Over the course of its seven year existence, Seattle's 7 Year Bitch has survived the death of founding guitarist Stefanie Sargent, the murder of close friend and Gits lead singer Mia Zapata, undergone grueling tours of the United States and Europe, outlived pigeon-holing trends like "grunge", and all the while grown as musicians and released three albums of burning metal-punk power, including their latest, 1996's Gato Negro.

The band came together after the members kept bumping into each other at all the same shows in their native Seattle. These were the days before the multi-platinum successes of Nirvana and Soundgarden flooded the town's rainy street with over-eager record executives looking for the next cash cow. The still underground Sub Pop label was in full bloom with Mudhoney and Tad as its star acts. The women of 7 Year Bitch found that aside from a love of music, they also shared an interest in trying their hands at playing music of their own. At the very least they'd be able to open up for their friends' bands and score some drink tickets.

After only a few weeks rehearsal and armed with a handful of songs, the band made its live debut. Gradually they began attracting fans drawn in by their heavy sound and what the L.A. Times described as the "intense, charismatic presence of singer Selene Vigil."

Unfortunately tragedy soon stuck. Just before the release of their debut album Sick 'Em, founding guitarist Stefanie Sargent died from a heroin overdose. Rather than falling apart, though, the band, which also includes Valarie Agnew on drums and Elizabeth Davis on bass, pulled together and recruited guitarist Roisin Dunne in the fall of 1992. The cohesion of this line-up kept the band focused musically and provided them with the support to deal with the pain of their loss.

Their next full-length, Viva Zapata, came out in 1994. The title is an homage to slain Gits singer Mia Zapata, who was mysteriously murdered before the album's release. No suspects have been found and the story of her death was recently featured in a segment on NBC's "Unsolved Mysteries."

Their new album Gato Negro finds the band in top form once again,but not afraid to branch out from their patented hard punk sound. The record was produced by Billy Anderson known for his work with such bands as Sick Of It All, Melvins, Neurosis and Jawbreaker. The cover was drawn by renowned underground cartoon artist Jaime Hernandez, whose Love & Rockets series is one of the bands' favorites.

The new album features tried and true 7 Year Bitch ragers like "History Of My Future" and "Disillusion," but also veers towards a groove with songs like "Sore Subject" and "Deep In The Heart". The directed anger of past releases is also now tempered with such themes as regret, longing, and frustration.

All the peaks of their albums aside, it is on the concert stage that 7 Year Bitch is at its best. It is there that the band gels and reafirms the strength of the group-playing aesthetic. Guitar and bass operate together, yet do not ape each other and provide the perfect meat between the drums stop-start rhythms and the vocals furious pull. It is here that the band reafirms its original impetus of playing music for the love of it.

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