Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters – Vintage Rebel x Trauma Bond
Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters – Vintage Rebel x Trauma Bond
Self-Released
Release Date: 12/09/2025
Review by Beth Morait
10/10
** DISCLAIMER** This review is pretty long because it involves a subject that I have a lot to say about. Grab a snack before you start, and top up your drink.
Life is a funny old thing. And if you get through it existing in one guise then you’re either very lucky or kidding yourself. Peaks and troughs are standard. But for some, the extremes of those moments are intense, and that leaves a mark… For those of us who’ve been to hell and back and fallen into the pit almost too far to be rescued, life becomes about learning how to sit with your darkness and be comfortable with it. It’s refusing to believe that the light at the end of the tunnel is only a dream. It’s allowing yourself to let the mask slip, and understanding that being your true, vulnerable self is ok.
Sadly, getting to this level of understanding is always proceeded by a whole host of shit and abuse. And I speak from experience there. And that’s something that Beth Blade and I have in common, which has led to me not only being a fan of her music, but also to feel a connection to her motivation. Having spoken publicly about her experiences in an abusive relationship, she’s made it her mission to help people like her through her music. And there really is nothing more validating than hearing so much of yourself being sung from the heart of someone else. The new album from Beth Blade does exactly this for me, even down to the track names.
The album itself is split into two halves. The first half, “Vintage Rebel” is an upbeat collection of songs rooted in Classic Rock. It’s the mask. The show-woman. The person that everyone expects to show up every day, whether that’s doable or not. But even though the songs sound cheerful and danceable, the lyrics still hold dark undertones, which will speak to others like us in a totally different way.
Kicking off with ‘Never Let Go’, Beth and the Disasters’ familiar, edgy, Classic Hard Rock sound throws us straight into a floor-filler with a sing-a-long chorus. On the face of it, it’s a happy number that you could see sitting in the soundtrack of any late 90s ‘coming of age’ film. This is followed by ‘You Only Love Me When You’re Drunk’. Another Classic Rock tune, with all the musical tropes and hooks that you’d expect packed into one neat package.
‘I Still Want You’ is more of a ballad, seemingly of the broken-hearted, yearning for a lost lover. The writing here is so clever, because, as a stand-alone, the backstory to this song could be several things, from unrequited love to death. And it would be relevant for each of them. But in the context of the whole concept, it’s the broken heart of a person stuck in a trauma bond. That creates a different kind of sadness, sticky with guilt, that is almost impossible to talk about. People don’t understand why you still care. Why you still love. And a lot of the time, you don’t understand it yourself. But it won’t go away…
The final track on the first part of the album ‘A Rock ‘n’ Roll Romance’ is a duet, featuring Gorilla Riot’s Arjun Bhishma. It starts out with a lilting, Country Rock feel to it. And it’s on this track that we really hear Beth’s vocal abilities at their best. The two vocals blend beautifully, too. And it’s even got a random saxophone buried in the musical mix. The whole instrumentation, arrangement, and recording style of this track has a musical theatre sound to it, turning it into a sumptuous overture to close the first act, so we can all head out of the auditorium for a toilet break and an ice-cream.
The second half, “Trauma Bond”, instantly starts out darker. ‘Colour Of Our Bones’ is a grungy, downtuned track where Beth’s vocals take on a different grit, that’s coming from her gut. Despite still being Classic Rock, complete with guitar solo, it feels more despairing and mournful.
‘Damage’ on the other hand, is full of defiant rage. And believe me it takes so long to get to that point, that there are times where you think you never will, such is the vastness of the trauma bond. This is my track of the album. The opening lyrics are so, so right:
“A thousand of your kisses covered
The bruises and the broken bones
Your tears an illusion,
A trick you used to keep control”
But the song resolves with the line “I’m perfectly imperfect in spite of the damage.” That should be everyone’s mantra. Because we are. Beth’s powers as a lyricist really are the highlight of this album for me. Every song tells it exactly like it is, blowing the taboo out of the water, and putting into words the immeasurable meld of emotions that make us numb. The feelings that keep us shackled like an addiction, despite the knowledge that it will finish us.
‘Dysmorphia’ is a track that many will find solace in. That cage of self-abuse is portrayed brilliantly here, with metronomic, regimented instrumentation, with a hint of Industrial power in the background representing the shackles or personal demons inflicted on us, even when, on the outside, we appear to be free.
‘You Never Screamed?’ is without doubt the darkest and starkest track on the album. Starting out acoustically (this is 100% a deliberate choice, so the listener can focus on the lyrics), it speaks of chronic, historic abuse. It’s disturbing and upsetting. But it’s meant to be. Silence is the reason why so many people are never able to sit comfortably with themselves. Silence because other people aren’t comfortable hearing your truth…
I’m not going to wax anymore about this album. Because I could literally write a book about why everyone, regardless of what’s happened in your life, should listen carefully to this album for understanding. If you like masterfully handled Classic Rock, with a gritty edge, you’ll get a lot out of what’s on offer here, even if you don’t delve deeper into the meaning. If, like me, you want music to speak to you personally and empathise with you on a level you didn’t think possible, then I implore you to listen very carefully to what Beth has to say.
This album is the perfect example of why music exists. To speak a universal language and heal our souls. To make us all feel like we’re not alone.
TRACKLISTING:
Vintage Rebel
01. Never Let Go
02. You Only Love Me When You’re Drunk
03. Down The Front
04. I Still Want You
05. Over It
06. A Rock N Roll Romance (feat. Arjun Bhishma – Gorilla Riot)
Intermission
Trauma Bond
07. Colour Of Our Bones
08. Damage
09. Limerence
10. Dysmorphia
11. You Never Screamed?
12. Eclipse
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Morait and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.