The album was recorded under engineer and producer Tim Mac at AmRep Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[5] Unlike on the group's previous releases, they opted to record together to capture a "live band" sound; on their previous release, Fontanelle, bassist Maureen Herman had recorded her bass tracks separately from vocalist-guitarist Kat Bjelland and drummer Lori Barbero.[5] The recordings were split into two different sessions.[5] Portions of the album had been written while the band was on tour in Europe.[5] In a March 1995 interview with Barbero, she said the band would likely "be working on the album until Christmas."[5]
Critical response[]
Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly wrote of the album: "Believe it or not, these Minneapolis ragecore queens have toned down their maximum-stridency shtick a tad, delivering an album that at times actually skirts power pop (check out "Sweet ’69"). The result is still fairly punishing, but there’s a reward for listeners who stick it out to the last cut: a killer version of Sister Sledge’s "We Are Family."[3] Lorraine Ali of Spin wrote: "With Nemesisters, Babes in Toyland's molten core seems to have somewhat solidified; this album ultimately lacks the conviction, depth, and even direction of its predecessors."[4]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic awarded the album two out of five stars, noting: "Most of the raw, slashing guitars of their early records are gone, replaced by a pulsing, plodding grind that never catches fire...the majority of the album is simply dull, recycled riffs and rhythms, and that is hard to forgive."[1]
Track listings[]
All tracks are written by Babes in Toyland, except where noted.
