Sarah Tipper has finally started to do it, she has finally started to make up to her true potential, developing her characters and storylines in a way that represents a true professional. With Vulgar Display of Panda we see that Tipper's evolution is nearing its zenith, and while a few more steps need to be taken, she will soon rise triumphant as the first true metal novelist. With every text things evolve, but Vulgar Display of Panda is something else, as you flip through these pages (Tipper can not be accused of make her texts inaccessible) it's easy to fall in love with her rapidly developing prose.
One of the first things that comes through in this text is the way that Tipper has become much better at developing her characters, be it through dialogue or small tangents. Unlike in previous works, these tangents suddenly have much more meaning and rather than seeming out of place or bizarre they add a touch of flavor. The relationships between the characters is deeply explored, which is fairly par for the course in the Eviscerated Panda books. Once again the plot is mostly driven by relationships rather than events. Yet things seem to be picking up for the band, and their narrative remains exciting and charming, filled with all sorts of wonderful little quirks.
Even as Phil cut his hair and Jennie (Who I suspect is the voice of Tipper in the novel) gets engaged, the key elements that make these books charming is still there and it really puts a smile on my face. Every time I get a new book about the Panda's it's like visiting old friends. As I've mentioned in previous reviews of Tipper's output, there is something here that really gets at the eternal magic of club shows, cheap beer and cigarettes. Tipper understands what metal is meant to be about and she puts that into her work, making it beautiful and meaningful. The kind of texts that touch the heart because they just reflect life so perfectly, it transcends words.
Am I going soft? Maybe. Be that as it may, I think that Tipper needs to be applauded for going beyond here and touching the eternal magic that makes every single one of us keep turning up to small shows with bands that play too loud for normal people. A book written by a metalhead for metalheads, this will get to the spirit of all you love about the underground. Let your hair down and curl up, it's time to get reading boys and girls. Tipper is gradually becoming a seer, a teller of all that is metal, and because of people like her, our scene, and our music, will never die.
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