Kittie has been on the scene since 1996, when they formed in London, Ontario, by Fallon Bowman and Mercedes Lander, with Morgan Lander and Tanya Candler joining soon after. Jumping forward to 1999, their debut album Spit was released, selling over 600,000 copies in the U.S. and going gold. A force to be reckoned with, from 2001 to 2004, Oracle and Until the End dropped, showing a heavier, more aggressive sound. Then, from 2007 through to 2011, Funeral for Yesterday, In the Black, and I’ve Failed You showed more growth, but sadly, Kittie went on an indefinite hiatus around 2013, leaving many to wonder if they would ever see the band again.
Moving on with their lives, tragedy struck in 2017 when a good friend and Bassist, Trish Doan, passed at only 31 years old. A loss that seriously affected the band, there was even more uncertainty about whether Kittie would ever return. However, there was a glimmer of hope in 2018 with the documentary Kittie: Origins/Evolutions, which chronicled their 20-year history.
A film crowdfunded through an Indiegogo campaign, it proved that Kittie was missed. Answering the call, Kittle made a full return in 2022 with Morgan Lander (guitars/vocals), Mercedes Lander (drums), along with Tara McLeod (guitar) and Ivana “Ivy” Jenkins (bass). A reunion that included touring, the best part was the release of a new album called Fire in 2024. An epic comeback, as their first album in 13 years, Kittie showed the world they were as strong as ever as they broke through on both the UK and US Rock charts. Now in 2025, they make a curious return to the past as they revisit the primal rage of their legendary debut Spit, in the form of a re-recorded EP called Spit XXV.
Released on September 19, 2025, through Sumerian Records, in celebration of 25 years of Spit, Spit XXV takes four tracks from the original album, re-recorded with the current lineup and original Producer Garth Richardson. Again, quite interesting; this time, they show maturity, precision, and symbolic rebirth, with themes of female anger, identity, betrayal, and catharsis sharpened by decades of life. So, let us dive into the four tracks selected for the new EP.
The title track starts us off with a gut-busting riff, followed by “Coward” being screamed. This is while “Do You Think I’m a Whore? XXV” takes misogyny head-on as well as judgmentalism in general. From here, “Brackish XXV” alternates full-body, mosh pit slamming riffs and almost contemplative breaks as it lets out the fury/sorrow of a broken relationship from broken trust. Simply put, it feels like an internal struggle. Finally, “Charlotte XXV” is the slowest of the quartet as it closes the cycle, coming out the other side of trauma.
Lyrically, the messages are as raw as ever, but in that rawness, so are their vocals, which makes said lyrics hard to decipher in some instances. As mentioned, Reuniting with Garth Richardson, they also used the same gear from 1999. Revisiting these select songs through mature eyes, as the band was still teenagers when Spit was made, is fascinating. Overall, Spit XXV is an homage to where Kittie came from…to move forward. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Kittie’s Spit XXV 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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