I bet that from the sight of the cover from the new THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE album "Pins And Needles" you started mumbling "What the hell are those guys doing in a Metal e-magazine?". Well if you were lucky enough to press it and read this review, you will understand why. With two studio albums in the past and a live one, it was time for this band from Canada for their new release.

So why to listen to an album from a band far away from the Metal scene? First of all because in some of the songs they are not that far away. "Pins And Needles" is the most mature and 'Metal' - in a way - album of THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE. We wrote reviews for Tarja or LEAVES' EYES, why not for this one that, in my opinion, is even closer to Metal? Yes, there are some songs like "Shallow Grave" that are closer to Pop and Goth (like a darker MADONNA 80's song) but on the other hand songs like the opening track "In The Dark" and "Control" have no difference from songs of some female fronted Metal bands. So why listening to those ones and not listen to something new for our ears?

Overall, "Pins and Needles" is an album that most metalheads, if not all, won't give any chance. The ones that are listening to things outside Metal too, and especially gothic and a bit of old pop, will surely enjoy this CD. It's your decision. For its genre and the fans of the band, "Pins And Needles" will take a....