Metal Underground.com

Hydrogyn wowed the masses with their debut album, "Bombshell." But unlike most sophomore albums, "Deadly Possessions" far surpasses its predecessor. Hydrogyn has covered all their bases – from a sexy vamp cover to make hot-blooded men hot, to melodic tunes that appeal to classic rock fans, to a medley of instrumentals that assault the senses, "Deadly Possesions" is a great choice for heavy rock and metal fans.

The opener, "Rejection," starts out with the guttural sounds that those of us who used to play our vinyls in reverse in the hopes of finding satanic messages will appreciate. Then a pounding bass takes the lead, and a Guitar Hero-worthy riff picks up to deliver an awesome metal sound. Vocalist Julie Westlake’s melodic yet hardcore sound on this one is reminiscent of other female greats like Doro and Vixen.

Known for their covers of "18 And Life" and "Back In Black," this time Hydrogyn offers up their version of Alanis Morisette’s "You Oughta Know." While their version isn’t significantly better than the original, it is less angry and more sexy, and includes a breakdown with some sleaze guitar that offers a certain panache. Fans of girl-power tunes like this one will also appreciate its follow-up, "Over U." It’s the goth metal version of a song about a woman scorned, and with lines like "I’ll be haunting you," could become the newest man-hate mantra.

What is particularly nice about the album is that it is melodic without being melodramatic, and bridges the gap between girl power and sexy vamp. The two more mellow tracks, "Candles Light Your Face" and "Shadow," are both ballad-y, but nowhere near the overflowing emotional level that permeates the genre. Imagine Evanescence on speed, and you’ve got a good idea of how Hydrogyn handles their love songs.

While there aren’t any bad tracks, the least enticing probably is the Morisette cover, mainly because Hydrogyn has shown that they shine with their own songwriting. The best track in my opinion, at least, is "Your Life," because it combines grungy, rumbling strings with melodic heavy rock vocals. Regardless of your tastes, though, "Deadly Passions" is a great follow-up album, and an excellent choice for both established Hydrogyn fans and new ones.