Kittie's return last year was one which helped to re-ignite a universal love and reverence of early 2000s metal, particularly the rise of the “female-fronted” prefix. While their debut album Spit is generally regarded as a classic, their first run from 1999 to 2013 saw highs, lows, loss, and ultimately a disappearance into that good night. With the comeback album Fire and their signing to Sumerian Records, the Canadian quartet was back in business and ready to show that their initial success was far from accidental.
Fitting as the label of nu metal was in 1999, their newer work is more straightforward in terms of heavy music, but it is songs like “Brackish” which brought them to the forefront in the first place. As such, the band elected to re-record a handful of tracks from that seminal record, giving us Spit XXV as a celebration of 25 years of Kittie.
The biggest improvement by far is in the vocals. Morgan Lander's screams are far more controlled here, where on the original album she felt like she was causing herself genuine pain, whereas harsh vocals typically serve as a catharsis, a release of pent-up rage and aggression. As for her sister Mercedes, the drumming comes through tighter than ever, with “Spit XXV” in particular employing more machine gun kicks. Her drumming on “Do You Think I'm A Whore? XXV” is something to behold, taking things further with the double kicks and tightening the grooves. It helps to rein in some of the youthful naivete of the original article, as if to say “we've never been so locked in.”
While some may find themselves wishing for a full re-recording of Spit or more of Kittie's early work, this four-track sampler of the album that put them on the map is just enough. Whereas Fire solidified their comeback and showed off their refined sound, Spit XXV pays tribute to what brought them to the mainstream consciousness in the first place. It respects the past with an eye toward the future, and that can be done without calling for a full mulligan. Now, with a new album and a re-recording EP within a year and a half, it's safe to say that Kittie are sticking around for the foreseeable future, and if they keep putting out standout music like this, they are more than welcome to do so.
Spit XXV is available now via Sumerian Records.
