Love, Murder, and a Three Letter Word

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Sputnik Music	[2]

Love, Murder, and a Three Letter Word is the second album of the Metalcore band, Society's Finest.

Critical Reception

Mike from In Music We Trust writes: "Society's Finest play the kind of gripping, grueling metalcore that will leave you sweaty, spent, and most likely, really banged up. Nine tracks of unabashed bitterness is what you'll find here, complete with some harsh lyrics and a relentless need to whip things into frenzy. Such is the case on the taxing "Ennis, TX" and the wicked riffages of "Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride", breeding explosiveness whose volatility knows no bounds. If you're looking for some extreme music, the latest from Society's Finest will surely send you over the edge."^[3] Edward Rivadavia from AllMusic writes: "Really two EPs spliced together -- its first four songs are brand new, while its final five were originally issued in 2000 as the Private Conflicts and Suicides EP -- Love, Murder and a Three Letter Word served to announce the resurrection (second or third at this stage) of Texas metalcore pretenders Society's Finest. An extremely competent ensemble still looking for a firm direction, the group seems to be wavering between the technically outrageous arrangements currently in vogue in the metal underground, and old-school hardcore's simpler charms. To wit, songs like "Vanity and the Gun" and "Ennis, TX" clearly flirt (rather unconvincingly, one should note) with the fringes of math metal mayhem; and it's more straightforward, groove-built numbers like "Pop Culture in Houston" and "The Art...the Morgue" that find the band most at ease. Neither one of these styles is the dominant as you move into that original 2000 EP's final five tracks; these take a slower, dirge-metal approach with their riffs, which while perhaps not as explosive or exciting, definitely find a better balance for it. Lacerated vocals punctuate hateful offerings like "A Cold Winter's Morning," "Eggshell," and "Zero-Nine-Three-Zero," as they finally bring some truth to the band's "So beautiful but filled with so much hate" motto. All of which suggests that, if they don't break up again, Society's Finest would do well to review the past in order to find their future."^[1]

Track listing

1. "Vanity and the Gun" (3:05)
2. "Pop Culture in Houston" (2:55)
3. "Ennis, TX" (2:45)
4. "The Art... The Morgue" (2:46)
5. "Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride" (3:41)
6. "A Cold Winters Mourning" (4:44)
7. "Eggshell" (3:25)
8. "Journeyman" (3:32)
9. "Zero-Nine-Three-Zero" (3:29)

Credits

Society's Finest

• Joshua Ashworth - Vocals
• Stephen Poole - Drums
• Joel Bailey - Bass
• Guy Turner - Guitar
• Nick Nowell - Guitar
• Eli Bowser - Guitar

Production

• Christian Anthony - Photography
• Paul Geller - Remastering
• Braxton Henry - Engineer, Producer
• Barry Poynter - Engineer
• Kent Stump - Mastering

References