Oracle

1	Oracle 2:02
2	Mouthful of Poison 4:38
3	In Winter 5:32
4	Severed 3:20
5	Run Like Hell 4:09
6	Pain 3:49
7	Wolves 3:25
8	What I Always Wanted 3:43
9	Safe 4:12
10	No Name 2:14
11	Pink Lemonade 10:37

Barnes & Noble

This snarling, sensual group of gals from the Great White North bring new meaning to the adage "The men don't know, but the little girls understand." Belying the fact that they're barely out of their teens, Morgan Lander and company showcase both a keen musicianship and a startling sense of dynamic on this sophomore outing. Yes, they're capable of spewing out tunes as corrosively ugly as any of their male competition -- as they prove on the demonically intense "Mouthful of Poison" -- but Kittie knows more than one way to skin a tune. Lander can issue Corgan-esque pleas for understanding (like the soaring "In Winter"), meld sweetness and brutality (as on "What I Always Wanted"), or paint in shades of psychedelia (as on the wonderfully dizzy "Pink Lemonade"). There's plenty of aggression on Oracle, particularly in the furious drumming of Mercedes Lander, but rather than merely spattering their songs with random noise-bursts, the band layers their fuzzy, gradually escalating guitar riffs with clear-eyed precision. Oracle guarantees at least nine lives for these three thrash-rock femmes fatales. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Kittie returns from their debut album much, much angrier than before. In fact, despite the first album's aggressive tone, the band spews venom over the tracks with a brutal passion on this one. That does not always translate into great songs, as the disc opener, "Oracle," proves with its repetitive pounding that definitely sounds angry, but sounds pointlessly angry. But it can work in their favor on tracks too, like the Pantera-esque "Severed," which bubbles over with rage. The alternative rock of "In Winter" changes the pace a little with its smooth vocals and slow riffing, as does the piano metal dirge "Safe." Their cover of Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell" takes the driving urgency of the original and turns it into a Metallica-style riff-fest, which comes off as interesting without ever truly getting engaging. The band is definitely heavy and their style of clear vocals over chugging death metal is certainly interesting. But one cannot help but feel mildly disappointed by their sophomore effort. While there are some good songs here, the band still needs to take the next step before they truly start writing great albums. As it is, this is an average album by a promising band who needs to find a distinct identity. Bradley Torreano