There were few times I’ve been as excited for an album as I was for Ridiculous And Full Of Blood. A new Julie Christmas album, with Johannes Persson from Cult of Luna as a full on band member? Yeah, this announcement hyped me all the way up. And I’m happy to say that her latest work is as creative and twisted as ever, delivering what is certainly her best solo work yet.
Like many people, I’ve first found out about Julie through her collaboration with the post metal giants Cult of Luna: the unparalled Mariner. It has this whole ‘journey through space’ atmosphere, and a lot of that is due to Julie’s unique approach to vocals and the tremendous passion in her voice that makes the music sound raw, primal and bone-chilling intense. It remains to this day one of my favorite works of art ever.
While I do enjoy her past work on The Bad Wife and Made Out of Babies and Battle of Mice, Mariner really brought out the best of her, to my ears. It was a real collaboration, with her musical DNA merging with Cult of Luna‘s in order to create something that was different than the sum of its parts. So I always wanted to see how Julie’s songwriting would follow after Mariner, as it really felt like a cornerstone in her career.
Ridiculous And Full Of Blood is truly what everyone craving more Julie could hope for. It is bold, experimental, and her most defined statement as an artist. It feels both like a celebration of her artistry, as well as the first page in a new chapter, and I’m here for it.
Julie’s singing is as good and powerful as expected, but what really elevates this album is its songwriting. Crossing borders between alternative rock and apocalyptic post metal, this album is a bit of everything, and shows just how dynamic her music can go. She could play it safe with a ‘mad girl’ persona and just scream a lot and call it a day, but thankfully she goes far beyond that, with remarkable vulnerability in key moments. All of these songs feel carefully crafted and executed, making for a really cohesive work that makes use of every second of its runtime.
Twin singles “Not Enough” and “Supernatural” set the stage perfectly, delivering that full blast of energy that every comeback album should strive to do. This is our first time hearing Julie in a while, so it needs to go hard, right?
Very early on, you’ll notice that Johannes’ presence in this album is really paramount. His guitar tones make the heavy moments hit as hard as they need to and create the perfect sonic soundscape for Julie to go HAM. “Thin Skin” is a perfect example of this, as her screams are perfectly matched by his mean riffs.
You also have more experimental tracks like the noisy and sludgy “The Ash”, the playful, almost joyful “Kids”, and the batshit crazy “Blast”, but where the album really reaches its peak is on the post metal epics. “End of the World”, also featuring Johannes on vocals, feels like that Mariner sequel we all strive for, with its spacelike vibe, those delicious synths and both of their voices shining through. They are honestly one my favorite duos at this point, and I hope they keep collaborating on the long run. Another instant favorite is “Silver Dollars”, where she brings back her absolutely iconic ‘gasps for air’ that she does and I can’t stress enough how much I love those.
Even if I didn’t like the album up to this point, I’d probably still be praising it for “The Lighthouse”. It’s one of those instant favorites that you know you’ll be coming back to regularly, and it’s already a classic to me. I love how it pulls you into its momentum from the start and never lets go, a masterclass on how to build an epic that’s not long at all but is gigantic in its scope. High contender for my song of the year.
I’ve craved more Julie Christmas music for very long, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with Ridiculous And Full Of Blood. It’s nuanced, it’s heavy and it’s way too damn fun. One can only hope this album marks the start of a new creative period, for there is simply no one out there doing what she does, and frankly, no one should strive to. If you’ve never listened to her before, just hit play and get lost in one of the most unique artists you’ll ever find, at her very best.