In the Black

E1 Music

Company type	Record label
Industry	Music
Headquarters	United States

In the Black represents the fifth full-length release from Canadian heavy metal group Kittie, launched on September 15, 2009, via E1 Music. This record marked the debut of bassist Ivy Jenkins with the band, who became a member in 2007. The album was produced by Siegfried Meier at Beach Road Studios in Goderich, Ontario between November and December 2008. Musically, it fuses groove metal, heavy metal, and thrash metal while integrating influences from black metal, melodic death metal, and metalcore. Kittie conceived In the Black as a deliberate "antithesis" to their prior album Funeral for Yesterday (2007), expressing dissatisfaction with its production quality and musical direction.

Critical reception highlighted Kittie's instrumental proficiency on In the Black, with some reviewers considering it their strongest effort, though others deemed it less distinctive. The album entered the US Billboard 200 chart at position 133, selling approximately 3,400 units in its initial week. To promote the album, Kittie embarked on tours throughout North America and Europe from September 2009 until September 2010, including participation in the 2010 Thrash and Burn Tour and supporting acts for Insane Clown Posse and DevilDriver.

Background and recording

After releasing Funeral for Yesterday in 2007, bassist Trish Doan departed due to escalating struggles with anorexia athletica-nervosa. Jeff Phillips temporarily filled the bass role during touring until Kittie enlisted Ivana "Ivy" Jenkins as a permanent replacement. The band began crafting material for In the Black amidst tours in summer and fall of 2008, unveiling new tracks "My Plague" and "Sorrow I Know" in July.

Vocalist/guitarist Morgan Lander together with drummer Mercedes Lander adopted a more collective approach to songwriting compared to earlier albums, initially composing the majority of material collaboratively before incorporating guitarist Tara McLeod’s input; bass parts were added subsequently by Jenkins. Mercedes acknowledged that McLeod and Jenkins contributed significantly to broadening the album’s sonic palette. Although writing wrapped up by August 2008, final song arrangements were refined after parting ways with their record label later that year.

The recording sessions spanned three weeks at the end of 2008 under producer Siegfried Meier at his newly established Beach Road Studios. Having previously collaborated with Kittie, Meier utilized a Studer A827 tape machine for most instruments while capturing drum tracks digitally. Morgan recorded numerous vocal takes to ensure optimal performances. The band intentionally avoided heavy vocal layering or polished production effects, aiming for a raw sound reminiscent of their debut album Spit (1999). Mercedes praised Meier as the first producer who truly grasped both metal music and their artistic vision, describing In the Black as their most fulfilling studio experience.

Composition

The sound of In the Black has been categorized within groove metal, heavy metal, and thrash metal genres. It also incorporates stylistic elements from black metal, melodic death metal, and metalcore, blending clean vocal melodies and crooning with harsh growls and screams inspired by black and death metal traditions. Guitar solos are featured throughout the album’s tracks. Denize Falzon of Exclaim! observed that the record merges influences from 1970s classic rock and 1980s heavy metal with contemporary sensibilities, likening Tara McLeod’s guitar work to Testament’s debut The Legacy (1987). Kittie intended this release as a counterpoint to Funeral for Yesterday, whose style and production they found unsatisfactory. Morgan explained in an interview that their goal was to create a faster, rawer, and more eccentric record reflecting their live performance energy. Lyrics penned by Morgan and Mercedes delve into personal themes. Amy Sciarretto of Noisecreep attributed some of the album’s aggressive tone to frustrations stemming from Kittie’s departure from their previous label.

The album begins with an instrumental piece titled "Kingdom Come," followed by "My Plague," which combines metalcore intensity with groove metal aggression featuring fierce screaming vocals. "Cut Throat" introduces southern rock rhythms alongside blackened vocal styles delivered by Morgan. According to Morgan, "Die My Darling" explores feelings of wishing ill upon someone despised. "Sorrow I Know" is propelled by powerful drumming; its vocal dynamics and tempo recall elements from Kittie’s debut Spit. Martin Popoff compared "Forgive and Forget" to a mosh-friendly track reminiscent of Dark Tranquillity. The song "Now or Never" evokes 1980s thrash metal vibes with riffs similar to Metallica’s Kill 'Em All. Reviewer Keith Bergman identified "Falling Down" and "Sleepwalking" as highlighting the album’s darker, slower atmosphere during its latter half. Kenada Quinlan noted these two songs possess greater accessibility relative to other tracks on the record. Closing out the album, "The Truth" opens with a funeral hymn intro before returning to Kittie’s sludge-metal origins; its blues-infused guitar solo and vocal delivery drew comparisons to Drain STH.

The title In the Black plays on the financial expression "in the red." Drummer Mercedes explained that being In the Black signifies not an absence of challenges but progression toward recovery—mirroring Kittie’s situation at that time. This was also their first album since Spit to feature band members on its cover art, symbolizing their evolution. The record is dedicated to David Lander, Kittie’s former manager as well as Morgan and Mercedes’ father, who passed away in August 2008.

Release and Promotion

On June 26, 2009, Kittie entered into a contract for three albums with E1 Music, selecting the label largely due to established connections with key staff members, including Metal VP Scott Givens. The band unveiled the tracklist for In the Black on July 18, 2009. During that same month, Kittie collaborated with director David Brodsky to shoot music videos for "Cut Throat" and "Sorrow I Know". The "Cut Throat" video showcases the group performing inside a deserted department store in Brooklyn, while the "Sorrow I Know" clip, filmed at New York City's Backroom, incorporated fans as extras within a 1920s speakeasy-themed setting.

Kittie premiered "Cut Throat" live on August 1, 2009, at the Altered Skin Revolution festival held in Saginaw, Michigan. Between July and August 2009, the tracks "My Plague," "Cut Throat," and "Sorrow I Know" were made available on MySpace. The song "Cut Throat" had its debut broadcast on Sirius XM's Liquid Metal channel on August 31, 2009, followed by the release of its music video on September 3. In the Black was officially released in the United States through E1 Music on September 15 and later in Europe via Massacre Records on October 23, offered both as a CD and a limited edition vinyl. Upon release, the album entered the US Billboard 200 chart at position 133, moving 3,400 units during its opening week, and also reached number 18 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart as well as number 23 on the Top Independent Albums chart. Following the album launch, Kittie embarked on a headlining tour across the US from September 27 to October 29, supported by Soil, Red Line Stitch, and Arkaea.

The video for "Sorrow I Know" premiered in January 2010 on Noisecreep, with an extended uncut version released in February. That same month, Kittie toured Europe alongside It Dies Today and Malefice, with Forever Never and Magnacult providing support on select dates. In March, they co-headlined a North American tour featuring God Forbid, backed by Periphery and Gwen Stacy. On May 4, Kittie shot a music video for "Die My Darling," which was unveiled on June 7; initially conceived as a parody of Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, it ultimately developed into an original concept.

Between May and June 2010, Kittie served as support for Insane Clown Posse during their Happy Daze tour—marking their first supporting role since 2000. Although stylistically different as an instrumental act amid predominantly rap artists, the tour proved successful; Morgan Lander described it as going "unbelievably well," while Mercedes Lander observed steady CD sales each evening. From July through August, Kittie participated in the Thrash and Burn Tour alongside bands such as Asking Alexandria, Born of Osiris, Impending Doom, and Motionless in White. Later, from late August into September, they supported DevilDriver on a North American tour featuring Kataklysm and Hostility.

In March 2011, Kittie released a live performance music video for "My Plague".

Critical reception

James Reaney of The London Free Press described In the Black as receiving "some of the finest reviews in Kittie's more than ten-year career". Several reviewers considered it the band's strongest work to date. Bergman from Blabbermouth.net and Marcus Schleutermann of Rock Hard commended the album's musical intensity; Bergman referred to it as "the most significant metal surprise of 2009". Falzon of Exclaim! emphasized Morgan's vocal performance alongside McLeod's "memorable riffs". Ultimate Guitar acknowledged Kittie's enhanced musicianship and synergy, remarking that the band had "perfected the formula they've been developing for nearly a decade".

James Christopher Monger from AllMusic stated that the album "reinforces the foundation Kittie has built over the past ten years". Waspman of Metal Rules considered it a "progression for Kittie" but noted a lack of innovation. Leonard Pierce of The A.V. Club and Quinlan from Time Off praised the instrumental skills but expressed reservations about Morgan's vocals; Quinlan cautioned that it risked being "lost amid mass-produced releases." Edele from laut.de criticized the guitar solos as "either careless or cheaply executed". Jan Wischkowski of Metal.de valued the album's uniformity but rated it merely "above average" due to an absence of standout tracks.

In the 2011 publication The Collectors Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 4: The '00s, Popoff lauded its groove and diversity, drawing favorable comparisons between Kittie and Sinergy. Paul Travers of Metal Hammer placed it fifth among Kittie's seven studio albums, recognizing it as their first to successfully blend melodic and aggressive styles into a unified sound. During a 2020 Reddit AMA, founding members Morgan and Mercedes Lander identified this album as their proudest achievement within Kittie's discography.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Kittie.

Personnel

Information adapted from CD liner notes.

Kittie

• Morgan Lander – lead vocals, guitar, piano
• Mercedes Lander – drums, percussion, backing vocals
• Tara McLeod – guitar
• Ivy Vujić – bass guitar

Production

• Siegfried Meier – producer, mixing engineer, recording engineer
• T-Roy – mastering (Spectre Studios)

Artwork

• Dale May – photography for cover and insert
• Paul Grosso – creative direction and design
• Gregory Alan – hairstylist
• Dahlia Warner – makeup artist

Charts

Chart positions for In the Black

Chart (2009)	Highest rank
US Billboard 200	133
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)	18
US Top Independent Albums (Billboard)	23

Release history

Release dates for In the Black

Region	Label	Format	Date	Catalog number
United States	E1 Music	CD LP Digital download	September 15, 2009	KOC-CD-2050
Australia	Shock Entertainment	CD Digital download	September 18, 2009	KOCCD2050
Europe	Massacre Records	CD LP Digital download	October 23, 2009	MAS CD0672

References

Sources Works cited

External resources

• In the Black on YouTube (licensed streaming version)