The quartet 7 Year Bitch titled its third album "Gato Negro," invoking the black cat in what might be a wry attempt to escape some of the bad luck that's dogged the group during its four-year existence. It lost original guitarist Stefanie Sargent to a drug overdose shortly after completing its debut album. Before its sophomore effort, friend and colleague Mia Zapata, from fellow Seattle band the Gits, was murdered.
That 7 Year Bitch's music is fraught with a fiery edge is hardly surprising. What's remarkable is how the quartet has refined its ire into music that has as much finesse as volatility. The gut-wrenching grace is audible on "Gato," and it filled the stage at the Whisky during the band's show on Sunday.
