L7’s return in 2015 after a 15-year hiatus came out of necessity—for the band and for music in general. For L7 it was a way to take back their narrative, as the Los Angeles band’s legacy was slowly sliding into obscurity. And the timing couldn’t be better for these four tough-as-fuck women to infiltrate the male-dominated music world just as they did three decades prior. After years of touring, L7 have just released Scatter the Rats, their first record since 1999. It’s another collection of melodic punk and metal with all the wit and bite of the band’s previous records. L7 is back, and they’re one of the most important rock bands of the last 40 years. Period.

by Mark Lore