound effects and captures the mood set with the previous track.

“Gaslight Reprise” is another beautiful interlude that helps one see the light that may be cresting over the horizon of this story.   “Goodnight, Sweet Ladies” sets the stage for the end of the nightmarish story that has been put before us, but also lends itself to begin the next chapter.  This song epitomizes the theory of one door closing and another opening.  “Start Another Story” builds on the last song and informs (and possibly warns) that there are still stories to be told by Emilie.  One can only hope the next chapter in this story will be more pleasant for the storyteller.  “One Foot In Front Of The Other” is very tribal in its cadence and structure.  This song lets the listener know Emilie is discovering her need to walk away from the past and face the future, while always keeping the past deeply embedded in her character.

All I can say after listening to this disc (and I have been listening intently for a few days now) is that I cannot wait for the Fight Like A Girl musical.  This disc has the story and music that would come alive even more if presented in a theater setting.  I cannot wait for this tour to grace North American stages later this year.  This show will undoubtedly be the most ambitious step in Emilie’s career thus far.

http://www.emilieautumn.com/

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Tags: Asylum, Emilie Autumn, Fight Like A Girl, Plague Rats

Category: CD Reviews