Deal with the Devil

LA shock rockers Lizzy Borden made a small splash in the eighties but nobody had much use for these twisted sisters by the time they reunited on the eve of the new millennium. More fool them. It’s not impossible the band made a Satanic pact for this record — armed with a Todd McFarlane cover sketch, modern production, and some of the sharpest hooks of their career, they put out an irresistible collection of antisocial anthems like “There Will Be Blood Tonight” and “Hell is for Heroes.” They try their hands at an Iron Maiden/Dio-style epic on “Zanzibar,” “Loving You is Murder” could’ve come from an eighties slasher flick soundtrack, and “We Only Come Out at Night” finds them successfully dancing at the death disco. The BOC and Coop covers feel unnecessary next to original material this strong.