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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 is due to be released on January 14, 2008 through the bands own imprint label Rovena Records 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 "The Brutal Language" My Ruin had a new album in their sights. The songs had been written and after two weeks of pre-production the band were set to begin recording in October at “The Hobby Shop” in Highland Park, CA. (built & owned by producers Mudrock & Scott Gilman). Mick Murphy, the bands musical director & songwriter 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.”

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. “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. "Instead of postponing the recording, Tairrie wanted us to go in and begin without her,” said Mick. “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.

Giving some insight Tairrie reveals, "I actually thought of the title before the accident or any lyrics were ever penned. I have a habit of bringing my album titles to life and this one really took on a human form." While “Throat Full of Heart” is a look back at the last two years of life in and around the band, reflecting on everything and everyone they went through; the good, bad and the truly ugly of certain situations, it is also the story of rebirth. "The dichotomy of life and death is very present on the new album" Mick affirms, whose father passed away a few months prior to the recording and to whom the album is dedicated. “Not only did I lose my father this past year but I nearly lost Tairrie, my girl of 7 years. We went through some very intense moments together and she is the throat and heart of My Ruin. Without her there is no band. After the accident she decided to rewrite a few of the lyrics on the album because I think she found a new inspiration in everything she was going through at the time; we both did," concludes 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 has 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 lead screamer Miss B. "I simply find certain imagery from the Bible influential when writing whether it is 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 and very focused, 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 edited 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 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 has been spent getting ready for their upcoming January 2008 release and coinciding first tour back which kicks off in London with a visual listening record release party in honor of Miss B’s birthday.

“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” according to Tairrie. "Mick just finished recording a new album for his metal instrumental side project “Neanderthal” and we are currently recording the new spoken word album by our project we call “The LVRS”. Both of which we plan to release early next year. Right now, we’re just ready to rock, ready to bruise and ready for blood."

TELL YOUR GOD.

(((MY RUIN-Making "THROAT FULL OF HEART")))

(((MY RUIN LIVE ON STAGE)))

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~DEATH HAS BECOME HER~

Tairrie B and Mick Murphy are "The LVRS". Lovers in real life and the voice & guitar behind the rock & roll metal band MY RUIN. Established in Silverlake Circa 6571 and born out of a mutual passion for each other and a pre-occupation with Love, Violence, Religion and Sex...."The MURDER of MISS HOLLYWOOD" which had a Black Dahlia theme was recorded in the winter of 2003 at the Hepburn Manor and was the first chapter in a series of spoken word stories inspired by life and a romantic fascination with DEATH.

Drenched in the ambiance of an apartment, together they have created vintage quality recordings that are both honest as they are organic in content. Influenced by the suicide of the writer/poet Virgina Woolf..."The SECRET LIFE of LOLA BURNS" which was recorded in the Commonwealth Castle was brought to life in the heat of the summer of 2004. This recording, like it's predecessor is not for the faint of heart. There is no hiding. Only soothing healing, heavy breathing and a view to a city which they call home sweet home.

Tairrie B is the voice and the words of The LVRS. Better known for her full blown screams, its her ability to bravely go where many fear to tread lyrically that allows her to be so naked on these recordings while showing a side of her that has rarely been seen until now. Death becomes her as she strips down to the bare essentials vocally and assumes the identities of the women she has used as her inspiration by becoming them within her words. Never letting the listener forget she is still who she is. A narrator, a fighter, a victim, a killer, a survivor , a hater and a LOVER.There is nothing left to the imagination. You are there with her and what you hear is what happened. Dripping with dramatic intent and passion fueled contempt, she uses her words to cultivate her own wicked garden of earthly nightmares intoxicating the ears with stories of adult fantasies and childhood memories brought back to life by way of poetry. Mick Murphy is the man behind the woman. Resurrecting her voice by creating an atmosphere that is both BEAUTIFUL and BRUTAL he surrounds her in soundscapes that you can feel under selected spoken pieces while leaving only the harsh reality of her voice in others.

The LVRS recordings are pleasantly uncomfortable and deliciously macabre. UNEASY LISTENING. Imagine if you will, getting a letter filled with someones most inner secrets, exposing themselves to you and only you. This is the feeling that these records convey. Find your safe place. The place where YOU feel the most SAFE and put on your HEADPHONES, turn down the lights and just listen. ALONE, with a FRIEND or with your LOVER.

Currently The LVRS are recording their new album set for release in 2008. Who says murder's not an art?

HERE'S WHAT THE CRITICS HAD TO SAY...

The new LVRS album has affected me way more than I thought it would. Although I had heard many of the tracks before (as it is ‘The Murder of Miss Hollywood’ & ‘The Secret Life of Lola Burns’ merged with some new tracks) never has a record spoken to me as loudly as this. When I received it, I sat alone on my bed, listening with headphones. letting the record surround me. WE ARE GATHERED HERE TONIGHT TO REMEMBER A GIRL DISMEMBER A GIRL SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW HER SOME OF YOU MAY JUST THINK YOU DO MOST OF YOU… DO NOT. THERE WILL BE NO SCREAMING ONLY HEAVY BREATHING AND I WANT YOU… TO LISTEN It made me cry for an hour straight. It is so beautiful. So brutal. It hurts to listen to… but you can’t stop listening. It’s like reading someone’s diary that you know you shouldn’t be reading, but it’s so captivating, you can’t put it down. WHERE I’M LOVED THE MOST AND HATED FOR MY NAME NOTHING HURTS LIKE HOLLYWOOD AND NOTHING FEELS THE SAME SO I’LL REMAIN A SLAVE TO LOVE TO SEX, TO DRUGS, TO ROCK ‘N’ ROLL BUT IF I DIE BEFORE I WAKE… please don't sell my soul.

(((Soul Drift Music)))

“Not for the faint of heart. Warm hands. Cold Blood. Where do I start?” Equal parts Masterpiece Theatre and Silence of the Lambs, the macabre new record by The LVRS is like a grisly accident you can’t tear your eyes from. The LVRS, of course, is the spoken word project behind the principals in My Ruin; Tairrie B and Mick Murphy.

Adhering to the mission statement “Sometimes a whisper…can be more frightening than a scream” which is printed in the accompanying booklet, Tairrie’s voice rarely rises above the magnetic purr she utilizes so well. She doesn’t need to be more forceful however, because from the first moment of “Deep in a Mood” your ears are stapled to the speakers, hanging onto every fascinating syllable.There are 23 pieces on Death Has Become Her and all have a somber tone. The material is a mélange of autobiographical material courtesy of Tairrie B, and pieces of fiction inspired by several sources; the poet Virginia Woolf’s suicide along with the Black Dahlia murder of 1947. Fittingly the material reflects the roots of the band’s (as it were) name. The topics of Love, Violence, Religion and Sex figure prominently in these stories (look at the first letter in each of those words if you haven’t caught on already) sometimes simultaneously.

Some tracks are delivered under the guise of fictional characters such as Lola Burns who is taken from a character in a Jean Harlow movie. Others seem to be in the first person where Tairrie relates chilling stories such as finding her grandmother’s body after she took her life in the family garage. She also relates several seemingly personal stories of domestic violence by an abusive former boyfriend who is a drummer in a well known rock band. Other stories are written from the fictional perspective of murdered girls. The common thread that weaves through all the stories, however, is the same determination to never quit---don’t let them see you cry kind of outlook. Some stories recount the murder and dismemberment, but of breaking the body only and not the spirit. “They say I’ve been murdered but I don’t feel dead on the inside…yet,” Tairrie’s character announces during “The Sum of her Parts.” A sort of m.o. for Miss B in real life perhaps? You don’t survive and in fact thrive in the music industry for as long as she has without a tough outer shell and an ability to ultimately put the blinders up and not cave to self doubt or any other obstacles.

Tairrie has occasionally been an adversarial figure in the past in dealing with record company execs as well as with the media. She has suffered vicious attacks in the press for refusing to be submissive in the treatment of her band, in addition to more maudlin critiques which have nothing to do with music. She briefly addresses her reputation woes as well as the theme of the treatment of women in music/movies which she has visited in length with My Ruin. Not all the stories have a victim perspective, however. The closest there is to a humorous piece on the record is “Jesus is a Rockstar” where Tairrie laments the lack of quiet while a religious celebration takes place on a nightly basis across from her home. Victim becomes predator in “Violently Sexy”, a libido stroking piece that has matters of the carnal variety, first and foremost on her mind.

Tairrie’s words are frame-worked by the atmospheric instrumentation of her significant other, Mick Murphy. Mick has employed a variety of sounds in the project. There are several which have a powerful fuzz guitar structure while others have chilling keyboards. The overall effect is an eerie tone that seems right out of The Shining, or the John Wayne Gacy story. Mick uses several vocal effects masterfully throughout. On “Laundry” which is about Tairrie’s grandmother, he makes her vocal thinner and by doing so, makes her sound younger, closer to the age she was when the incident happened. In other songs he adds a deep voice that accompanies Tairrie’s vocal. The result is a demonic tone that is just flat out unsettling. For some reason, one of the most chilling sounds to me is the running water in “Beyond the Valley of Rock”, proving that sometimes the greatest terror is in the mind and in the unknown. The impetus for the project can perhaps be no clearer than in “Wordslinger”. Tairrie admits “I write for the same reasons that I breathe. Because if I didn’t I would die. Words are the voice of the heart.” The words on this record are harsh and disturbing as well as enthralling.

Death Has Become Her is not for the casual listener. Yet fans of My Ruin seem to regard them as a pool in which they see their own reflection, in addition to Tairrie’s lyrics being a beacon of hope for many. Sort of like AA for emotional baggage. With that in mind, the My Ruin audience should lap this up with the enthusiasm they’ve consumed past works, finding comfort in shared experiences.Although this CD is an obvious must-have for My Ruin die-hards, you do not have to be a fan to enjoy this record because it is far removed from the band’s other works. If you enjoy movies that keep you on edge, this is up your alley. Forget “Saw” or “Hostel”. Infinitely more entertaining are The LVRS.

(((Morley Seaver/BellaOnline.Com)))

(((THE LVRS and other MY RUIN related SPOKEN WORD)))

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~TAKE THE RIDE~

Hundreds of thousands of years ago they walked the earth. Not many remain, but one plays and records instrumental rock just for fun. No words.....only sounds and gestures.

Neanderthal is My Ruin guitarist Mick Murphy’s instrumental rock side project. It started in 2002 as song demos that didn’t necessarily fit My Ruin and has been evolving ever since. Guitar is the centerpiece and voice of the music and it appeals to people who like old school riffs, stoner grooves and gritty southern shredding with a touch of modern heaviness. Mick writes and records all the songs and plays all the instruments (guitar, bass and drums) on the recordings. The production is no frills and raw somehow enhancing the experience and setting it apart from the mechanical sounding pro tools modern era of metal.

Neanderthal’s first album “Start A Fire With Rock” was self-released in 2006 available by mail order, at My Ruin shows and on the UK/France “Summer Of Hell” tour. Mick performed “Special Seat In Hell” from the “SFWR” album live with My Ruin’s rhythm section (Chris and Matt) on many nights of the “SOH” tour to an enthusiastic response. On this album, Mick programmed the drums for convenience sake but it still has a true rock feel. It was recorded sporadically from 2003-2006 at My Ruin HQ. The album was well received and will have a proper release through My Ruin’s label Rovena Recordings and on itunes in the not so distant future.

Neanderthal’s second and latest album “Take The Ride” is a vintage sounding 12 song thrill ride through different styles and textures reflecting Mick’s love for 70’s rock/metal/fusion, 80’s punk/metal/thrash and heavy alternative/fuzz/doom bands of the 90’s with a southern twist of East Tennessee upbringing. The drum tracks on this album were recorded live to 4 track analog by Mick in 1997 shortly after he moved to Los Angeles from Knoxville in his former band’s lockout Studio X in the dirty heart of Hollywood. The guitar and bass tracks were done in 2007 at My Ruin HQ. “TTR” will be released through Rovena Recordings in association with Cargo records and will be available on My Ruin’s upcoming “Tell Your God” UK tour and also on itunes in early 2008. This CD will also include the video of “Special Seat In Hell” live at the Whisky A Go Go and the Nasty and Sinister video for “Throwing Shapes.”

Long Live Lead Guitar!

(((NEANDERTHAL & MICK MURPHY)))

HERE'S WHAT THE CRITICS HAD TO SAY...

“Seek out Murphy and beg him for a copy of his self produced Neanderthal CD Start A Fire With Rock. The instrumental project is a jaw dropping collection of supersonic solos, colossal rhythm punctuations and fat ass licks. Trust me, if you name-check Murphy to your buddies, you’ll get all the cheese you deserve for turning them on to this emerging guitar hero.” ((( Micheal Molenda-Editor in Chief Guitar Player Magazine)))

"Mick Murphy hammers some good ol' rock riffs back to metal"

(((Matt Blackett-Guitar Player Magazine)))

"Mr. Murphy is one heck of a mutha of a guitar player. These songs all travel places, meaning you can listen to them on their own and they're interesting. This isn't just case of bored guitar syndrome, with Joe Guitarist looking for an excuse to solo. But speaking of solos, Murph can do that with little problem as can be heard in "Down with the Devil" and "High and Mighty". Even more impressive is "Murchdadhl" and "Norg Horns" where he tries to burn his fingerprints off with some laser beam shredding" (((Morley Seaver/BellaOnline.com)))

"Mick Murphy churns out the heavy, fuzz-laced sound like a young Iommi" (((Joshua Sindell/Kerrang Magazine)))

"One of todays most electrifying players, master of heaviosity-Mick Murphy mutates his love for 70's hard rock and 80's punk into a modern goulash of gargantuan, Sabbath approved riffing."

(((Michael Molenda-Editor in Chief Guitar Player Magazine)))