Ada Rook is best known for her musical work as one half of the experimental pop duo Black Dresses with fellow musical artist Devi McCallion. Rook also makes music under the name Crisis Sigil, which fuses electronic and metal music. On Feb. 3, 2025, Rook released “UNKILLABLE ANGEL,” her first release after the disbanding of Black Dresses.
The album begins with the fittingly titled “cortisol_inside cortisol_explosion excessive_cortisol cortisol_everywhere.” Cortisol is a stress hormone in the body. The production is a gabber-like beat with Rook screaming and singing, “I am finally at peace,” amidst the chaotic instrumentals. The part with the glitching percussion is cathartic to the ears, though it might understandably jar some people.
“PARTY TIME SEXY DISORDER” is not a song you would want to play at a conventional party in the slightest due to the intense hypersexual lyrics. The first lyric, “Ain’t nobody want to say shit to my face,” is relatable. The chorus, while abrasive, is also catchy. “This is not the end,” she sings. The second half of the song is like a sequel to “IN MY MOUTH” by Black Dresses with the, again, hypersexual lyrics that probably cannot be put in the paper for its vulgarity.
“RAT KID LIFESTYLE,” like many of the songs on this album, has a vocal sample saying, “I hate that stupid mouse,” which is in reference to Rook’s affinity for being like a rat, if not already obvious with the cover art and the title of this song. Matthew Stephenson of experimental electronic band Machine Girl could have his vocals on this song and it would be beautiful.
“ALL Tails Deaths Animations” has an interesting blend of electronic and guitar-based metal. The name of the song is likely a reference to the “Sonic the Hedgehog” character Tails. “I don’t want anyone to see me as a person anymore,” while vague, can also resonate in various aspects with those who are uncomfortable with the concept of humanity and all of the harm it has caused.
“RUINESS” has Rook using a raspy screaming voice with a chugging electric guitar in the background. The chorus is very pleasing to the ears. “Where the fuck do I belong?” she asks. “That is not who I am anymore,” she sings. It’s easy to dwell on the past, but it’s harder to come to terms with the mistakes in the past and move on, swearing to be a better person who will hold themselves accountable. Others may not see the change, but it is still present with a witness: yourself.
“CLOUT STRIFE,” a reference to the “Final Fantasy VII” character Cloud Strife, has a really nasty 808 or bass. It’s followed by “BURY YOURSELF,” a track that sounds like it uses sounds from the “Sonic the Hedgehog” original trilogy sound fonts. The lyrics are super personal, delving into a toxic relationship Rook had. “I know you want to be the victim again, even as you break my mind down” is a scathing and brutal lyric, and there are many more in the song.
“KNOW YOURSELF” is like achieving a higher state of being with the transcending-sounding synth. With lyrics like “All the pain inflicted on me, nobody sees, but it’s inside my body” and “I let you kill the love inside me,” this is a super personal song that I personally relate to a ton.
“LOSE YOURSELF” has an amazing synth and electric guitar. It’s like a more hostile and bitter version of “KNOW YOURSELF” while still having a broken and sensitive heart at its core.
“PEE YUORSELF” [sic.] has Rook rapping over an abrasive electronic beat. It kind of sounds like “Grindhouse” by Machine Girl but without the hypersexuality. “Stuck in my head, nobody can tell me shit” and “I wish I could be angry at anyone but me” are, again, more relatable lyrics.
“Weed store kratom” has a more boom-bap beat with electronic stylings and Rook raps with her screaming voice. There’s a breakdown with a chugging electric guitar similar to metalcore music.
“Holding your sleeping body i prayed to god for the first time in my life that i would be able to keep you alive (P1500021.MP4 November 12, 2020)” starts off with the lyric “2020, writing journals I barely remember, threatening my stepdad with a bread knife in the kitchen.” This is incredibly personal and utterly heartbreaking. “I can’t believe I let you convince me to be scared that your screaming was my fault,” as someone who was verbally abused as a child, these lines resonate deeply.
“sun’s violent arc,” a relaxed and calming outro, closes off the album. “Never found a place I belonged, always too weird, not weird enough” is super relatable. I may sound like a broken record, but the lyric about regretting mistakes is really comforting and therapeutic for me.
Black Dresses was incredible, but the members’ solo careers also have some powerful music. As someone who is also transgender and mentally ill, Rook’s music as well as Black Dresses comfort me. We all make mistakes, but we are more than them. We need to move on to better things, and Rook is on the path to self-betterment. We cannot change the past whether it was an accident or not, but we can change the present intentionally. Thank you for the wonderful and extremely comforting birthday gift, Ada Rook. I hope that we can both become better people.
Rating: 4/5