Fortress Madonna

When mysterious front man Alexander Serikov passed away during a Mt. Kilimanjaro climbing expedition in 2002, the remaining band members of Fortress Madonna decided to follow their stellar debut, One Hundred Beacons, with an EP. Nearly completed before his death, Estonian Female Snipers, named for the near mythical assassins blamed for the deaths of hundreds of Russian soldiers in Chechnya, is a five-song assault on the heart and head. The brooding "Crystals," with its sharp horn section and spooky harmonies, is the obvious centerpiece. The narrator (no formal instrument or writing credits are offered) details the harrowing escape of a young soldier from a gun toting women: "A Russian jumps into the ice-cold water/As the others pray by the river/The air temperature reaches minus 26." "The Andrei Plougar Conspiracy" explores similar territory with a rougher edge and a wicked guitar tone worthy of a Television reference. If it wasn't for the lame Church rip-off "In the Thorns," Estonian Female Snipers would be riveting and devoid of filler. Let's hope the band can retain its singular voice despite its recent hardships. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide