Canadian twins Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn have flushed punk-spiked KoolAid from precursive project Courage My Love and mixed infinitely intoxicating elixirs as Softcult into Year Of The Snake, a marvelous manifesto that belies their “music for mall goths” mission statement. Striking immediately, lethal lead single “BWBB” and “Spit It Out” meld the zeal of female forbearers Veruca Salt with Muse overtones underneath socially conscious soliloquies against misogyny’s venom. Ear-splitting outro “Uzumaki” evokes visions of Eisley rocking Klon clones and airy absinthes “Perfect Blue,” “Gaslight” and “House Of Mirrors” augment sensitive sister EP Year Of The Rat‘s efficacy, masterfully modulating an auditory asp too sophisticated to include on Hot Topic playlists.