Editrix : The Big E
In the relatively brief time they’ve been active, Editrix haven’t been short on ambition. Formed in Massachusetts and featuring vocalist/guitarist Wendy Eisenberg, drummer Josh Daniel and bassist Steve Cameron, Editrix create songs that unfurl with intrigue. Their previous record, 2022’s Editrix II: Editrix Go To Hell, saw them experimenting with noise and death metal, offering a uniquely explosive permutation of indie rock. On The Big E, the band delivers yet another dazzling display of technicality.
Yet while Editrix plays with genres such as noise and death metal, their sound isn’t harsh. They’re no strangers to heaviness by any means, but their embrace of death metal comes in their experimentation of form and sound. They aren’t shredding exactly like Death or Entombed, but rather, they’re deconstructing the aggression of such bands, and translating that approach into their brand of noise rock. The Big E is abundant with such experimentation, with Editrix’s style of rock comprising a wide range of sounds that includes everything from those death metal influences to noisier, sludgier sounds. While the band tackles their songs with an aggressive approach (e.g., “The Jackhammer” and “No”), they write every track in a manner that it ends up being more catchy than abrasive.
Editrix’s experimentation isn’t overly complicated—they embrace some conventional elements of songwriting—it’s just that within their songs are twists of technical direction and sound. On “The Big E,” what starts as a consistent delivery of instrumentation, punched up at times with heavy flourishes, morphs into a delightfully bombastic display of noise rock. “The Queen” sees the band taking a stylistic shift into funk, Editrix’s instrumentation trickling outward with playful tones, only to catch the listener by surprise as that playfulness takes on a sinister heavy metal turn.
Lyrically, Eisenberg offers a range of subjects, from romantic desire on “Flesh Debt” to the horrors suffered by the Palestinian people on “The Jackhammer.” Eisenberg’s writing functions in both the abstract and direct, creating imagery for the listener to latch onto, while also leaving room to explore. On “Flesh Debt,” Eisenberg sings, “it’s controlling me / but won’t give me what i want/ or it goes away / finds another one to lead on / and it leaves me cold / leaves me thinking that I need you / then like every night / taunts me with its expectations.”
As songwriters and performers, Editrix have more than proven their capabilities in crafting experimental rock, and The Big E only serves as further and greater proof of that talent. There’s not a dull moment here—within each song, Editrix weave in flourishes that either shift a given song’s structure, or bring in a refreshing stylistic touch. On The Big E, Editrix’s creative drive results in an exhilarating experience brimming with thrilling appeal and technical wizardry.
Label: Joyful Noise
Year: 2025
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