MY RUIN

"HONESTY IS THE HOLIEST DISEASE"
Welcome to the world of My Ruin. Formed in 1999 by lead singer Tairrie B. in the wake of her former band Tura Satana, which was previously known as Manhole. Although originally intended as a solo project by the scream queen for her debut album “Speak and Destroy,” My Ruin quickly solidified as a band unit shortly afterward once she met guitarist and co-songwriter Mick Murphy. Painstakingly passionate about the music they create and defiant of being labeled within a genre, My Ruin has stayed true the goal of writing and performing uncompromisingly aggressive music. "We want to do it our way and on our terms," states guitarist Mick Murphy, "and we'll define what that means for us." Signed to Snapper Music in the UK and licensed through Spitfire in the States, My Ruin released “A Prayer Under Pressure of Violent Anguish” in 2000 and the live album “To Britain With Love and Bruises,” dedicated to their UK fans, in 2001. The year 2003 found My Ruin signing with Century Media Records worldwide and releasing the EP “The Shape of Things to Come”, which included a 13 minute film-noir style movie directed by the band's own artistic visionary, Tairrie, and quickly set the tone for the full length follow-up album “The Horror of Beauty.” In a voice ranging from hauntingly soft spoken words to full-blown, gut-wrenching screams, Tairrie's venomous delivery has always echoed with the open and honest lyrical content that could have been seen as a foreshadowing to My Ruin's next recording, “The Brutal Language.” In early 2005, Tairrie and Mick were faced with an adversity that would have, and has, destroyed less committed artists. During the recording process of My Ruin’s 4th studio album, the rhythm section, for whatever personal reasons they had at the time, decided to quit. Unwilling to accept this as even the slightest setback, Murphy erased all previously recorded bass and drum tracks and re-recorded them himself. That alone proves that Mick Murphy is "rock & roll's best kept secret" according to Michael Molenda, the editor of Guitar Player Magazine, "and one of today’s most electrifying players, who mutates his love for 70s hard rock and 80s punk into a modern goulash of gargantuan, Sabbath approved riffing." As if that weren't enough, Murphy also produced the recording himself. Long-time friend and Grammy-award winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, Rush, Shadows Fall) was so impressed he offered to mix the album at Studio 606 West, which gave the recording the sound quality to go along with My Ruin's new level of growth and musical maturity. Throughout her career, Tairrie has focused heavily on the more personal side of writing with religiously themed lyrics about relationships, often inspired by her own life. Self-awareness and introspection will always be an integral part of the My Ruin message. "I think she is one of the most underrated, yet influential, artists in rock today. While many critics have praised her for her contributions over the years, some still feel the need to make her their target and take shots at her due to the fact that she is a woman and isn't afraid to speak her mind or confront people," explains Mick. “The fact is that Tairrie has been a trailblazer for women in metal since the early 90’s and has been blatantly copied many times.”From Tairrie's perspective, “Mick has always been the main songwriter and driving musical director in the band. Although we never expected we would have to record an album as just the two of us, we knew we could and we did it. However, finding a new rhythm section to bring it to life live was the next step in rebuilding the band.” While mixing “The Brutal Language,” which was released 2005 on My Ruin's own Rovena Recordings imprint label through Bayside/33rd Street Records in the U.S. and via Undergroove in the U.K. Tairrie & Mick met bassist Chris Lisee, a longtime fan of the band who they felt a connection and musical chemistry with immediately. “The feeling was mutual, I'd been aware of My Ruin for a few years and knew the history of the band. I was incredibly honored to have been asked to be a part of it” said Chris. Soon after, they met French born drummer Matt Lechevalier, who, with Chris, brought a new and much needed positive energy to My Ruin both on and off stage. The fans noticed this dynamic immediately and responded by welcoming both new members with open arms. "In the past, a lot of the focus became more about the image rather than the music. It should always be about the music first and we want to focus on that,” said Tairrie.
"On the other side of the
SCARS,
the way out is through the
WOUND"
Leading us into temptation and delivering us from evil is My Ruin's latest offering, "Throat Full Of Heart the title of which speaks volumes.and was released in both the UK & Europe on January 21, 2008 through the bands own imprint label Rovena Recordings in association with Cargo Records UK.
After countless shows including headlining two U.S. tours, two U.K tours and a tour of France during the summer of 2006 in support of their last album, My Ruin had a new album in their sights. The songs were co-written by Miss B & Mr Murphy and soon after spent two weeks of pre-production being fine tuned with the band and My Ruin were set to begin recording in October at “The Hobby Shop” in Highland Park, CA. (built & owned by producers Mudrock & Scott Gilman). Mick being the bands musical director would again be in the producer's chair, this time with co-producer and engineer Duane Burda a part of the process. Things couldn't have looked better for My Ruin at the time, or changed as quickly as they did than on the eve of the first day of recording when Tairrie was involved in a life changing car accident in which she nearly lost her left arm. “I was the passenger in a car one minute and a patient in trauma the next,” remembers Tairrie. “It was the scariest thing I have ever been through and I’m very lucky to be alive.” “I was in Cedars Sinai going through the most painful stage of the accident's aftermath while the guys were in the studio laying down the music, but I was there in spirit just like they were with me in between sessions at the hospital." adds Tairrie .Although an admittedly difficult decision to make at the time, Mick, Chris and Matt completed their tracking which allowed Tairrie the opportunity to record her vocals almost on schedule. “I was heavily sedated for the first few weeks after the accident and unsure when, or if, I would be able to record. There were definitely times I wasn’t sure if I would regain use of my fingers or arm again because the injury was so severe,” said Tairrie. Instead of keeping the accident a secret, she decided to document and share her experience through the band's online blog with words, photos and even video footage. Mick reassures us, "I think it was very brave of her to be so open with it all. I think many people in bands would be too worried about their image to share such a personal thing with their fans and I admire her for that.” After four surgeries, including a skin graft, with only an arm brace, painkillers and the support of her band, Tairrie entered the studio just six weeks after the horrific accident intent on making the best and most personal album of her career. “Instead of postponing the recording, Tairrie wanted us to go in and begin without her,” said Mick. Far from restrained, the opening track of the new album "Ready for Blood" is a God fearing blow of confrontation to those who have both doubted and betrayed My Ruin. The mood is as much a battle cry as a heed to take warning. Fueled by the bands own brand of distinct metallic riffs and passionate screams filled with double-entendres which rip with the slip of the tongue, "Throat Full of Heart" embodies the idea of “Religiosity” in the form of true dedication and belief in ones self, art and each other never ignoring the always present taunt to ones own mortality. There are no apologies, only anthems mixed with a wordslinging palette of bravado filled redemption and self empowerment as dense and complicated as life itself only to be brought full circle on it's heady closing track "Through The Wound", a slow epic wall of sound musically, while lyrically it portrays a painful yet personal homage to the healing process. While their last album was written in a more metaphorical manner, allowing the listener to come to their own conclusions. This time My Ruin have decided to take a few people to task, so to speak. "We felt we had something to prove and we did. I had some things that needed to be said and were a longtime coming. It's loud, sweaty, profane, Biblical inspired rock & roll but no, we are not a religious band" says Tairrie. "I simply find certain imagery from the Bible influential when writing whether it be soothing or vengeful. I always have.” This album is My Ruin on fire redefining themselves as a band and a force to be reckoned with. "We are not reinventing our sound, we're just perfecting it” says Mick. “Our new songs are heavier, brighter and more intense than our last record. This album was well planned, very focused, and even though we went through so much chaos with the accident it was a pleasure to record. “The Hobby Shop” had such a great vibe as a studio which was important to us this time around especially given what was going on with Tairrie. Duane Burda, who has been a friend of the band for some time shared our enthusiasm and helped us create an incredible recording that we are very proud of" said Mick. "Looking back at all we went through previous to and while making this record, it really tells our story in a personal and emotional way unlike anything we’ve ever done as a band.
The new album will include artwork by Miss B and a first ever full length DVD featuring the music videos for “Ready for Blood” directed & edited by Ben LeVine & “Religiosity” which was created by Nasty & Sinister with bonus footage and a behind the scenes look at “The Making of RFB” by Mick Murphy. The disc will also include a mini movie of My Ruin “In the Studio” with never before seen footage of Miss B recording vocals for the new album as well as a very personal video/photo film she put together documenting her accident from the injury to the recovery. “While we wrote & recorded the new album very fast, it was necessary for me to take things slow this past year and focus on my healing. I talked it over with the band and they agreed. We were in no rush but I knew that once we set a release date, I would have to be ready to tour again and although we are not the type of band that tours heavily, I still needed to be in shape physically and mentally for what we do” said Tairrie. While My Ruin has filmed a new video and played a few one off shows in 07 to get their front woman used to being on stage again, most of the bands time was been spent in rehearsals getting ready for their "Tell Your God Tour" of the UK which took place in January/February 2008 and kicked off in London with a visual listening record release party in honor of Miss B’s birthday. Joining My Ruin on the road were special guests Die So Fluid & Plastic Toys as well as longtime friend and drummer Marcelo Palomino (Tairrie's from bandmate from Manhole/Tura Satana) who replaced Matt LeChevalier due to Visa & personal issues. "We shared some good times with Matt over the last couple years and made a killer album together, unfortunately things were out of all of our control and he had to return to France. Marcelo was actually the first drummer in My Ruin. He toured the "Speak & Destroy" album with me back in 1999 and we're like family in many ways so it felt very natural to have him out with us on the road. Everyone has been very receptive to the new album and having Celo a part of the band for that tour was great. Currently we have a new drummer by the name of JD who played his first shows with My Ruin for the Jager Music Tour opening for Hatebreed & Type O Negative in May/June 2008. JD is a long time friend of the band and a killer drummer and we look forward to sharing many stages with him as we move forward and gear up for our U.S. release of 'Throat Full Of Heart' August 19th via Redeye USA.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring, things seem to always change in and around us and that’s okay because change is good. It keeps it exciting and keeps us on our feet. We’ve never been in it for the money or for the fame. We’ve been in it for the music, the one thing that keeps us in it. TELL YOUR GOD.
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'ICONIC FEMALE FRONTED HATE-METAL CREW BACK FROM THE DEAD ONCE MORE'"One after the other they come, each track an unsubtle battering ram. If you expected a sedative dosed Tairrie B to sound less than lethal following her recovery from a horrific car accident, think again.Raucous punk stoked madness like 'Slide You The Horn' and the mighty 'Dragon Steel' have the punchy hooks and firepower to simply blow any hurdle out of the way. Elsewhere 'Religiosity' and opener 'Ready for Blood' slam hard-big ugly noises. My Ruin don't do things by halves. It's all or nothing and you'll either love or hate this fearsome return. We bet the former."
~ STEVE BEEBEE/KERRANG MAGAZINE~~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~
'A DETERMINED TAIRRIE B PUTS HER HEART INTO IT'
"Most of the screaming vocals on 'Throat Full Of Heart' were recorded with Miss B quite literally full of agony, her raw arm bandaged and slung up. The result is more brutal but surprisingly more upbeat than anything My Ruin have ever done before-and that includes the blistering doom vibes of 2005s 'Brutal Language'. A heavy dose of Southern rock, an unforgiving slab of hardcore and more hard rocking melodies than you can shake a stick at. It's all testiment to their diverse musical influences which take in just about everyone from KISS to Exodus. For anyone who thought My Ruin were just another generic female fronted metal band, stick 'Throat Full..." in your player and prepare to be surprised.From the opening thunder of 'Ready For Blood' to the sudden ending of 'Through The Wound' this band just gets better and better."~ NATASHA SCHARF/METAL HAMMER MAGAZINE~~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~
'LOS ANGELENO METAL MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN EVER'
"It might begin with a full blooded cathartic scream from Tairrie B but for the first time in a controversial career, My Ruin aren't merely aiming to confront and berate-there's a more rounded and balanced approach at work. So if 'Ready For Blood' and 'Religiosity' betray Tairrie's inborn tendancy to preach through giving vent to her inner demons, on the flip side songs like 'Slide You The Horn', 'Dragon Steel' and 'Nothing Is Sacred' offer seemingly lighter more deft musical moments. No one could ever suggest that My Ruin are ever less than passionate but for the first time they've learnt to vary the pace to accentuate the intesity."~MALCOLM DOME/CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE~
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"For the fifth full length My Ruin have stuck to what they know best. 'Throat Full of Heart' is as venomous and antagonistic as they come, packed with driving Southern Fried riffs and the throat shredding screams of Tairrie B. One suspects it will be lapped up by their hardcore devotees and not without reason; songs like 'Ready For Blood' and 'Skeleton Key' rank among the LA rockers finest to date."~MIKE KEMP/ROCK SOUND MAGAZINE~
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" Tairrie B & Mick Murphy are back in the running with their latest effort 'Throat Full of Heart'. Quite a lot has chnaged in the My Ruin camp as this is more Southern fried than usual yet Tairrie's irascible screech is firmly in place, reminding us who is running the show here."
~BRUCE TURNBULL/BIG CHEESE MAGAZINE~
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"Their fifth full-length studio album, Throat Full Of Heart sees My Ruin are back in fine form, making a brutally powerful noise that perfectly articulates and accompanies the furious sermons of Tairrie B.Musically, My Ruin are heavy enough to put them well beyond the mainstream. Throat Full Of Heart is no exception, sounding much like the band’s preceding material but more polished, more economical, more focused. Mid-paced bass-and-guitar mega-riffs throb and chug alongside a rock solid rhythm from the drumkit; there are elements of thrash and old-school metal at the core, with a hint of a bluesy stoner vibe mixed in. There’s raw and dirty southern-fried solo work from Mick Murphy skilfully restrained and never resorting to fret-wank frippery; in between, harmonic pinches and lead flourishes add movement and dynamics to the My Ruin sonic juggernaut, one man easily filling the space that two lesser guitarists might cover between them. But the true star of the show is Miss B herself, of course – and Throat Full Of Heart contains ten tracks of what sounds like the exorcism of personal demons. Tairrie has a gut-wrenching screaming style that makes a lot of male singers sound like wimps, not because she’s louder than them, but because you can hear that every word was written in blood and tears before being performed on stage. Tairrie B means every word she says, and that commitment – that channelled rage and fury – enables her lyrics to lash out with the strength of ten men.You could pick any track from Throat Full Of Heart as exemplary of the My Ruin rage. The music industry isn’t the only target for Miss B’s vitriol, however; religious piety finds itself in the firing line a couple of times, and there must be a few former lovers who are well aware that - in Tairrie’s hands, at least - the microphone is mightier than the sword.t’s great to know there’s a band for female metal fans to identify with positively. Throat Full Of Heart provides those girls – and guys as well – ten savage new anthems of defiance."~ PAUL RAVEN /THE DREADED PRESS~
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'MY FAVORITE NEW ALBUM'"Like a banshee with perpertual PMT our Miss B still sounds angry but damn that woman rocks. Run Emo boys run!"~CAROLINE FISH/KERRANG MAGAZINE
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"Screaming metal, thrashing guitars - turn it up to 11.I know there are people out there who will love this. So if you like your vocals screamed, and your guitar solos over the top then this is the album for you."~JAMES SYKES/SUBBA-CULTCHA~
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"With this, their latest album, My Ruin have delivered their most brutal and uncompromising set of songs yet. From the dirge like riffing and lung busting screams of opener “Ready For Blood” to “Through The Wound” where Tarrie B combines a spoken and shouted vocal to powerful effect there seems to be little respite from My Ruins current disenchantment. Some of the most hard hitting and direct music that My Ruin have recorded to date."~JOHN LEWINS/HARD ROCK HOUSE~
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"FURIOUS HOLLYWOOD HOMECOMING FOR TAIRRIE B"
"After a storming UK tour My Ruin take back the Sunset Strip with bloodthirsty vigour that screams to the world:bring back metal! Dressed in all black and smelling like a floral bouquet Tairrie B graces the stage with a she-devil prowness of a Russ Meyer 60's B-Movie queen vixen. Put simply:Tairrie B rocks. From out the gate, Mick Murphys fierce guitar licks on Silverlake 6571 jump start a set featuring the best bits of their new 'Throat Full Of Heart' album:Memento Mori, Ready For Blood, Religiosity, Me Without You and the monumentally moving Through The Wound, about the car accident Tairrie B was in which nearly cost her an arm. At one point Tairrie rolls up her sleeve to reveal her scars and the pins which hold her lower forearm in place. It's a courageous move in a town where plastic surgery is the new black. The homecomig show is also the first time in nearly a decade that drummer Marcelo Palomino has played with Tairrie on stage at the Whisky since joining My Ruin. 'He used to be in my little band called Manhole and he's back with me' Tairrie states proudly before charging into that bands 'Hypocrite'. It's a startlingly furious tune, and a signal that, even after so long, Tairrie is still a furious, furious lady."~LISA JOHNSON/KERRANG MAGAZINE~
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"This is the fifth studio album from hardcore Los Angeles rockers My Ruin. The band’s sound combines raw, passionate vocals with ferocious heavy rock and they have built a dedicated following in the UK. Musically this album is uncompromising, pounding and brutal, overlaid with the unique vocal screams of front-woman Miss B. The offering also includes DVD video for two of the tracks plus behind the scenes footage. While My Ruin’s music may not be to everyone’s taste, there is no doubt that this CD is a solid piece of work, which will delight their fans."
~PATRICK JORDAN/SOLDIER MAGAZINE~
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"My Ruin are a rare band that have had more than their fair share of shit thrown at them, and each time they come back fighting and stronger than before. The evening before My Ruin are due to enter the studio, Tairrie B is involved in a life changing car accident. Therest of the band continued to record their parts while Tairrie was in hospital. When she entered the studio, I don’t think anybody was ready for what was about to get recorded. The bass line rumbles and It’s not long before the drums pick up the pace and Tairrie’s screams are more violent and razor sharp than ever before! “Ready For Blood” is exactly that. Battle ready and throwing everything Tairrie has in the mic is not only therapeutic but creatively shows you can find the positive in the negative. As always, My Ruin have nothing to hide and make another brutally honest album. It’s one thing to recover from an accident, but is another to openly share the whole experience. Album closer “Through The Wound” relives the nightmare of that evening with blistering vocals that would literally peel the skin from your face. With their unique writing process, My Ruin leave their mark on your heart as well as your mind."~WARREN SMITH/NEW POLLUTION~
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~+~READY FOR BLOOD~+~ (Album:Throat Full Of Heart-2008) ***** Directed by Ben LeVine
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~+~RELIGIOSITY~+~ (Album:Throat Full Of Heart-2008) ***** Created by Nasty & Sinister
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~+~MEMENTO MORI~+~ (Album:Throat Full Of Heart-2008) ***** Animated by Bruce Stirling John Knox
~+~+~+~+~+~+~ ~+~SLIDE YOU THE HORN~+~ (Album:Throat Full Of Heart-2008) ***** Produced by Ryan Dean-Corke & Tor Burrows
~+~+~+~+~+~+~ ~+~BURN THE WITCH~+~ (Live @ The Whisky a Go-Go 2-15-08) ***** Edited By Mick Murphy
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~+~ .. (((Mick & Chris Interview on RockSound TV))) ~Backstage @ The Academy-Manchester, England~ **Tell Your God Tour 2008**
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