Listening to Kittie's new disc, Until The End, you might wonder how much of it is ProTooled. Lately it seems everyone is pasting together parts, and, of course, the end result is always perfect. On a closer listen of the disc, though, you start to think, maybe it is played live. It's raw and not so perfect, but in a good way.

So the first question for drummer Mercedes Lander is, are you playing on the record? "Of course I am," she urges. "I wouldn't have it any other way, trust me. I'm a jerk when it comes to this stuff. I think I'm good enough. I don't need to have my parts fixed. And you know what" The good thing about this record is, there's no digital editing on it and I didn't play to a click track. I hate that stuff! There are a lot of bands out there who use digital editing, but I think that's cheating. Yeah, there are some imperfections on our new record, but that's what makes the music real. "

For more with Mercedes, check out Caught In The Web at www.moderndrummer.com.