Bitchin' is the seventh and final studio album by The Donnas, released on September 18, 2007. Following their departure from Atlantic Records due to creative differences regarding outside pop-songwriting pressures, the quartet reclaimed complete artistic control. They founded their own independent label, Purple Feather Records, to self-release the album. Produced by Jay Ruston alongside the band, Bitchin' represents a roaring liberation from the major-label machine, capturing four seasoned musicians enjoying themselves entirely on their own terms.
The album completely abandons the mid-tempo, psychedelic detours of Gold Medal, pivoting instead into raw, unapologetic 1980s glam metal, hard rock, and arena sleaze. To sharpen their stadium-sized hooks, the band collaborated with legendary songwriter Holly Knight on two tracks. For physical media collectors, the record received a massive revival in late 2025 via Real Gone Music, who reissued Bitchin' as a deluxe double LP pressed on "Strawberry with Black Swirl" vinyl. The expanded reissue features newly added band commentary and six rare bonus tracks.
The ultimate triumph of Bitchin' is its absolute, high-octane velocity. Opening with an air-raid siren that crashes straight into a blistering, Black Sabbath-esque guitar riff on the title track, the record establishes that the band is playing entirely without compromise. Free from corporate oversight, the production breathes with immense, driving energy. Jay Ruston captures a thick, heavy drum thud and roaring Marshall-stack guitar tones that honor classic Sunset Strip aesthetics while maintaining the band's independent spirit.
Lyrically, the album acts as a spiritual successor to their classic era, celebrating late-night hedonism, independence, and absolute rock-star confidence. On anthemic tracks like "Don't Wait Up for Me" and "What Do I Have to Do," Brett Anderson commands the microphone with an assertive, infectious vocal delivery. The songwriting trades the teenage naivety of their early Lookout! Records days for a sharp, grown-up command of rock showmanship, capturing the group completely comfortable with who they are.
Instrumentally, the record serves as a showcase for a tightly synchronized touring unit at the peak of their technical powers. Allison Robertson steps fully into the spotlight, laying down colossal '80s metal riffs, intricate fretwork, and roaring solos on tracks like "Save Me". Underneath the wall of guitars, Maya Ford’s propulsive basslines lock tightly into Torry Castellano’s thunderous, driving percussion, giving mid-tempo tracks like "Better Off Dancing" a distinctly heavy groove.
As the final chapter of their studio discography, Bitchin' stands as a triumphant and highly underrated monument to creative autonomy. While it didn't enjoy the massive MTV backing of Spend the Night, history has treated it as an incredibly authentic, energetic statement of purpose. Closing their career by returning to the fierce independent roots that defined them, The Donnas left behind a high-gloss, leather-clad time capsule that proves they were always the real deal.
Ripped to MP3
1. Bitchin'
2. Don't Wait Up for Me
3. Wasted (co-written with Holly Knight)
4. What Do I Have to Do
5. Save Me
6. Like an Animal
7. Here for the Party (co-written with Holly Knight)
8. Better Off Dancing
9. Love You Till It Hurts
10. Girl Talk
11. Give Me What I Want
12. Tonight's Alright
13. When the Show Is Over
14. Wasted
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