AMG Review of Pins and Needles

Gregory Heaney
All Music Guide

Their fourth album, Pins and Needles finds the Birthday Massacre evolving their sound, pushing their synth rock into bigger and more atmospheric directions with the help of some slick production and a more refined approach to songwriting. While the album still has the dark, gothic tone the band is known for, the songs here also have an industrial vibe to them. With production by Skinny Puppy producer Dave “Rave” Ogilvie, it’s clear where Pins and Needles' newfound heaviness comes from. Fortunately for the Birthday Massacre, this new sound works for them. The thick, crunchy guitar work and spacy synthesizers blend together well, giving the songs a more spacious feeling and creating some wide open spaces for singer Chibi’s vocals to explore. Longtime fans might have to do some adjusting to this more straightforward approach, but if they stick with it, they’ll find Pins and Needles to be the Birthday Massacre’s biggest and most expansive record yet.