Powerful, passionate and edged with an unusually direct style and energy that cannot be denied, 7 Year Bitch has all the elements that make a band stand out in the rapidly growing crowd.

From unassuming beginnings in Seattle in 1990 with a self-released single, to now with "GATO NEGRO," their Atlantic debut, the band has survived the death of original guitarist Stefanie Sargent, toured the US and Europe extensively, appeared in three films, outlived pigeon-holing trends (without stating the obvious here), grown as musicians and songwriters, and still maintained the cornerstone of their musical style: a refreshingly raw, full-throttle rock n' roll described by Rolling Stone as a "relentless melange of chugging stop-start rhythms, fat funky bass lines, snaky lead guitar, and furious vocals."

The women of 7 Year Bitch inevitably hooked up after seeing each other at the same shows, and found they had more in common than being music fans - mainly a desire to get off the floor and onto the stage to see if they could learn to play and write, if for nothing more than to open for friends' bands, have fun, and maybe get a few drink tickets. After several weeks of practice and a handful of songs, 7 Year Bitch started playing live, gaining fans with performances the L.A. Times reviewed as having "an unaffected, do-it-yourself aesthetic and an intense, charismatic presence of singer Selene Vigil."

Stefanie passed away just before the release of the band's debut album, "SICK 'EM." Guitarist Roisin Dunne joined in the fall of 1992, enabling the band to stay together mentally and musically. The new lineup released "VIVA ZAPATA" in 1994, and the brand-new "GATO NEGRO" finds 7 Year Bitch in top form.

Recorded at San Francisco's Brilliant Studios and produced by Billy Anderson (Melvins, Mr. Bungle, Swans, Neurosis), "GATO NEGRO" explores greater territory, both musically and lyrically, than the band's previous outings. While "History Of My Future" and "Disillusion" bristle with the kind of punk-fury-meets-metal's-crank-it-up-to-11 abandon that 7 Year Bitch have come to be known for, songs like "Sore Subject" and "Deep In The Heart" temper that force with a sinuous, almost laid-back groove. All big fans of comic book artist Jaime Hernandez of Love And Rockets fame, 7 Year Bitch were honored to have him illustrate the cover art for "GATO NEGRO."

If the searing vocals on past material captured the righteous anger and no-prisoners approach of the music itself, "GATO NEGRO" branches out into the more complicated arena of inter- and intrapersonal living. Regret, longing and frustration are captured with the same kind of raw eloquence that has made 7 Year Bitch one of the most exciting bands of the past few years.

Of course, 7 Year Bitch are also a damned good time. You can feel it in the stomp of "Whoopie Cat" and the raunch n' roll of "Miss Understood." Better yet, catch them live, where their camaraderie, sheer power and the obvious love of playing that has kept them together from the beginning mark them as a truly great rock band.