The SilverLake Local

Written by Angel

Summer 1998 Issue

Straight out, this cd rules the earth. Not even a question in my mind.

I hadn’t seen Lava Diva for a couple of years when I had the opportunity to review this release, and remembering how awesome they were live, I was ready. Not to mention willing and able. You see, this is a heavy band…with a light touch. The best way for me to explain it is this: imagine sucking on a tasty lollipop while someone’s beating the crap out of you. But, and this is an important but, not only are lollipops your favorite sweet on earth, you are a serious masochist and can only truly get off when someone’s beating the crap out of you. That’s how I feel about this cd. Not that I’m a masochist (though once I was heard to “oooh” in ecstasy as I sliced my finger on a sheet of paper). Oooh, Lava Diva. Yummy!

Dawn Fintor, sinter/songwriter etc, etc, has that raw, cracking voice that gets inside you, and coupled with some tasty hooks that aren’t MTV cop-outs, each song is both a testament to life in this city and the damn fine musicianship of Lava Diva. The backdrop provided by Greg Bernath (drums) and Johnny Sabella (bass) is like a curtain of gruesome smog, driving rain and pounding thunder. Freak, twist, indeed. And if you were looking for me to label this band as punk or metalicized punk or post-punk-post-grunge-post haste to the record store and buy this-pre Milennium power trio shit kickin’ ROCK, then you’ll have to wait forever. Buy this CD and you’ll find that it stays in your player for a long time.