Carla Harvey despite personal setbacks has proven herself to be a powerhouse in any area she sets her mind to.
Carla Harvey is a heavy metal singer who I don’t think enough people know about so my goal here is to try and change that. I will admit, I am new to her music. I hadn’t listened to any real metal in several years and started up again this past year. I checked out Lords of Acid and found out she had just joined them recently. So, I did some looking on her and found out she’s more than just a pretty face with a killer voice.
Carla was the lead singer of Butcher Babies for around fifteen years. They had some good success and I’m not sure what led to her leaving and I don’t want to speculate. But she departed Butcher Babies in 2024 and joined Lords of Acid who I know has been around quite a while. In that time, and somewhat before, I don’t know how in order all this is.
She got her degree in mortuary science and worked as an embalmer, she also got a degree and certified as a grief counselor and has started her own all girl band of bad ass ladies called the Violent Hour which is what I want to spend more time talking about.
So far they have an EP and some singles out and the songs are all great. They are heavy, but not too heavy which sometimes the intense screaming gets to my anxiety, but I love angry women shouting into the void, because lets face it. We aren’t good to them and they deserve to let out their anger.
Their most recent single Already Dead is one of my favorites of theirs so far and a serious banger. The video is a blast to watch as well. I feel like in this song from reading lyrics Carla is talking about reinventing herself and having nothing left to lose. I relate to this in a lot of ways from things I’ve been through I’ve discussed in previous essays.
Sometimes you reach a point when everyone has shit on you, stomped on you and even people you though were closest have given up on you. At that point, you decide there is nothing left to fear. Everything you were worried about losing or embarassing yourself over is gone. All that’s left is just you and your goals. I know for a long time I was embarassed to talk about my goals with anyone or to show any kind of ambition outside of the normal get a job and wait to die thing society pushes on us, because that’s what is accepted. Once I died an ego death, that fear was gone. Now, I let my true self come out and if anyone doesn’t like it, they know where the door is.
I feel like this is what Carla and the Violent Hour is telling us in Already Dead and with Carla’s experiences and things she’s been through as a woman in the music industry she’s telling us in the chorus “You can’t kill whats already dead.”
In addition to powerful lyrics, the song is catchy as hell and a true banger. I find it getting stuck in my head several times a day and Its at the top of my playlist on Spotify. In addition to Carla’s amazing vocals, the guitar riffs really tear into your soul and the I can feel the drums deep in my chest. When a song makes you feel that way, you know you have found something special.
I know they have an album in the works and I’m excited for this, and hoping they tour through our area eventually.
Even though I’m a middle aged guy, I think an artist like Carla has a lot to teach and inspire. Never giving up on yourself. Don’t rest on your laurels, she is not only a brilliant singer and songwriter, but she’s an incredibly talented artist. She sells some amazing autographed drawings on her website.
Female fronted bands and girl power is really taking hold lately. We see it more prominent in pop music with Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo to name a few. But in rock and Metal the ladies are really stepping up their game. Taylor Momsen has made some big gains this year and now Carla Harvey is emerging as a true powerhouse.
I think Carla’s resume and skills also show the dispartity in abilities among a lot of women and men artists. Women are just expected to do twice as much for much less. They work hard and like Carla have numerous skill sets, but it takes a lot more to gain respect and recognition. I hope that changes one day. I enjoy female bands because I’ve found in a lot of them there is a traditional rock and musicianship I’ve just found missing from a lot of new music from male bands. I’m not sure why that is. And its tough for me to explain it or put a finger on it, but I know it when I hear it. The Violent Hour definitely has it.
If you haven’t checked them out already, I suggest you do so immediately. My only complaint is I want to hear more. But I know more is on the way, so I must be patient. In the meantime, I’ll be playing Already Dead on a loop and thinking of my next essay. Let me know in the comments what you think of the Violent Hour and their music once you can give them a listen.
Leave a Reply