Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Pop Rock, Pop
Label Number: 243 848-2
© 1988 WEA
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
tags: channel 5, channel 5 album, 1988, flac,
November 27, 2024
November 26, 2024
Eyedea & Abilities - E&A (2004)
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 86710-2
© 2004 Rhymesayers/Epitaph
A simple description of Eyedea would be “the thinking man’s Eminem.” In fact, it’s remarkable how much the two have in common besides melanin. Both are known for vicious freestyle skills, both have been finalists in the Cincinatti hip-hop showcase Scribble Jam, and both cultivated a devoted following in the underground based on a style and flair beyond the ordinary. The two clearly branched off in different directions though. Eminem blew up on the strength of his sick humor, linked up with Dr. Dre and signed to Aftermath, and became both a household name and public enemy #1 to all whack rappers of melanin that can’t stand a white boy being that damn good when they spend years upon years trying and still stink up hip-hop (see Benzino). Meanwhile Eyedea continued winning events like the Blaze MC Battle (broadcast on HBO) and releasing underground albums like “First Born” with his partner in crimes DJ Abilities. The latter is no slouch either – a two time regional DMC champion, one of the top vinyl cutters in all of hip-hop, and a maestro of fine beat production.
The question is certainly the same to reader and writer alike – why have two talents of such magnitude seperately failed to blow up paired together? The reasons are simultaneously both obvious and hard to fathom. Eyedea purposefully cultivates an attitude reminiscent of early El-P/Company Flow material – “independent as fuck and proud of it.” As a member of the infamous Rhymesayers family, he can afford to be. The iconic underground status of the crew combined with his own legerdemain ensure for the time being and near future a level of indie underground success that sustains his career. But quixotically, it’s this very attitude that may prevent Eyedea from reaching out to a larger audience. It’s a shame too, because those masses don’t realize Eyedea is just as humerous on the mic and swift with his flow as Em is. The new album “E&E” is out to prove that, and songs like the witty “Act Right” succeed at it:
“(Hey LADIES!) You know we love to see y’all at the shows
But this is dedicated to the ones someone might call a {*HO!!*}
All I gotta do is wink to get you back to my hotel
I can’t respect a person that don’t respect themselves
You’re that one girl I went to high school with (with)
Back then you treated me like I wasn’t shit
You say if I give you a free CD, you’ll show me your tits?
You get the CD for ten bucks like everyone else, you stupid {BITCH!}
{No} – I don’t care if you just broke up witcha boyfriend
{No} – I ain’t tryin to go where every other rapper’s been!
{No} – If I was to kick it all my boys would clown so I could
{“Never hold ya, can’t hold ya, won’t hold ya down” – J-RO}”
As good as it is, it’s the hilarious vocal stabs by Abilities on the tables that make it even better. You gotta give it up to the man – he produced the entire album and was only assisted on scratch once by DJ Infamous for the instrumental turntablist porn show opus “Two Men and a Lady.” The focus clearly remains on Eyedea though, who just can’t resist showing off his penchant for tricky tongue rapping on cuts like “Now.” Few can match his dexterity in flipping syllables; even Twista would be impressed and/or jeal’:
“Tryin to turn into a simple simile, a simple sentiment adrenaline is coming back
I made it my own city, why’s it gotta be a superstar
I’d rather be a galaxy, but how you see is so dependent
on the medicine the rhetoric and how inventive any second
that your thinkin is, I’m sittin at the brink of this
world is all asleep and I have no apologies
I breathe… keep my side on what we ride on
Let bygones be bygones, the migraines don’t sidetrack my final
destination of them rivals, predetermination
To exterminate the germination
Of a nation that ac-cepts,anything that’s thrown in their fat face
Cause when there’s nothing – left, there’s no point to the rat race”
Aceyalone? Gift of Gab? Pharoahe Monch? Each would be fair comparisons to Eyedea, truly a verbal pugilist extrordinaire. Showing a higher level of concentration on and concern for accessible dopeness than on their debut album, Eyedea & Abilities craft an album full of songs that can break past their cult icon status to a broader underground rap audience. The uptempo and bouncy “Kept” is all that. “Exhausted Love” talks honestly about failed dreams traded in for the menial day to day grind. “Star Destroyer” starts with a hot Xzibit sample scratched in by Abilities and only gets better as Eyedea lambasts inferior competitors. The smooth sounds of “Paradise” have that surprising pop crossover previously only heard in certain Quannum artist joints by DJ Shadow and Latyrx. “One Twenty” is a purely menacing attack of pianoes, freestyles, and sweet DJ Abilities cutting. The only track that might lose people is the industrial noise of “Man vs. Ape,” but to this reviewer it was a refreshing change of pace.
When the ominous sounding “Glass” shatters it’s way across your eardrums at the end and three-quarters of an hour have gone by, “E&A” turns out to be one hell of a great experience. Maybe the theory that there’s only room for so many white rappers to crossover and blow up in hip-hop is true, and it just happened that Eminem got the slot and Eyedea got nada. That can’t be true though, because back in the days the Beastie Boys, 3rd Bass and (ugh) Vanilla Ice were all hot at the same time, and today there are more people of ALL diverse colors and backgrounds making great music that’s true to the hip-hop art and culture. So why won’t Eyedea & Abilities shine brighter? Because for better or worse, they’ve been pigeonholed in the “college alternative” hip-hop category where it’s great to be on mix shows and mix tapes but you’ll never go any further without somebody paying for a top 40 radio push and greasing the palms of a Viacom executive to get your video played on BET and MTV. There’s one thing Eminem got by signing with Dr. Dre that Eyedea did not – connections. Connections get that ass stuck like glue, and after a decade of both making hits and being in them, Dr. Dre had a LOT of connections. Hopefully Eyedea & Abilities can land just such a connection one day and convince the naysayers and pale-skin haters that they’ve got the right stuff, but there’s no reason to deny yourself a copy of “E&A” in the interim.
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
tags: eyedea, abilities, e and a, e&a, 2004, flac,
People Under The Stairs - Fun DMC (2008)
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: GDM007CD
© 2008 Gold Dust Media
On their sixth LP (and first after breaking with the Om label), the West Coast underground rap heroes known as People Under the Stairs present another high-energy excursion into the feel-good, party-themed hip-hop of yesteryear with FUN DMC. Thes One and Double K journey back (way back) before the indie rap heyday of the mid-1990s, giving numerous nods to the old school’s various eras. Against all odds, the B-boy-centric duo once again reformulates hip-hop nostalgia into a finely crafted product that is infinitely fresher and more original than the genre-bending work of their contemporaries.
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
tags: people under the stairs, fund dmc, 2008, flac,
Mike Mictlan & Lazerbeak - Hand Over Fist (2008)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: DTR 017
© 2008 Doomtree Records
Location can be almost as important in hip hop as it is in real estate. Simply existing in a given spot can say a lot about your music, and your city of origin can play a huge role in your future success, or lack thereof. When I worked at a record store a few years back, a co-worker introduced himself to me by confessing he was from Minnesota upon hearing that I was into hip hop. This was over five years ago at this point – well within Atmosphere’s reign but prior to the full Rhymesayers explosion – and my initial reaction was to laugh when he claimed he grew up in the epicenter of some good rap music. But then I stopped short, remembering all the artists I knew who were affiliated with the area, and acknowledged that he was right. Turns out, dude went to high school with Eyedea and was around for the early days of the local Atmosphere phenomenon. He was a rock fan through and through, but living amidst the Minneapolis scene opened him up to rap music, albeit of the Rhymesayers/Def Jux variety more than Rawkus/Def Jam.
Fast forward half a decade, and it seems ridiculous to discount Minne-snow-ta, or to think of any time other than now as the state’s hip hop heyday. With Atmosphere still in ascendance, Brother Ali staking his claim to top five territory, and P.O.S. releasing with the Jukies, there’s plenty of talent to go around. And that doesn’t even include the massive crew P.O.S. brought with him, a collective known as Doomtree with a roster that runs nine deep without a weak link in the bunch. The group’s self-titled album showcased its members’ considerable skills and rightly earned a number of year-end nods for the excellence of its ensemble cast in such a well-executed collaboration. Lazerbeak contributed much of the album’s production (along with Turbo Nemesis), carving a distinct niche for himself with his postindustrial tableaus over pounding drums, while Mike Mictlan wedged himself into the MC mix with his double-time flow and standout performance on tracks like “Drumsticks” and “Game Over.”
These two have now joined forces to release “Hand Over Fist,” a taut collection of tracks with surprisingly little filler and a short guest list. While the “Doomtree” album saw Mictlan struggling to get playing time in a crowded line-up, “Hand Over Fist” is his emergence as a true starter, as he dominates every song and keeps the spotlight squarely on himself. Other than a small appearance for P.O.S. on the speed-laced “SHUX,” Mictlan is the only voice to be heard here, and he holds it down so well that you never grow tired of his presence. He sounds a bit like El-P but with a more streamlined and manageable flow, and his delivery fits well within the Def Jux palate as well. The beats aid in this comparison, as Lazerbeak’s productions bear much of the El-Producto imprint too, full of noises that might be abrasive if they weren’t so darn infectious. His beats are more like soundscapes than head-nodders, although there are a few of the latter thrown in too, and the busy-yet-desolate ambience suits Mictlan’s visually evocative lyrical style.
The music is so heavy and involved that it occasionally feels suffocating, with Mictlan’s raps the only real outlet, which succeeds in a few ways. First, it creates a clear mood that persists for the duration of the album and easily holds your attention. Second, it makes the MC’s voice your only link to sanity as he guides you through his tumultuous world and gets you to see life from behind his eyes. And finally, it makes the few lighter moments feel like finally surfacing for air, which both highlights these softer tracks and reminds you why the rest of the album is so riveting. Things never exactly get Kanye smooth, but songs like the soulful “LA Raiders Hat” and the jazzified flute of “Young Hunger” keep the album from getting overly dark and prove that the duo can construct an ear-pleasing jam when they feel like it.
There really isn’t much to complain about here, unless you can’t keep up with the blistering pace set by Lazerbeak’s sound machine. Mitlan is a likable presence on the mic, and he switches up his subject matter enough to convey various facets of his personality, from the ready-for-whatever swagger of “Young Hunger” to the autobiographical vignettes of “LA Raiders Hat” and “Northstarrr.” If one wants to quibble, you might ask for a couple of verses for his labelmates, especially since he showed such good chemistry with them on the group album. Dessa in particular would have been a welcome addition to the album. But it’s pretty hard to complain when you’re handed thirteen tracks of solid lyricism and deft flow over forward thinking production, so I’m inclined to just enjoy the album for what it is: yet another strong effort from a spot on the map that just keeps getting better. The Midwest ain’t just Chicago and Detroit anymore.
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
tags: mike mictlan, lazerbreak, hand over fist, 2008, flac,
Eyedea & Abilities - By The Throat (2009)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Experimental Hip-Hop
Label Number: RSE0111-2
© 2009 Rhymesayers Entertainment
When you’ve proven yourself a world class battler and a critically acclaimed album artist who’s released records with both hip hop and rock labels, like Eyedea has, where do you go next? It’s easy enough to hold court with the backpacking world when you have a DJ as good as Abilities watching your back. The smart money for Eyedea would be another release like the team’s five year old Epitaph record “E&A.” Just make sure to keep the beats smart enough to give Eyedea room to spit tongue twisters over and the talent on display will be enough to keep fans heads nodding. Who gives a shit if it’s a holding pattern? It’s what the kids want right? But kids don’t always know what they want. There are foods my ignorant sixteen year old ass wouldn’t have eaten if someone paid me, like sushi, but now at twenty five the idea of life without eel rolls makes my heart ache. Until you try new flavors your taste buds won’t know how they’re going to react, and “By the Throat” is the perfect crash course in a new flavor of hip hop. A indie rock musical feast that provides the groove for Eyedea to lay his golden lyrics upon.
Rap isn’t totally new to rock. The Roots threw the world for a loop on “Phrenology” with the twenty four second “!!!!!!!,” a hardcore song paying tribute to the Bad Brains. And what hip hop head can forget the “Judgment Night” soundtrack slamming punk and rock artists into collaborations with 90’s hip hop’s brightest? Even Lil Wayne is dipping his foot in the pool. “By the Throat” isn’t traditional rock, so even the few cats out there who listen to Coldplay once Jay Z gave them a co-sign might be left wondering exactly what’s going on here. The guitar work is based on a foundation of simple droning chord changes, think punk rock on a steady diet of Syrup, with Abilities providing a ever changing spine of jittering drum machine snare and light keyboards to bring these concoctions of blending genres together in the end.
Without traditional steady beats to guide his battle formed lyrical style Eyedea has been forced to step outside of his comfort zone of brutal punch lines and pessimistic free form rants. The lyrical exploration, both in writing and vocal delivery, sets “By the Throat” in a class of its own in Eyedea’s deep back catalog. The album is a more emotional affair than most of his previous records, so accusations that the guy’s gone Emo should start lighting up message boards any minute. The truth seems to lay in the words he pours out on the disc however. Eyedea’s never been the happiest rapper, and is no stranger to pessimism, but there is an undercurrent of recovery to this record that gives his sad tales weight beyond simple whining rants.
By the time we reach the album’s closing Eyedea has vented his spleen over soulless scene groupies, fake friends, what appears to be some drug problems, and enough self doubt to make Kanye West start to question himself. Opening up about his rough childhood and struggles with depression on “Smile” he provides an almost uncomfortable amount of honesty from one of battle rap’s most cocksure combatants. “Burn Fetish” cuts through the bullshit of the music business to address the struggles of an artist whose mind and stage presence seem to constantly be at odds. His second verse on that track in particularly stands out.
“Outnumbered by such a large amount
No wonder why we lost the battle, the counterculture can’t count
Welcome to my private hell
There’s no one to fight now enjoy myself
Rather drown than ask for help
I wish I was someone else
Mr. Perfect, misconstrued
Lead the way, follow through
Probably hate me, I do too”
The whole affair would be oppressively dark if not for two shining lights. The first is the album’s title (and closing) track “By the Throat.” Through the pain of the album Eyedea comes out on the other side capable of living thanks to a friendship that provides him some outlet for trust and companionship in the world. His closing bars on the record tell it all.
“I turned love inside out a thousand times tryin’ to see if it was ever
anything more than the will to persevere
but the two go hand in hand, the clouds surrounding you eventually will clear
I can breathe, I found contentment in the end
Tellin’ a god I don’t believe in to go to sleep so I can think again
We went through thick and thin, came out separate on the other end
But please know no matter what you’ll always have me as a friend”
And that second shining light? Eyedea and Abilities picked up on one of the most important lessons of punk rock, one that more rappers could do well to learn, namely brevity. No song on the record is longer than 4:15, and barely any reach three minutes. Considering the unconventional structure of the songwriting the basic pattern of allowing the song to build until they’ve made their point and then moving along to the next creates a record where no song, no matter how weird, wears out its welcome. At a lean 29 minutes “By the Throat” is the kind of record you’ve got no excuse not to check out, if only because it doesn’t require the same 70+ minute commitment of most other rap albums. Oh and the fact that it’s an emotional and creative masterpiece in the genre of hip hop. You’ve got 24 hours in the day to shake your ass, take 29 minutes of it and taste something out of the ordinary.
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
tags: edea, abilities, by the throat, 2009, flac,
November 25, 2024
Slammer - Nightmare Scenario (1991)
*First pressing.
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United kingdomGenre: Thrash Metal
Style: Technical Thrash Metal
Label Number: HMR XD 170
© 1991 Heavy Metal Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
tags: slammer, nightmare scenario, 1991, flac,
Behemoth - …From The Pagan Vastlands (1994) (Demo)
*First pressing.
Contains 7 tracks total.
Country: PolandLanguage: English
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: Nazgul's Eyrie Prod. 002
© 1994 Nazgul's Eyrie Productions
There are two things one must know about Behemoth. Firstly, their best phase began very early on. Secondly, their best phase ended very early too. Thank Lucifer, the demo “...from the Pagan Vastlands” is among the oldest releases of the band. With the first tones of the opener – blowing winds welcome the listener – the release reveals a very high degree of atmosphere. “From the Hornedland to Lindisfarne” scores with a haunting, enchanted mood, fragile acoustic guitar tones that duel with sinister e-guitar lines and croaking vocals. Moreover, well integrated keyboard carpets show up and the drums are hammering somewhere in the distance. It goes without saying that one cannot expect a professional recording, but the crucial thing is that “...from the Pagan Vastlands” has definitely a lot of raw underground charm. The mix is like the artwork, both can rely on a simple yet adequate recipe.
Compared with the opener, “Thy Winter Kingdom” offers an almost smooth flow. Already in winter 1993/1994, Behemoth were able to manage more than just one approach. Nothing on this demo sounds formulaic or predictable. Behemoth followed their then black hearts and this way of proceeding resulted in archaic, authentic and spiritual tracks. The dudes did not shy away from a proper number of melodies – nevertheless, “misanthropy” is written in big letters over each and every track. Maybe it is correct to say that the excellence of this demo is based on the rare mixture of a surprisingly early achieved musical maturity and absolutely non-commercial individualism. Okay, Behemoth did not grow up in a vacuum and therefore their mid-paced tracks breathe the spirit of bands like Graveland. Anyway, the dudes are able to bring their personality into the compositions which are expressive, charismatic and equipped with an atmospheric density which turns out to be a big plus.
What does not really work here? Well, nothing sucks, only minor details are irritating. The Mayhem cover comes after the “outro winds” of “Fields of Harr-Megiddo”, which actually close the circle. And speaking of this song, its solos are slightly confusing for the listener, because they are more or less airy, light and almost emotional. Yet if I ignore them, the further parts of the track are on a par with the remaining material – songs that are full of suspenseful moments and in which the almost 35 minutes pass by quickly, although the single pieces themselves often only move at a medium speed. However, especially the strong “Blackvisions of the Almighty” illustrates that the musicians did not suffer from an allergy against speed.
The story of Behemoth (Nergal) is a story of musical evolution, to say it positively. From my point of view, it is a story of fickleness. Today the words “Black Metal is not a trend (inverted cross) it’s a cult!”, printed on the digipak, seem like mockery. Drive through Poland and if you see a guy pissing with the wind, it will probably be Nergal. But if one takes “...from the Pagan Vastlands” alone, and I guess this is meaning and purpose of this review, it is definitely a great document of this thing we call true black metal and an auspicious harbinger of Behemoth’s masterpiece from 1996, “Grom”.
tags: behemoth, from the pagan vastlands, 1994, flac,
Marco Polo & Torae - Double Barrel (2009)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: DDM CD 2105
© 2009 Duck Down
It’s difficult to decide where to start when it comes to the latest Duck Down Records release. I could continue to praise Duck Down Records for the high profile releases they keep giving us since their resurgence. I could praise Marco Polo for the fact that he’s quickly established himself as one of the top producers in the game. I could praise Torae for such a quick rise in the rap industry, turning an independent album into a deal with Duck Down in less than a year. All in all, everyone involved in the production of this album deserves some props. It pairs a hungry emcee with a hungry producer. It was delivered as promised with no delays. Most importantly, it lives up to the hype and expectations.
The album kicks off with DJ Premier on the intro which eliminates any accusations that Marco Polo is merely another Primo imitator as the man would not cosign a copy cat. The closest Polo gets to jocking Primo’s style is on “Double Barrel” and “Lifetime” when DJ Revolution lends his scratching skills to the hooks. Marco Polo shows his versatility on tracks like “Crash The Party” where he makes a club banger for Torae to hard body with his raw rap style. While Marco Polo was clearly influenced by all the production greats, his beats and sample selection are so dope he makes up for his lack of innovation.
Torae is an emcee who made noise before with the production credits on his first official album, “Daily Conversation.” He sounds dope on the right production and Marco Polo provides that here. He is not a ground breaking emcee, but he gets the job done well as he shows on “Crashing Down:”
“Yo, I put all my eggs in the same basket
This rap shit, or should I say got stuffed in the same casket
Because if music is really the way Nas said
Then I guess I should deal with the life after it
I make joints from the heart when I’m crafting it
And sit in the sessions to mix it and master it
When I was eleven, started to chase after it
Took seventeen long years later to catch the shit
And by the time that I got it
It seemed like the best years was far behind it
I done witnessed the high heights, the plummets
The same niggas that ain’t go gold that used to run shit
You can’t rely on the public
At least niggas used to cop it and then dub it
So what the fuck do you do when you still love it?
And struggling to make your living from it?”
Torae can tell a story well and craft a clever metaphor at times. He is never boring or wack, but fails to rise to the levels of the truly great emcees. Still, on “Double Barrel” Torae holds his own quite well.
Overall, “Double Barrel” is a banging album full of unadulterated hip-hop. Duck Down continues to outdo itself on the underground circuit with its albums. In addition to rejuvenating the careers of other Duck Down stars, this album shows Dru Ha still has the ear and business acumen it takes to be successful in the changing music industry. Marco Polo should surely become a hot commodity with his brand of head banging boom bap beats. Polo has the ability to craft organic and soulful music in different vibes and moods. This means that you don’t get one monotonous CD and instead get a nice balance of songs on the CD. Torae is a solid emcee who can really shine with the right production behind him. He tells a very good story and is good at brash brags. His passion matches that of the best emcees and shines through on each track he rhymes. Even if the only end result of this collaboration is “Double Barrel II” that would still be a positive step for hip-hop fans and all people involved.
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
tags: marco polo and torae, double barrel, 2009, flac,
November 22, 2024
King Geedorah (MF Doom) - Take Me To Your Leader (2003)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: BDCD051
© 2003 Big Dada Recordings
MF Doom's Big Dada project Take Me to Your Leader (as King Geedorah) is a monster-movie concept record, featuring a parade of tracks and samples that conform to the age of Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and of course, the mighty King Ghidorah -- a three-headed monster from outer space. Most of the film references are going on in the background while guest rappers contribute their own rhymes; while MF Doom the producer deserves a lot of credit for flooding the production space with beats, effects, samples, and plenty of crackling movie dialogue, the combination of high-profile arrangement and dense rapping is nearly overwhelming. "Fastlane" floats a good rap from Biolante, but he's drowned out by the production, with a squealing guitar sample stuck on auto-repeat for three minutes. For "Krazy World," Gigan spits his thin, throaty lyrics over another simple sample, this one a string-heavy descent that often cuts out and back in with no warning, but hangs on for more than a minute after Gigan's rap is finished. For what it's worth, MF Doom's two vocal features make up for much of the mentalist madness. Though the first, "The Final Hour," is far too short, "Anti-Matter" (with Mr. Fantastik) allows the rappers to shine over a swinging, groovy soundtrack. A cold, pummeling, relentless record, Take Me to Your Leader is a quintessential side project: far more extreme and uninviting than Doom could afford to be on his solo-billed records.
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
tags: king geedorah, mf doom, take me to your leader, 2003, flac,
Marco Polo - Port Authority (2007) ☠
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Country: Canada
Language: English
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: RKS008
☠: Selected by Lass
© 2007 Rawkus/Soulspazm Records
Though he's Toronto born and bred, the producer known as Marco Polo deftly and assuradely steps into the second-generation Rawkus lineup with his solo-produced 18-track effort, PORT AUTHORITY. Known for his work with Brooklyn MCs Pumpkinhead and Masta Ace, among others, Marco Polo recruited the most respected artists on the East Coast to bless his butter beats, which echo the best of the late-1990s underground era. O.C., Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, Wordsworth, Large Professor, A.G., Buckshot, Jo Jo Pellegrino, Roc Marciano, Sadat X, and Ju Ju of the Beatnuts are just a few of the MCs featured.
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
tags: marco polo, port authority, 2007, flac,
Beneficence - Concrete Soul (2012) ☠
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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: IAR009
☠: Selected by Lass
© 2012 Ill Adrenaline Records
As an affiliate of the 90s rap group Artifacts, Beneficence hasn’t made too many records of note other than the excellent “Sidewalk Science” released in 2011, an album fully immersed in Brooklyn boom bap. Beneficence continues his infatuation with road formation on the follow-up: “Concrete Soul”. It is as apt a name for a hip hop album as there has ever been. Combining the hard, cold image of cracked pavements and damaged city blocks with the essence of humanity is essentially what hip hop music stands for. And the hip hop community has come out in force to support Beneficence, as proven by the whopping 21 guest features.
This many features raises the question over whether Beneficence can hold the listener’s attention enough not to be lost amongst his colleagues, but this isn’t the type of hip hop where the MC in question opens up and drops poignant reflections on life or showcases his knowledge of the dictionary. This is good old fashioned pass-the-mic hip hop, mixing veterans who never quite became household names (Rampage, Nature, Masta Ace) and underground mainstays (D-Flow, El Da Sensei, A.G.) with some hard hitting head-nod production.
The first track is a strange decision as it only features Doo Wop introducing himself as if it is his album. He does mention Beneficence towards the end but it’s a random verse. Once “Y.W.E.” starts with a beat hornier than Pete Rock on Viagra, the soundscapes don’t let up. Beneficence holds his own with a gruff delivery that’s a mesh of Neek The Exotic and Cam’ron, but the three tracks that feature him on his own show why it was a good decision to call in the troops. That’s not to say that Beneficence is a poor rapper, he is lyrically very strong, but his performances tend to move up a level when there’s somebody else competing for mic time.
“Put It On The Wire” offers an energised Beneficence:
“Menace from the badlands, mystique of the Son of Sam
Earth, Wind & Fire, fatalities in the wonderland
Can’t snipe me, so the goons don’t excite me
Dance With The Wolves, the rules I step lightly
sharp to a fraction, plot to assassin
Surround you like a caption, the bounty I cash in”
If you’re a sucker for scratched hooks you’ll love “Hood Early Years (H.E.Y)” and “Rules To The Game Remix” which begs the question why more DJs don’t use MC Lyte vocals on their tracks. Herb McGruff even shouts out his fallen comrade Big L on the latter, before he is brought back to life on the record with some effortless scratches. Rashad weaves his flawless flow around the soulful “Straight Out The Gate” where Beneficence gives the DJs a break in order to drop a worthwhile chorus. Underground favourite El Da Sensei throws down a brilliant syllable heavy verse on “Way We Rockin'” which sounds like a track off Sensei’s “Global Takeover” series of records. The beat is predictably awesome (produced by the underrated Confidence) with perfect bass, vocal and hard drums, along with an intensely scratched hook involving The Game proclaiming “You’re now rocking with the best”. Roc Marciano reunites on “Hood Cartel” to drop yet another stunning tale akin to street literature. Think of Raekwon at his storytelling best with Kool G Rap’s bombardment of multis and you get the idea:
“Tussling with pigs, hustling as kids
It was nothing big, just another gig
Juggling for ends, stepping up from Timbs
to the bubble pants, fuck being humble when
you gotta rumble wit’
The brothers and the colourless…”
Before the album peters out, Billy Danze punches the listener in the face with his aggressive presence over the catchy “Art of War” which combines Common with Inspectah Deck to brilliant effect. Beneficence has a stop-start flow which doesn’t quite come off whilst Danze does his usual, allowing the hook to prosper.
There’s a few forgettable songs towards the end of the album, including a nice Nature verse on “Metal Cuff Links” that was disappointingly quiet. The legendary Masta Ace appears on the best produced track on the record (and the single) “Reality Vs. Fiction (Rock On!)” which is surprisingly located at track 18. Unsurprisingly however, Masta Ace dominates with his brilliant verse talking about times in his life he could have took his career in a different direction, but ultimately didn’t need to:
“I could have smoked a bunch of weed and wrote a song about it
But I realised that I can get along without it
Maybe I’m wrong about it, maybe I would have won
Sometimes I think about all the things that I could have done
But then that doubt gets alleviated
When I shake hands with all the fans that appreciate it”
As far as classic boom bap beats go, “Real Life We Livin'” is as good as it gets, produced by Panik from The Molemen who rarely disappoint. Unfortunately the verses aren’t quite up to mark and if any beat would suit the scratched sounds from a bygone era, this is it. Alas, an overly complicated chorus was used instead. It’s not a bad track, but feels like a missed opportunity after hearing the brilliant DJ work beforehand. Luckily the closing track “Somethin’ Y’all Can Roll Wit'” won’t disappoint (unless you’re an English teacher) as it flips a sweet KRS-One vocal with an instrumental reminiscent of early Gang Starr, and Beneficence complements the track well.
There’s a gritty yet innocent charm to “Concrete Soul”. It’s hard without being angry, intelligent without being patronising, and the largely absent use of profanity is refreshing. A record reminiscent of early A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr, the presence of Grap Luva on “Cold Train” reminds me most of the golden era Beneficence represents. Yet despite the odd misstep and the fact it should really be billed as Beneficence & Friends, there aren’t many better hip hop releases from 2012 that deserve your attention.
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
tags: beneficence, concrete soul, 2012, flac,
November 16, 2024
Darkness - Death Squad (1987)
*First pressing.
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: GermanyLanguage: English
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: AU 31706
© 1987-1990 Aurophon
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
tags: darkness, death squad, 1987, flac,
Pyracanda - Two Sides of a Coin (1990)
*First pressing.
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: NRR 1010; 260 543
© 1990 No Remorse/Virgin Records
Throughout the years, Germany has been a hot as hell region for a genre like thrash metal. While bands like Kreator, Holy Moses, Destruction and Sodom continue to release albums and maintain a massive appeal worldwide, others have not been so lucky sadly. Pyracanda, unfortunately happen to be the unfortunate ones. Despite releasing two well executed thrash albums, they never saw the glory back in the day and have just become another one of those long lost thrash bands. Having said that, their debut album still draws favorable interest amidst hardened heavy metal listeners who would go to any extent to dig up obscurity stricken albums and also the ones who may have heard the band and enjoyed them during their years of activity.
The real reason behind this album still being discussed is the presence of a couple of factors. One is the tight and excellent musicianship that seems almost unsurpassable. The rhythm section had complete hold of their instruments and the vocalist does more than a decent job behind the microphone. The second factor is the neat production work which gives the album a definite edge over a lot of other albums released the same year. The music played here is speedy melodic thrash more along the lines of early Heathen, Swiss thrashers Apocalypse and fellow countrymen Grinder, although not as technical as the Bay Area kings.
As far as the tracks are concerned, each one flows along really well without any jerks and stumbles. The album starter “Top Gun” kicks off with a common E minor riff with some neat bass fills in the background and finally explodes into a fine thrasher with the advent of the drums. The follow up “Democratic Terror” has a lethal combination of the mid section riff and an infectious chorus that is almost hard to miss. This one’s also a fast one with good tight chugs and a melodic solo that’s played at blazing speed. “Delirium Tremens” kicks off with a Megadeth like riff but eventually picks up pace and goes along fairly well.
The next couple of tracks “Challenge Cup” and “Rigor Mortis” continue in the same manner without hampering the flow. Then comes the amusingly titled “Welcome To Crab-Louse City” which may well be the best track on this album. The guitar work and drumming on this is drop dead devastating and pretty much defines what thrash metal is all about. Accentuated by the presence of some excellent piece of singing by the vocalist and also the well timed background shouts, it makes worthy contender in the list of “100 best thrash metal songs of all time”. The next track “Dreamworld” slows down the mayhem and sounds a lot like a NWOBHM tinged hard rocker with just a couple of riffs bordering on thrash.
The closers “Loser” and “Don’t Get Infected” finish things in an absolute uncompromising style. The intro riff on the latter one can best be described as one of the best whereas the former has a catchy German sounding chorus towards the end.
This would probably appeal to every thrash fan around the planet. If you’re looking for thrash metal with the melodic sensibilities of bands like Helloween, Rage, Running Wild or even Liege Lord, then look no further. And if you’re expecting something as punishing as the teutonic trio, then you’d better look around for alternatives that have sprouted out of the South American region over the years.
tags: pyracanda, two sides of a coin, 1990, flac,
Sacrifice - Soldiers of Misfortune (1990) ☠
*First pressing.
Contains 8 tracks total.
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Country: Canada
Language: English
Genre: Thrash Metal
Style: Technical Thrash Metal
Label Number: FPD3096
☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1990 Fringe Product
Third album for the Canadian thrashers, one that I've seen praised quite a bit. I really like it, but I think it's a bit of a step down from the previous two albums and it falls more in line with what other bands were doing and the vocals just don't sound as good to me. There's a rawness in the previous albums—especially the first one—that's mostly gone here. Depending on whom you ask, that's either a good or a bad thing. In Sacrifice's case, I prefer their raw stuff. So, Soldiers of Misfortune disappointed me a little bit, seeing the band lose some of their early craziness and adopting a cleaner style. But when it comes to all-around thrash, the album is definitely one of the good ones (though, again, the vocals... something's off).
The style here is closer to the "clean U.S. thrash" of the mid to late '80s than it is for the more aggressive and rawer German thrash that Sacrifice's early works reminded me of, setting them apart from their excellent country mates Razor who were more on the clean side of things from the get-go. Despite the cleaner approach, somehow Sacrifice manage to still sound like their old selves in that their signature playing can still be heard with little effort despite the cleaner style. The vocalist does jump back into his older screechy style at times and the guitars still have that raw power despite some obviously better technique. I mentioned in my review of Forward Termination that the atmosphere of Torment of Fire was missing, and that's also true here. You've got the aggression, the razor-sharp guitars with some really cool soloing (reminding me of some Bay Area stuff here and there), and more headbangable moments than you can handle, and it's a guaranteed good time. Most thrashers probably own this already but, if you don't, it's a classic that belongs in your collection.
tags: sacrifice, soldiers of misfortune, 1990, flac,
Broadcast - The Noise Made By People (2000)
Genre: Dream Pop
Label Number: TBCD 1413
© 2000 Warp/Tommy Boy Records
After being mired in the studio for nearly three years, Broadcast returned with their first proper full-length album, The Noise Made by People, a collection of more shimmering, weightless pop that is nostalgic for yesterday's visions of the future but remains on the cutting edge of contemporary music. Where their early singles (collected on 1997's Work and Non-Work) painted small, quaint portraits of their retro-futurism, The Noise Made by People delivers their sound in widescreen, filmic grandeur. Richly layered yet airy pieces like the album bookends, "Long Was the Year" and "Dead the Long Year," seamlessly blend symphonic, electronic, and pop elements into smoky, evocative epics, while synth-based interludes such as "Minus One" and "The Tower of Our Tuning" present Broadcast's more detached, scientific side. Likewise, Trish Keenan's air-conditioned vocals sometime suggest a robotized Sandie Shaw or Cilla Black, but her humanity peeks out on "Come on Let's Go" and "Papercuts." "Echo's Answer" and "Until Then" are two of the other highlights from the album, which despite all of its chilly unearthliness, is a noise made by (very talented) people.
tags: broadcast, the noise made by people, 2000, flac,
Broadcast - Haha Sound (2003)
Genre: Indietronica
Label Number: WARPCD106
© 2003 Warp Records
On their early singles and brilliant debut album, The Noise Made by People, Broadcast's commitment to crafting meticulously, ethereally beautiful atmospheres gave their music a detached quality that made them somewhat difficult to embrace fully. This isn't the case on Haha Sound, the band's second album. While their music still sounds like it could've been crafted by ghosts in the machine, now Broadcast give it flesh and blood through more warmth and texture. As with the Pendulum EP, Haha Sound's more human touch comes through in its looser, more intimate, and rougher sound. But aside from being warmer and more textured, the album is simply more, as its first three songs reveal. The delicately spooky nursery rhyme "Colour Me In" begins the album with the wistful, childlike viewpoint that creeps into Haha Sound from time to time, its layers of chopped up, sawing strings giving it an oddly and sweetly tentative feel. "Pendulum" finds the band digging deeper into their psychedelic influences, with acid rock drumming and flashback-like washes of sound making it one of the most tense, driving tracks they've recorded. The Pendulum EP suggested that the entire album might be as wired and dissonant as this song, but tracks like "Before We Begin" quickly prove otherwise. A superstitious song about reuniting lovers, it's gorgeous pop in the vein of "The Book Lovers" and "Come On Let's Go," but more approachable and that much more alluring because of it. The rest of Haha Sound more or less follows in the footsteps of these songs, but the variety that the band instills in the album makes it far from monotonous. A big part of Haha Sound's expansive feel is Trish Keenan's increasingly expressive vocals; while she can still occasionally seem to be hovering slightly outside the songs, her delivery is much more vulnerable and emotive. She's soothing on "Valerie," which is Broadcast's idea of a folk song or lullaby -- although with all of its eerie background noises, sleeping with one eye open is suggested -- ecstatic on "Minim," and poignant on "The Little Bell," another sweetly childlike song that sounds like Keenan is singing inside a broken clock. Noisier aspects find their way into interludes like "Distortion" and "Black Umbrellas," a curious, fuzzy oompah that picks up speed like an out-of-control assembly line. "Man Is Not a Bird" concludes with a playful, Raymond Scott-esque percussive exercise. The spirits of Scott and Joe Meek haunt the album's carefully deconstructed sound, most obviously on its more extreme tracks, but even on gentler songs like the flight of fancy "Lunch Hour Pops," which has a giddy, space-age sweetness akin to the Tornadoes' "Telstar." This song, the beautiful "Ominous Cloud," and "Winter Now" suggest that Broadcast could probably make dozens of immaculate pop songs like these if they wanted to, but all the detours the band takes are precisely what make the more perfectly crafted songs so precious. Haha Sound may not be Broadcast's most superficially perfect album, but it's a more challenging and exciting one because of its deliberate imperfections.
tags: broadcast, haha sound, 2003, flac,
Broadcast - Tender Buttons (2005)
Genre: Indietronica
Label Number: WARPCD136
© 2005 Wrap Records
Reflecting their newly streamlined status as a duo, Broadcast's Tender Buttons strips their luminous electronic pop down to its barest essence. Initially, the album is a shock, and not always a pleasant one; many Broadcast fans have come to expect each release as a chance to be blown away by the group's ever-bigger and better sounds, and from their early EPs to the ornate Haha Sound, Broadcast seemed to challenge themselves by adding more layers and twists and turns to their music. Here, Trish Keenan and James Cargill push themselves to do more with much less. The pruning ends up being prudent; concentrating on just a few musical motifs, Tender Buttons has a uniquely fresh, modern feel. Sparingly applied beats, intricate but subtle guitars, and hazy synths dominate the album, providing a restrained backdrop for Keenan's quietly commanding voice and crossword-puzzle lyrics. As if to underscore Broadcast's new aesthetic, Tender Buttons opens with some of its most radical departures: "I Found the F"'s largely spoken vocals and driving bassline, "Black Cat"'s austere pulse, and the title track's whispery, sinister sensuality all stretch (or rather, shrink) the boundaries of what a Broadcast song can be. At first, these tracks just sound unfinished, but the beauty of their bareness reveals itself eventually. Not all of Tender Buttons is this naked. The single "America's Boy" (which somehow manages to play into and dismiss the mythic American soldier at the same time) and "Arc of a Journey"'s stargazing are a little more fleshed out, nodding to the full, swirling sound of Broadcast's earlier work without rehashing it. Likewise, "Michael a Grammar" and "Goodbye Girls" offer a more colorful, charming spin on the band's new approach. Still, Tender Buttons' most restrained moments are often most striking: "You and Me in Time" plays like a delicately surreal update of Julee Cruise's spacy torch-pop, while the absolutely stunning vignette "Tears in the Typing Pool" makes the most of an acoustic guitar and Keenan's gorgeous vocals and evocative songwriting skills. Oddly enough, Tender Buttons' simplicity makes it more demanding than Broadcast's other work; it requires more than just a few listens to sink in. However, the tension between Broadcast's catchy and aloof, experimental sides is what makes their music intriguing, and Tender Buttons is no different in that regard: even when it seems to be stripped bare, it's still full of mystery.
tags: broadcast, tender buttons, 2005, flac,
November 15, 2024
At War - Ordered To Kill (1986)
*Reissued on CD for the first time in
1998 by New Renaissance Records.
This pressing contains 8 tracks
total and remastered audio.
Country: U.S.A.Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: NRCD-105
© 1986-1998 New Renaissance Records
Originally released circa 1986, At War's debut album Ordered to Kill was power-trio thrash of the high-velocity Motorhead/Slayer variety.
tags: at war, ordered to kill, 1986, flac,
Fat Boys - Coming Back Hard Again (1988)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 835 809-2
© 1988 Tin Pan Apple/Polydor
The last Fat Boys LP to make any noise, this sixth Sutra release proved their second most successful album, peaking at 33 and earning them their last gold record. It piggybacked on the success of "Louie Louie," their last chart single. They did try to adjust to changing audience demands, cutting "Rock The House, Y'All" and "Powerlord," but The Fat Boys' strength remained novelty numbers and weight-based raps like "Big Daddy" and "Pig Feet," which had lost almost all their popularity.
tags: fat boys, coming back hard, 1988, flac,
