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Album Review | ‘Perverts’ by Ethel Cain

Cain’s sophomore release explores the depths of depravity through extended darkwave and oppressive soundscapes.

Z-side's Music Reviews
The Riff
8 min readJan 11, 2025

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Cover Art courtesy of Daughters of Cain Records

Throughout her career, Hayden Anhedönia, better known by the moniker Ethel Cain, has proven that she’s unafraid to explore the often brutalized underbelly of America’s blue-collar existence. Preacher’s Daughter is a prime example by walking us through the traumas, abuse, and untimely death of a woman seeking to escape her circumstances only to become a victim of them. These themes run deep throughout her catalog.

Her follow-up, Perverts, subverts expectations by sinking fully into these dark forces that plague society. Wholly oppressive, stark, and atmospheric, this album brings more Nine Inch Nails to mind in its deviant nature and brutal soundscapes than the Lana Del Rey comparisons she garnered from her debut. Coming in at nearly an hour and a half, these nine tracks are not for the faint of heart.

The album opens with the titular track, “Perverts,” a long haunting piece sparsely populated by sampled outside air, hymns, and a growing electric, ominous hum.

Hayden’s own words from Tumblr display sexual proclivity that inspired the tormented nature of the piece:

“The title track, one of the…

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Z-side's Music Reviews
Z-side's Music Reviews

Written by Z-side's Music Reviews

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