On Nemesisters, Babes In Toyland becomes a full-fledged heavy metal band. Most of the raw, slashing guitars of their early records are gone, replaced by a pulsing, plodding grind that never catches fire. Gone are the inspired, angry lyrics, replaced by jokes that just aren't that funny -- the opener "Hello," and the cheap puns of "Sweet 69," and the deconstructionist covers of "All By Myself" and "Deep Song," which are too obvious to be humorous. "Sweet 69" does have a pummelling heavy groove that makes its jokes forgivable, yet the majority of the album is simply dull, recycled riffs and rhythms, and that is hard to forgive.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo