Collector Reviews: One Day by Slaine

On his fourth studio album, One Day, Slaine relinquishes the past and grabs hold of the present.

Slaine was probably in the first half a dozen underground rappers I discovered in my senior year. I can still recall riding the bus home after school and stopping at HMV to grab my copy of The King Of Everything Else. I've followed every release since that album from 2014 because I found his music to be very accessible as Slaine has a good ear for production and his delivery and writing was pretty stand out as well.

If there's anything specifically that intrigued me about One Day it would be the musical partnership that this album comes from. Arcitype produces eleven of the twelve songs and was also hands on through mixing and recording. Some of the best albums of the decade have been bred out of this "one rapper and one producer" approach. It's been a winning formula and a lot of cuts I've heard Arcitype produce for Slaine over the past few years have certainly slapped. From every article I read anticipating this album I was confident we'd see a solid release.

Since previous full-length album, Slaine continued through the decade with other releases like, To Thine Own Self Be True with La Coka Nostra in 2016, as well as a solo EP that year. In 2017 he and fellow Boston MC Termanology released the collaborative album Anti-Hero and Slaine spent most of the next year touring. News of Slaine's fourth LP started to surface in early 2019. One Day was officially released on November 22nd while Slaine was touring in Canada with La Coka Nostra.

The album begins with the lead single "Redemption". We're reacquainted with Arcitype's style as the beat floats in on these beautiful opera chops and light percussion until the true drums tackle their way through the speakers giving the song this continuing sense of sonic momentum. Slaine pens fifty bars across this continuously evolving and changing beat. The kick drum picks up and keeps pace with some of his faster flows midway through the track as well giving his verbal assault a more dynamic playground. It's a musical odyssey on the production side that matches Slaine's erratic syllable work and bar structure. Topical focus and meaty production are shown to be priorities for Slaine and Arcitype right away.

"Time Is Now" turned out to be one of my favourite songs on the album and could actually close the year as one of my top songs. The beat is tough and catchy as it evolves from bass playing to chunky snares shuffling through Slaine's verses. Slaine invites listeners to seize the day through fiery quotables like "Fear of the dumb, deaf and blind it can run amok/So you either falling down or you're comin' up". The chorus is fantastic too as Rite Hook bursts into the song with this megaphone sound quality to his voice. Combine that with crowd chants and the brisk beat and you're nodding your head all the way until you restart the song. This drum loop definitely deserved a good fade out I'm glad we got that too.

The guest features on One Day are mostly isolated to hooks save for two songs. "Still Got My Gun" is the first of those two tracks and was also the second single to the album. Woodwind and opera leads combine with keys and string notes for a luscious and cinematic intro. Featuring Ill Bill and Vinnie Paz, it's an acceptable banger that can stand with any number of collaborations between the three of these MCs. They all have such complimentary styles even if they are simply throwing some violent braggadocio around over a eerie and aggressive beat. Arcitypes instrumental swell after each verse brings the song to a fun high point when Rite Hook enters for the chorus. It's the mostly the pace and evolution of the song that keeps me in tune as these four vocalists aren't really challenging themselves in terms of what they do with this type of song. It's a banger but not much else.

"Trick The Trap" is pretty fine by me. Most of the same ingredients from "Time Is Now" return with the track starting from bass plucking to dusty snares. I love how Slaine pens a character piece in each verse to get across themes of inner city life and revenge. Rasheed Chappell handles the chorus with some laid back punchlines such as "One rule to this game the game has no rules". Statik Selektah can be heard winding back little synth note across the beat as well. Despite being sandwiched between two songs I play way more than this one, theres a great narrative and a desolate beat that fits the song. I do wish Statik was utilized a bit more, however.

Another one of my favourite songs from the album is easily "It Catches You". The only track not produced by Arcitype as 9am handles the drums and Samuel Burke rocks the guitar (I think). Muted echoing drums guide us through into Slaine vocals as the beat shifts from the beginning composition to synthesizers and harsher snares. This is one of the best tracks that showcases the sound of the album. "It Catches You" is a constantly evolving emotional journey that showcases Slaine describing his life in drug infested houses while the second verse ventures into the tragedy of the time we lose through escapism. Nico Franc brings incredible vocal harmonies across the chorus as well as the fade out giving us one of the most bombastic and complex scores on the album. I love how this beat incorporates both acoustic and electric guitars as it transforms. I'm not sure what additional instrumentation comes from Arcitype on this one but it still feels like a beat with his touch on it. A true art piece.

Of the two feature heavy tracks, I think "Broken Toys" is the stronger one. Aside from some spare piano keys in the beginning, we mostly have eerie synths weaving through sputtering drums. Slaine, Apathy and Locksmith tackle some very prudent concepts with great syllable schemes. The three of them aim at the shrinking attention span of music fans, to clout chasing to hip-hops original empowering roots being lost to the homogenized sound of mainstream music. There's incredible bar work being done by all three MCs from Apathy's line about construction workers digging up a rappers body months after, to Locksmith's cold as ice finishing couplet. Of all the guest verses on this LP I think Lock goes home with the best entry. I love the current state of hip-hop and the music industry in general being referred to as a bizarro world as well. Topical focus and complexity like I said before. Shit goes in.

We cross over the halfway point of One Day with "Night Will Fall". The drums loop isn't super intricate but I still love the deep rumble of the kick drum. Like most of the albums second act, it's similarly eerie but I think the real reason I replay this song is Slaine's wild vocal performance across the two verses. The second verse really conveys great emotion through the delivery off the lines "You were never born in this world I exist/I have fought I endured I assure you of this". The hook is great too as Slaine combines his gravely delivery with some of the vowels being stretched to their breaking point. Ominous and trunk knocking.

"The Feeling I Get" is definitely on my top three list from this record. Arcitype is so talented when it comes to building up the beat and dropping his drums. I'm restarting this song even before Slaine comes into the song. We begin with synths and sweeping hi hats before these wide, resonating bass hits lead us into the verses. Slaine is just really spitting across this whole track while still giving credence to the tortured themes of this album where he raps "I struggle in violence, search the Earth for purpose/With nothing to find, this fucking design is merciless." There's an angst and struggle but similar to our previous song, he relentlessly fights back. I love the way the percussion gets more and more stripped back in the fade out as well.

Track nine was the song that really motivated me to review this album. "The Day Before I Die' encompasses all the great things about this album. There's fantastic musical momentum as the beat evolves from rumbling bass and synth leads to twittering trap percussion before my absolute favourite musical moment on the record takes this chorus by storm. Slaine wrestles with his up bringing and addictive nature and the haunting possibility of him relapsing and losing the trust of his family again. It's an amazing moment of regret and panic that in his final day he'll have to leave his family behind in the wake of his achievements as well as his failures.

We get into the third act of One Day with "Can't Stay The Same". The rest of the record sees Slaine settling into his present and this song is the start of it. Keys and chunky drums help Slaine gain perspective and pride as he lays down lyrics like "There is no teacher better than pain/The agony of loss and betrayal I consider the same." I'm also a fan of how he references his previous album before the song closes. It's a great reminder that all of his albums have been snapshots of his mental state at the time of their production. His choruses continue to be catchy as well and I especially love his line about changing the weather and being on a new plane. Clever stuff.

"One More Day" is an exciting moment as well. There's no snares to this song at all as Arcitype tasks Slaine with marching drums, synths and lush strings sections. Much like the opening to the album, the song structure is very free as Slaines delivery elevates along with each time the music picks up. Even if I'm not super fond of the double time flow he opens with, he still drops some of his best quotables of the album here. From lines like "My old records have a lots of things I wouldn't say/In my current state and I'm gonna pay." to "I have a chance to raise my son/I've been redeemed in way more ways than one." It's like the flip-side of track nine as Slaine can see what he truly wants to spend the rest of his life doing and he feels secure living it out.

After a long fade out on the previous track the record closes with "Do What You Love". It's a wonderful closer as I can say its probably the only song on here where he sticks to a positive outlook for an entire song. It's a great epilogue to the tortured elements of the albums second act. Snares and tambourines are laced together through strings and keys to bring us one last colourful score. He sets up the hook flipping the song title and Cyrus Deshield inspires on this chorus too. Slaines final verse on this song features some of my favourite writing on the album as well. A poetic ending.

Even though I'm missing a good chunk of Slaine's solo discography, I'm pretty confident this is his most focused album yet. Musically, this record is an absolute feast as Arcitype shines through on the production with layered, complex and lush instrumentation. There's variety in the snares, the beats are constantly evolving to give us amazing swells during each chorus. Slaines pen has always stood out in the context of a group album but his growth through another solo is still incredible. After an album like this it's hard to imagine another Slaine project without Arcitype involved in some capacity as they make an undeniable pair.

Pros: One Day features some of my favourite soundscapes of the year and has Slaine operating at a level of topical focus and storytelling that is nothing short of fantastic. The guests are strategically confined to a handful of tracks as Slaines pens bleeds through each song. There is the absolute minimal filler and in the modern age of twenty song albums and stream trolling I can't complain when an album knows what's essential and what isn't.

Cons: Despite this being a solid and satisfying front to back listen, there's still a handful of punches you can see coming. When the album detracts from its core narrative for a banger it surprisingly slows down. Also from my personal taste I can spot one or two tracks I can get into the habit of skipping.

Collector Reviews: Special Occasion by Merkules

Stacked with features and colourful production, there is lots to celebrate on Merkules' 2019 album Special Occasion.

After the release of 2018's Cole I was left truly stumped at where Merkules could take his next project. What Merkules was going through had really been revealed in quite an impressive and thorough way on that album. Plus, that record was matched with very accessible and, as much as I hate this word, trendy production. It was a very strong and smart release considering his accelerating status in the hip-hop world.

As it became time to announce that he was working on a new project, he told fans through his Facebook that he had been deliberately listening to 2000's era rap music, particularity from D12 and G-Unit. That had me really excited for what kind of features he'd bring to honour that era of music and also had me curious about his instrumental choices. He released his first single in September of 2019 with the album dropping on November 1st. His second American tour also launched that same week.

We're introduced to the album through "Brand New Day". Glittering synths weave their way through some twittering trap percussion. Its a great tone setter with lines like "I dropped out of school at grade ten and I ain't proud of that shit/I knew I had a bigger purpose I was outta that bitch" This song is everything an album opener should be as he conveys the celebratory theme while taking stock of his competition and appreciates the hard work he's put in over the years. There's a spoken word piece playing through that opens and closes the song but it's not really audible through the mix. It's a weird choice considering we already have a recording of a live performance that carries us into that fade out and that seemed like a tasteful enough end. There's just too many things at the end of this song fighting for a spot in the mix. It's a decent way to open up though.

We get through my least favourite song early with "On Top". The beat isn't really anything special. LordQuest produces an average synth led piece of skeletal trap percussion. Jelly Roll kicks off the song but not with the same ferocity as we heard on last years "Survival Of The Fittest". Merkules has some great double time and so does Rittz afterwards, however, the real bone I have to pick with this song is in its themes and content. These three MCs are all so unique so for the three of them to just target critics and mumble rappers makes for a tiresome song subject. The underground scene already has so many songs like this and I had higher expectations.

Most of the ingredients of track two show up on the next song but, to a better effect. "Bass" was the second promotional single and I was kind of lukewarm on it when I first heard it but I appreciate it more now. Pops produces a dense serving of fast paced and 808 driven instrumentation. This time around, however, the beat is so much more visceral and all three verses deliver. Merkules opens the track as the hi hats and synths back his first couple of bars. Then after the fourth line we're introduced to punchy kicks and drums. Tech N9ne has a great vocabulary in lines like "Don't be rapping like you on a sedative/Have some mutha fuckin rapper etiquette". Hopsins finishing couple of lines allude to his earlier horror core output as he raps about storing dead rappers in his storage unit. For a triple MC song with them all tasked with rapping their asses off and nothing else, this song is everything it needed to be.

We touch on more personal and internal struggles with the fourth song "Losin' Sleep". C-Lance continues to produce amazing music for Merkules as we're blessed with strings and piano keys over heavy snares and beautiful drum breaks. This song has a similar vibe to "Fuck The World" as Merk recounts all the people befriending him for clout and their own egos. The difference here now is our song is much more catchy and not nearly as forlorn. Merkules expressed gratitude for his parents and girlfriend while letting any snakes in his circle know that he's wise to them. And I should compliment this hook more, seriously it's one of the best ear worms on the whole album.

On the most obnoxious cuts on the whole album is with Uncle Murda on "In The Field". C-Lance has another one of my favourite scores on the record from its echoing claps to wild synths and the stripped back keys that lead us into the chorus. Murda has an absolutely savage entry with him killing his opponents and recruiting their kids into his organization. Merks hook is equally threatening with my favourite line from him being "We ain't talking pocket rockets when we tuck the burner". Though I've heard this album half a dozen times for the sake of this review, I instantly knew in the first play through that this song was going on my gym playlist. Stupid hard.

"The Code" is a fun surprise as well. Centered around the theme of snitching and street codes it's quite pertinent to the news reports of this year. I can tell this was written in the midst of the 6ix 9ine trial as Merkules lays down his position on speaking to police. I love the Tim character he builds up in the second verse and this LordQuest beat has such rapid kick drums it's as if we're hearing a snitch get beat to the sound of Merks raps.

One of my favourite tracks turned out to be "Pull Up" featuring Paul Wall. Of all the trap flavoured instrumentals on Special Occasion, this one by ENG is my favourite. The snares alternate and the tempo in this beat goes through quite a few progressions. I can enjoy trap percussion as long as its being employed in a way that isn't conventional. A lot of the instrumental motifs I loved on Cole like the 808s and electric guitars are still being employed here in a way that sounds musical and luxurious. Paul and Merk have great chemistry as both of them bring flows that are laid back but also a little cocky. Its chill you can bump this song around a fire pit or roll down the the windows and make the whole neighbourhood hear it.

"Netflix & Chill" is actually better than I thought at first listen. It's pretty much tradition for Merkules to pen a ballad about his relationship on each album but, last year I was feeling somewhat fatigued about that as a song subject. This track makes up for it by just being impeccably catchy. From LordQuests grand instrumental swell that opens the track to the quick and melodic flow that Merkules rides the beat with. That together with a hook I can't get out of my head and this might be my favourite love song of his since the one he wrote for Scars.

Another fantastic story driven song is "The Same". This brings me back to some of his earlier works like "Close To The Edge" and Merkules tells a tale of a boy and his mother each struggling through their own addictions. There's great themes across this track like the way addiction is passed down through generations as well as the responsibility Merkules feels towards his fans. The beat from C-Lance and the additional guitar leads from Aaron Hiltz guide us through a song that's not only layered in its message but, tastefully written as well.

"Trust Issues" is a solid song as well. It's probably got my second favourite beat from C-Lance & Hiltz. This beat is just all the tried and true aesthetics of a C-Lance beat with vocal chops, grand cymbal crashes and thick snares. Merkules' chorus opens the track atop string sections and keys before his verses serve us with an even blend of game and punchlines. In his verse he launches warning shots at rappers hollering at him for clout with some of my favourite punchlines of the whole record like "I spot the ops behind closed doors now I'm the locksmith." He's also got a couple of lines in this one alluding to his rising stance in the Canadian scene and I love hearing any line that reminds listeners of the talent pool and culture we have here.

The only song really competing with "In The Field" in terms of how badly it influences my affinity for speeding tickets is this next one with DMX. "Who Want What" is produced by Dame Grease who's been one of the providers of New York hardcore for over twenty years. Something I've always wished for on a Merkules album is a big ticket producer guest. I'm still consistently surprised by the team that normally backs him but hearing star power on the production side is an exciting thing too. Minor keys and impactful snares have me scowling in the first ten seconds as the DMX enters his verse shredding it off the first line. His classic growling and shouting are present as well leading into a great chorus and Merk still holds his own with great lines like "My shooters jump out of Ubers with bazookas they don't miss." It's one of those songs that you have to spin back every time. Hard as nails and well worth the wait as Merkules sat on this song for almost two years.

"On The Run" is a great track as well. Merk and Evil have numerous collaborations this decade but this one stands out for a few reasons. Number one, its structure. This isn't a basic one rappers raps and the other one goes as they both open the first half of the song singing and close te song rapping. It's similar in style to "Live This" off of Merks 2017 record but this time the recording is much more raw. Merkules and Evil do a great job of conveying emotion as their voices strain to hold notes and reach different registers and, in my opinion, the flaws in their voices move me a lot more that any reverb ever could. The beat from ENG is laid back and gets your head nodding right away to its electirc guitar leads and knocking snares too. Despite the lyrics being pretty general I think this track stands as my favourite collaboration from the two of them since "Ski Mask Way".

As we start approaching the end of the record we get the first promotional single, "All Night Long". I love the slick trap percussion and spacey guitar leads from C-Lance and Hiltz. This track does a great job of setting the tone of the record by bringing some of my favourite instrumental motifs of his last album back to a more colourful and brighter effect. Though the wordplay isn't super crazy I do think some of the albums more important lyrical moments land on this song especially the line "I know that a whole lot can change in a year/So I gotta thank God and be thankful I'm here." It's an appreciated allusion to the mental space he had to have been in last year to write some of the darker moments on Cole. Other lines about him focusing on a positive outlook and learning to block out the hate. It's a great single that kicked of the celebratory tone of this album pretty effectively.

The only other song I don't care for a whole lot is "In My Heart" for a number of reasons. Despite my love for the transparency here as Merkules spends the track delineating a cross section of his relationship with alcohol, I can't stomach the delivery he brings here. He's like half growling through all three verses while tackling this struggle from the perspective of it being a relationship. These types of songs that depict, in grave detail, the detriment alcoholism has against his life both personal and professional are getting to be just as routine as his love songs. Though, unlike "Netflix & Chill" the vocal performance is just not as tasteful this time around. Instrumentally, ENG has a beat that I can take or leave as well. The resonating bass hit are fun and the drums slap but again, it's also just slow and really over dramatic.

Closing out the album is "Time Go By" produced by C-Lance and featuring Young Buck. Despite the snares being a little thin for my taste, I still love the combination of string leads with the percussion pattern. Merkules and Buck have great chemistry especially on the fade out. I like how Merkules references Bucks previous output on his final lines while Buck alludes to his major label debut on 50's first album. Leaving us with one last banger is always a smart choice.

Merkules has always consistently made my top ten for the past couple of years but, despite that, I've always struggled to settle on which record of his is the most consistent example of what I love about him. I think with Special Occasion we finally reach that. The guitar driven trap beats I loved from last year return with an equal serving of boom bap and this record features the most solid guests on a Merkules project yet. It's like he looked at all of his catalog from this decade and took what worked the most from each album resulting in a record that is worthy of its title.

Pros: This record shines with its equal balance of trap and boom bap production. The instrumentals glow with guitars, keys and synths while Merkules delivers some of his best hooks and verses to date. The features are more than solid too from the legends like DMX and Buck to the usual suspects like Tech and Evil. I should also note that this album is easily the most consistent tonally out of Merkules' output as well

Cons: Despite his hooks and singing being catchy as usual, I think I'm finally starting to feel fatigue with Merkules vocal range. He isn't as bold or as forceful as some his contemporaries like Hopsin or Krizz Kaliko when it comes to his singing so if I had any wish list for the next album it would be to see more range from his singing. The other thing is some of the usual song subjects like romance and alcoholism are getting close to being exhausting.

Collector Reviews: Collusion by Diabolic & Vanderslice

Diabolic and Vanderslice build off their decades of friendship with exceptional results on their collaborative LP, Collusion.

A rather spontaneous project, Collusion was announced with little over a month of marketing. In fact, Diabolic had been quiet on upcoming music since his preemptive announcement of his third solo LP, The Disconnect in 2017.

In the spring of 2019, he confirmed that The Disconnect would in fact be coming out but, not before this surprise collaboration. The first single from Collusion was released towards the end of March with the album officially dropping worldwide on April 21st.

The intro skit begins with a soundbite from CNN as news reporters break down what collusion means. The story of Russian involvement in the 2015 American election has been on the TV for years at this point and this intro does a great job of implying how those themes of collusion and secrecy could play out on the album. But y'know, since there's no verse on this intro I'm skipping it a lot.

The opening song "Think Of That" was also the lead single. Vanderslice brings flips guitar strums and vocal riffing to accompany our snares and kicks. This is probably one of the slowest singles Diabolic has been a part of and it really works. The beat is simple and open allowing Diabolic to bounce from one syllable scheme to the next. We're also quickly reacquainted with Bolics shit disturber attitude as he sneaks in some jabs at both Talib Kweli and Immortal Technique and he finishes off with his middle fingers up at any trash talkers over the internet.

"Jitter Bug" is a pretty funky tune. Its one of my favourites beats on the album with glittering pianos and the classic crackle of vinyl playing alongside the beat. The kick and snares are pretty light. Its Bolics flow that really is the best part of the song. He catches us up on family matters and a paranoid world. Each verse carries the same rhyme through to the end with numerous internal rhymes as well. Jitter Bug can be interpreted on a complex level but its smooth as well. Jade Gritty has great vocals and attitude on the hook too making for one of the albums catchier moments.

One of my favourite stories on the album is "Normalize". Vanderslice cooks up some seriously heavy bass with sci-fi synths and rumbling piano keys. This beat reminds me of something that I might've heard on that Adlib and Rob The Viking EP a few years back. Bolic lyrics paint a picture of riots, chaos and anarchy. Some of my favourite internal rhymes on the whole album are on this song like "I say we show these pigs what survival mode is/More heads'll roll then human sacrifices on the Mayan solstice." The hook just drives the point home even further. This song is probably what Heath Ledgers Joker was bumping. Violence and calamity promoted as if no other alternative exists. Shits hard.

The second single of the album "See The Light" has one of my favourite instrumentals on the record. It's consistently eerie from its bass lines and drums breaks to what I'm gonna guess is a synth or maybe a stretched string sample. I love the couple of guitar notes that play as well. It's certainly one of the darker scores on Collusion. This joint and the first single "Think Of That" reminded me how much I missed hearing Diabolic across a whole record. There's just a great complexity and vocabulary to his rhymes and we're familiarized in lines like "Never spit a verse that wasn't worth discussing/Nasty as the bile in a persons stomach that a surgeons pumping." Bolic is no slouch when it comes to having an attitude on the mic but its syllable schemes like that that always add that extra icing to his music. Thats partly why I'm only half on board with this song. Nems rocks a guests verse here but there isn't the same credence given to complexity or vocabulary. I'm not hating on Nems for anything outside this verse as he had a very solid album this year too and I've heard him bring the pain as a feature before, however, this time around I was left wanting a little more from him.

"Who We Are" is a much more self aware and contemplative track as Diabolic employs the help of  Tre Starr, Coast and John Jigg$. The group relates back to their days growing up in Long Island. Vanderslice hasn't done a beat that wasn't worth nodding your head to so far and this one just might be my favourite. The drums thunder along through shimmering instrumentation as Diabolic opens the track shouting out all the counties on the island and areas he reps before he begins his verse. I love his line "Both his eyes are open seeing lies and scams/That's why I hide my hand like I'm in was inside of France/Steady grind treating every line like a diagram/Like its the last wish of a dying man that I can cram." John Jigg$ has probably my favourite cadence and rhyme schemes in the song and its great to see Coast on a song again as he was certainly a highlight of the features on Fightin Words. My favourite line of the song has to be from Tre Starr when he said "I'm in the belly of the beast but it's a beautiful biography". Despite all the conditions they grew up in and as directionless as they all felt coming up there's a terrific sense of gratitude across this song. An easy contender for best track on Collusion.

The next song "Other Side" is another solid song too. Wild piano keys and deep bass lines weave through the drums for another solid instrumental. After hearing The Disconnect, "Other Side" almost sounds like an interlude or part one to the "Holy War" song on that album. Diabolic is grimly accepting the separation between him and other people as indicated by the chorus "I don't give a fuck if I'm by you other guys/And if I had to summarize, fuck you is my one reply." It's a great description of where Bolic will always stand no matter the political or societal landscape There's not a whole lot of vulgarity in the verses as Diabolic instead opts to flex his vocabulary and internal rhymes. I love the way Bolic says "So batshit Ace Venturas in a cave investigating" but my favourite quotable comes at the bottom of the first verse alluding to the chemistry he and Vanderslice have "It's like riding a bike for me, your lives are the price/Then I'm dividing with 'Slice like apple pie with a knife." Anytime we as an audience get these collaborations of rapper and producer I'm always anxious to hear any mention of their friendship or chemistry come out in the lyrics. That happened earlier a few times in the record I just thought I should mention it now. Anyways, solid song.

Probably the biggest curveball or experimentation on the production and rapping fronts would be our next track "Once Again". Funky brass instruments and low piano notes bounce around sporadic drum breaks to create easily the most unique sound on the record. Diabolic runs through so many rhymes while still keeping the exact same tempo through each line and verse. Much like the rest of the album there's too many quotables to narrow down a favourite but "Once Again, Vanderslice flipped some fire shit/Bring your crew, who you dying with" is a definite contender and the acknowledgment of his release history at the end of the song is worth noting as well. I love the chorus choice as Diabolic finishes each verse by saying "Once Again" as drums and trumpets triumphantly swell to take the chorus by storm. If the two of them have plans to release another front to back collaboration this is the kind of fun experimentation I'd love to hear more off.

"Simon Phoenix" gets a lot of replay from me. The song start really mysterious like with deep strings before the drums and Diabolics verse drop together. We're struck immediately with probably the fastest paced joint on the record from its wild piano melodies to the rolling drums hits. Diabolic brings a lot more animation in his delivery especially in the third verse when he says "I'm a shandy mick, I got a bitch in torn clothes while you matching wardrobes with Andy Dick". His humor and dejection play very well in the final line of the song to. Over the past couple of years through Twitter and other social media battlegrounds Diabolic has been at odds with leftists and rightists alike. It's cool to see the dejection portrayed so well across this album. Songs like this, "Normalize" and "Other Side" are what really hold the narrative of the album together without falling into the trap of another long winded installment of the "Truth" series. "Simon Phoenix" as a title works on so many levels as well. This is a very layered song from the themes, beats and bars. Also I should note DJ Revolution adds great scratches that match the lyrics nicely.

"Last Day" doesn't quite match my enjoyment of the last Diabolic and Coast song from Fightin' Words. Thats mostly because tonally this one is way different. 2014's "Here We Go" was a little catchier and more accessible but there's great moments in this track as well. As the finishing track its more contemplated and conscious with production that that chimes and sparkles to fit the tone of what our MC's are saying. Diabolic up until this point has been very dejected and critical but there's lines here like "What's it mean when I strive for being more/When all I see is poor people die tryna flee the war?" demonstrate that even beneath his attitude there is a sympathy to him and his message. Coast similarly conveys his own head space with bars like "Its business I hope you never take it personal/If you ain't versatile then you ain't really purposeful." There's a level of being heart broken and numb to the state of the world coming from both MCs but its mixed in with the sympathy and urgency we all have to make the best of our lives for those we care about. It's a great song but I feel the opportunity to make something catchier was there too.

The "Collusion Outro" calls back to his outro from "Liar And A Thief " where we hear Bolic inviting the listener to be triggered and upset over his lyrics while he counts money and tells them to slit their wrists with the vinyl copy. I usually rewind the album before this skit even starts but it's still a hilarious way to close a record.

I gotta say that Collusion is an extremely solid record. Vanderslices production is as punchy and it is musical and you can hear Diabolic actually having fun on this record even when he trudges through some of the grittier subject matter. The slower bpm that most of this album operates in actually suits Diabolics style better than I initially though it had. Diabolic is able to play with syllable schemes and flows that we wouldn't normally hear. Combine that with really terrific demonstrations of chemistry and experimentation like "Once Again" and "Jitter Bug" and you have an album that nestles comfortably in individual the discographies of Diabolic and Vanderslice, but also sets the two of them up as a collaborative act I'd love to hear more from on a second record.

Pros: Diabolic has always been one of my favourite rappers and this is another one for the books. He's poking fun at current rap trends, dishing his opinion of American society and politics as well as updating us on his home life. All this is paired with fantastic and colourful production from Slice. Front to back it has the least hiccups so far in Bolics catalog as he pushes his pen further and further and Vanderslice has very consistent and exciting music throughout. The features when employed all add something great as well. Also the streamers out there might not know but the CD has instrumentals on the other half which is a creative choice I'm really grateful for. I always need something for my drunk homies to freestyle to when I'm dropping them off.

Cons: I always crave the tracklisting on an album to be closer to fifteen than ten and felt like one or two songs would've fleshed it out a little more. A lot of Diabolics lyrics can come across as quite abrasive so I wish the lighter or more comedic tone from tracks like "Once Again" or "Think Of That" bled through onto maybe one more song, just to cheer us up a little.

Official Rating: 83%

Collector Reviews: Demons by Madchild

Anguish and regret fuel Madchild to be the hungriest he's been in years on his 2019 album, Demons.

News on upcoming material from Madchild had been quite quiet since the release of 2017 album The Darkest Hour. Madchild toured with Necro towards the end of 2017 and a later toured with Swollen Members for the fall of 2018.

Demons was announced in December of 2018 and released on April 26th of the following spring. The album was released through Battle Axe Records and the renewed Suburban Noize records. It debuted on number two on the Canadian iTunes charts with production being handled by Rob The Viking, C-Lance and newcomer Sean Chapman.

The album kicks off with the famous scene from Juice where Bishop confesses to Q about being crazy and saying, "You know what? I don't give fuck!". It reminds me of the Anthony Perkins quote that kicked off Lawn Mower Man. Swollen have always had great taste when it comes to skits and quotes.

I was instantly absorbed into the opening song "Brainstorm". It's not the hardest song you're gonna hear on the record but it is intricate. Rob pulls you in fast with wondrous pianos and sinister drums while Madchild details his reclusive tendencies and imagination with impressive vocabulary. It's one of my favourite opening tracks Madchilds had since Untold Story in 2015. The penultimate lyric of "When I'm finished writing I get Viking on the horn" still boggles my mind. I love the hook on this song as well.

"Han Solo" wasn't initially my favourite track but it is growing on me. It's more banger than anything with overblown horns and crashing cymbals. The snares are especially tough I'm just not into the rest of the instrumentation. Madchild is right at home on a beat like this and C-Lance is right at home making it. To me, in comparison to some of the forthcoming songs that have a similar tone, it comes up short. But, even if the beat isn't doing it for me Madchild brings some of his better punchlines like "My demons I don't want to battle them no more/so I wrestled with myself, threw my shadow on the floor." Shits fire.

The title track is pretty solid too. C-Lance & Aaron Hiltz make an easy beat to like. Opera chops and wild keys runs through some real heavy drums. Madchild doesn't usually choose a beat this tough for personal subjects so its memorable that way. Mad opens up about the last handful of years where he was supplementing the void left by sobriety with gambling, cocaine and Xanax. You can hear his voice clench with frustration and that adds so much to his delivery. That combined with the writing of his third verse make for one of the best moments on the whole album.

"Watergate" isn't that bad. I could tell from comments sections that the song would be a "love it or hate it" thing among fans. The hook has pretty forceful singing and there's a pretty techno-esque instrumental to go with it. I quite like the rhythm and the verses. I'm still on the fence about this hook but, I do think it works as a song for clubs and parties. It's not my favourite song on the record but it's a lot of fun. Madchild also does a great job of keeping the lyrics dark despite the veneer of the beat.

Another strong song leading up to the release of Demons was probably "Times Change". The Viking beat here is pretty mellow to match Madchilds contemplative lyrics. Mad recounts his early appreciation for being able to tour with his music and contrasts it with recent years of being pampered as a headliner. I enjoyed him touching on the VIP experience and the expectations fans build before meeting him. It's an honest song that's easy to like.

My absolute favourite song on the album was the second single,"Death Race". The instrumental fades in slowly with maniacal laughter from Madchild before the drums and lead synth riff come crashing down on us. Madchilds assures his fans that he's pursuing sobriety and his career more viciously than ever through flow switch-ups and razor sharp punchlines. The hook is equally brisk and aggressive which I also like. This is probably the most Viking beats we've had on a Madchild solo album since Dopesick and it's great to see that chemistry being so easy to fall back into for both of Mad and Rob.

"My Turn" marks about the middle of the album. It sounds like Christopher Walken but I'm not sure what film its from. It conveys the same sort of hunger and restlessness that Mad feels when his career falls behind his expectations.

My least favourite song was easily "Dreaded Force". The beat is okay. We have some eerie strings and pounding bass hits. Madchild is mostly just throwing punchlines together. It's very reminiscent of something we might have heard on Lawn Mower Man in that there's not really an organized idea to the song, its mostly focused on imagination and syllables. I'm not usually turned off by songs like this but Mads delivery is pretty animated and silly for most of the song. I also found the hook a bit tacky. It's a skip worthy track for me.

"No Separation" is another favourite of mine. Contemplative guitar strings and shuffling drums from Sean Chapman make a perfect backdrop for Madchilds verses. There's almost a religious tone to this song as he details his gratitude through making it this far. Mad is also promising to his listeners than you can get through anything with lyrics like "The gods and the heavens and the hells are within you." But there's a good serving of punchlines here too. The singing is amazing as well though I'm unsure if the singer is even credited.

"Follow" is another contender for my favourite song on the album. Madchild goes through his own journey of being a young kid raising hell and falling into his career path. The first verse he tells the youth to keep plugging away at their dreams and have patience in how it will all unfold in due time. The second verse might be one of my favourite moments of Madchilds solo discography period though. He describes being homeless in his twenties, being on bad terms with his family and losing touch with his friends while still keeping his head up through rapping. From writing in his spare time and delving to trafficking to build his studio budget. The hook is mellow and catchy as well. Rob The Viking and Madchild make perfect music together every time.

We get our last couple of bangers in the third act beginning with "Cold Blooded". C-Lance laces wild strings and big resonating bass to this beat. It might be one of his hardest loops out of the whole year. While the pattern of the drums is not very intricate, it might be right up there with Death Race in terms of how many syllable schemes and flow switch-ups Madchilds moves through. There's awesome quotables on here too like "Did more pills than the back of a pharmacy" or "Thank god I can spit a sick sixteen/drug money, rap money ain't worked since sixteen." This album as a whole has him owning his mental health and history of addiction in such a confident way. Despite the scrutiny he faced while relapsing there no shortage of confidence in his lyrics no matter what tone he goes with from song to song.

"Soiled In Regret" has one of my favourite beats from C-Lance out of the year as well. Somber piano keys and complex drums wind their way through as Madchild keeps up with razor sharp punchlines like "Automatic weapons and my firepower merk 'em/Fuck these Satan rappers a higher power lurkin", or "Ruthless, on the loose troops my boots laced/Tight still walk angrily with a screwed face." The hook is bananas too with that Jedi Knight line. Easily replay-able.

The fourteenth track "Forget About You" is a pretty outside the box adventure. Rob The Viking weaves together great guitar work and what sounds honestly like a live drum set. Madchild muses over his lost love that he was on and off with for almost a decade of his adult life The song is a great cross section of regret and longing. From describing how his health deteriorates when he was grieving his relationship to his obsession with who shes seeing and what shes up to. The hook and pre-chorus are great too and he matches this subject matter with the same black comedy we've heard on songs like "Dickhead" and "Slut" I can see this being a hit with fans. It's one of the better experiments on the record.

We're reminded on "Rocket Fuel" that Swollen Members is still one of Canada best hip-hop acts. Its a quick song with Viking on the beat and Prevail kicking it off with imaginative lyrics and flow switch ups. I love the hook where Madchild boasts "We show up to the show and your gang departed". The beat switches and moves through some different tempos and Madchild and Prevail don't shy away from riding the beat flawlessly. I always picture a house party of kids sharing a mic when I hear this song. Just a funky beat with two MCs flipping out and having fun. Another contender for best track on the album. Hurry up and make a new Swollen album k? K.

Our penultimate song "Terror" is my favourite of the three beats Chapman brings. Piano keys chime away while synthetic bass kicks and slaps keep your head nodding. There's no shortage of quoteables here either such a "I wore a mask like I rob bodegas/Became the boogie man I'm baba yaga." I also like the hi-hats that enter during certain moments across this song too. The hook is okay I'm not super attached to it. It's alright as a whole I can dig this song. We've trudged through a lot of personal and introspective songs so a few more bangers to polish off the record is fine.

On the tail end of "Terror" we're hit with a bonus track entitled "Myself". I quite like the instrumental, particularly the snare and organs. There's not a whole lot of quotables and some of Madchilds wordplay gets a little thin. I do however dig the line about "I got to sleep when you wake up from restlessness" it's a nice hint at the genuine struggles he has and adds another layer to the theme of regret that this album focuses on. I'm glad he added this song its not bad.

Honestly, I think this is Madchilds best album. I didn't really notice the absence of features on the first listen and to be honest there's not really a void in their place either. Madchild takes each song and beat by storm and has more then enough to say. There's a tight trio of producers that build a consistent sound for Demons and seeing Rob The Viking return to Madchilds music is especially exciting. Obviously some territory and song subjects are being carried over from other albums but we have more than enough progress to balance that out.

Pros: Production from Viking, C-Lance and Chapman is consistently potent and colourful. Madchild details the behind the scenes struggle that led to his relapse and we're pulled into his journey of pain and regret through great raps and exciting hooks. There's a huge serving of the core Madchild sound as well as lots of surprising instrumentals like "Watergate" and "Forget About You".

Cons: There is definitely a few spots on the record where the sounds becomes somewhat stagnant. Songs like "Dreaded Force" and "Terror" don't bring much to the table other than to pad out the tracklisting with another run of the mill banger. The album certainly could've been a bit tighter.

Collector Reviews: Cannibal Hulk by Ill Bill & Stu Bangas

Ill Bill & Stu Bangas compliment their own style with a serving of comic violence on their joint EP Cannibal Hulk.

Ill Bill wasn't initially a rapper I giving a lot of playtime to, but as I delved into the east coast underground scene it became clear that his discography was not to be ignored. I had really been impressed with Bill since Black God White Devil back in 2017 and since then I've found myself gravitating to his style of violent and intricately woven rhymes.

I think the same can be said for Stu Bangas as well. I have been hearing his production across my album collection for a number of years already but I've only really aware and anticipating his music releases for the last two years or so. In that time he had production credits on albums from Apathy, Vinnie Paz and Sean Price, as well as the second installment of Watson and Holmes with Blacastan.

Ill Bill and Stu Bangas had never worked front to back on an entire album before, though Bill is no stranger to production from Stu Bangas with their first collaboration as early as 2013. Rumors of a full project from the two of them began as early as 2017 with the album finally arriving on March 29th of 2019 on a joint venture between Uncle Howie Records and Brutal Music.

Beginning with the title track, we see the concept of Cannibal Hulk applied to Bill himself as well as a fictional hallucinogen that transforms unsuspecting customers into cannibals. Stu's instrumentation is gloomy and menacing with alternating snares woven together by frantic piano melodies. I'm glad that Bill opens the record with such a long verse as well. A strong start and tone-setter.

The record keeps getting stronger with the second song "Antron Singleton". The song opens with a news clip before sinister guitars emerge with impactful snares and cymbals. I like that the cannibal theme is applied in a different way for each song. Ill Bill and Goretex have always had good chemistry but the frequency of their collaborations has picked up in recent years. This song is just so tough all the way through I can't play it without scowling.

"Yo Gamma Gamma" seems to sample some dialogue from a Hulk cartoon. Though its a short skit, it does demonstrate another example of how flexible the Cannibal Hulk theme is across the EP.

"World War Hulk" is kind of the posse cut with Goretex and Slaine lending vocals. I wasn't initially into this beat but, I've grown to appreciate the intricate drum breaks and wild guitars. Ill Bill has an entire bar dedicated to a sound effect but it does match the manic delivery of his verse. Goretex has a sharp verse it's clear these four artists are having a lot of fun on this one. The best feature on the album has to go to Slaine as he switches flow patterns and ends rhymes before and after snares while still pushing his vocabulary as far as he can.

The skits carry on with "Green Sabbath". Bill is always great at digging for news clips that convey the supposed bad influences of metal music. It's a cool throwback to the themes of the music videos from Black God White Devil.

My favourite beat can be found on "Russo's On The Bay". Stu laces strings over some real ominous keys. These keys sounds like a music box from a horror movie. The snares by itself is kinda thin and doesn't have much impact so I'm glad there's tambourines layered on every other snare hit. Vinnie Paz's contribution is as gruesome as it is extravagant. Ill Bill return fire with similar braggadocio and satanic references. "Russo's On The Bay" is another hit from Heavy Metal Kings and if there is a third installment to their groups catalog I hope they include beats from Stu Bangas.

An Ill Bill project isn't complete without references or nod to Bills late Uncle Howie. "Scumbags" brings us a sound byte of Uncle Howie reminding us to think before we judge. While it doesn't really tie into the next song it does help slow the record down a bit for the contemplative song that comes next.

My favourite song overall is "Joe Fixit" featuring Snak The Ripper. Stu's drums keep momentum up and are paired nicely with piano melodies and rising strings. Bills tone lessens but his language still stays pretty abrasive. I always get a chuckle out of Bills line "poop in Rihannas mouth/shoot up your mama's house." The hook is easy to memorize and I can see the chorus going over well in foreign markets with the crowd callouts that run in the background of the chorus. Snaks gets more personal as he references the different levels of success he's had throughout his career. I also gotta give Snak his props for using the word osteoporosis in a rhyme.

"Shiva Call" is another highlight on the record. Stu brings more melody with strings sections and gentler drums. The string section on this song might be my favourite bit of instrumentation on the record. Ill Bill slows down his flow a little bit. Shit, even Goretex seems to be rapping at a more reserved register as well. Bills verse has some highlights like "My friends rip ATMs out of wall with tow trucks." It's a similar vibe to "Bad Hombres" from Black God White Devil with a larger focus on acoustics and atmosphere.

We close the record with the first promotional single "Hulk Meat". Stu Bangas bring probably the spookiest beat on the record with haunting piano melodies and low rumbling drums. Bill and Goretex have cool enough verses I'm just not crazy of the direction they took with the hook. There's heavy pitch and distortion over the vocals. So much so that, I'm STILL trying to decipher what's he's even saying.

Pros: Ill Bill and Stu Bangas definitely were hands on with beat choices and the chemistry is really obvious off the first couple of tracks. Even when I'm not drawn towards a beat or some of the verse blend in, I can still appreciate the tentativeness of it all. It's as hard hitting as you want it to be but still plays with your expectations with songs that play with melody more than percussion like "World War Hulk" or "Shiva Call". Bills featured friends really deliver on their contributions as well.

Cons: Though the intentions of each song always succeed its still just a question of what I liked of not. There's a few beats and verses that in comparison to others that don't grasp my attention. The other gripe I can think of is with it being three years since a solo Ill Bill album, I would've liked to see a longer track listing.

In the end if Ill Bill and Stu Bangas end up making these collaborative projects a regular thing, similar to Watson and Holmes or any number of Bills side projects, I would look forward to it. Bangas understands the tone and range of Bills music and can tailor a perfect mix. I hope there's more full length projects they work together on even if I'm not loving 100% of it. Much like Czarface (another comic infused rap act) they could have their best album coming later in their discography.

Collector Reviews: Harvard Dropout by Lil Pump

Sike! Damn you really thought I'd review some garbage like this?

APRIL FOOLS.

More underground reviews to come though.

Collector Reviews: The Bridge And The Abyss by Jedi Mind Tricks

Though it has less focus than previous efforts, The Bridge And The Abyss is held up by brilliant production and more than a few hits.

The Bridge And The Abyss bears some resemblance and relation to 2015's The Thief And The Fallen from its album artwork to the inclusion of C-Lance and Aaron Hiltz to the production team. Yes Alexander also returns for several interludes as well.

The album was recorded throughout 2016 to 2018. The Bridge And The Abyss is also the first JMT record to have an excess of material from the recording process. Over forty songs were initially prepared before being whittled down to nineteen. We had an initial ball park of a 2017 release but the album was eventually announced to come out on June 22nd of 2018.

The album opens with "Al Bid Aya" establishing the tradition and tone of a Jedi Mind Tricks album. We have Yes Alexander returning from Thief And The Fallen to deliver vocals on this intro as well as a few more songs across the record. I can't say this is a huge highlight for me but it does add some backstory and intrigue. I like to start the album all the way back here for the added theatrics.

Our real kickoff happens with "San La Muerte". This banger wastes no time with assaulting organs and sweeping drums from Stoupe and C-Lance. Vinnie gives the ferocity you'd expect from an album opener. I like the hook it reminds me of "Steel Sharpens Steel" from The Cornerstone Of The Cornerstore with the style of hook we get. Even as the lead single I was just kind satisfied by this song but not really blown away. It's a decent start though.

"Rashindun Caliphate" is kind of a filler track for me. The beat is one of the gentlest on the album from its echoing woodwind instrumentation to it's tumbling drums. Even Vinnies vocals come off more reserved on here too. It's a vibe for sure but I'm usually skipping ahead to the more explosive songs that come after.

"Frescho & Miz" was a song I didn't expect to love as much as I did. Often times Jedi Mind Tricks is known for their religious or occult lyrics and they have fittingly ethereal production to boot. On this track however, we see Stoupe lacing up some real fun mixes of soul and funk. Bouncy brass sections and tumbling drums are the perfect backdrop for Vinnie and his multi syllabic schemes. We truly have one of the catchiest songs on the album here and the beat fades out slowly so we can groove to it a little bit more.

Another strong track is "When The Body Goes Cold". I like our opening monologue before we hear the signature cymbals and kicks from C-Lance with rattling hi hats and some real sinister keys. I'm not sure what sounds and addictions come from Stoupe and what comes from C-Lance but I definitely hear a drum pattern that reminds me of C-lance style so perhaps Stoup handled the keys and synths.This song also has one of my favourite hooks on the record.

One of the only duds to me was "What She Left Behind". There's quite an intense story being told here. Vinnie assumes the character of a father on the edge of sanity. Our protagonist is threatening and hurting his family over a an extremely slow beat. This song reminds me of Immortal Techniques "Dance With The Devil" in that there's an extremely grim story being told and the appeal of it mostly comes from the shock value of how the song ends. However, I still don't really bump this as its quite an uncomfortable listen.

"Death Toll Rising" is a favourite of mine from the record. Stoupe demonstrates his talent for sampling different languages. Vinnie is having a blast over these slamming drums. Lots of mafioso tropes and flow switch ups hold my attention. There's less storytelling so far on this album but I'm okay with that if he's having this much fun throwing punchlines together. Leaving the hook without lyrics was a great idea so we have time to appreciate the instrumental.

The album flows into our first interlude entitled "Shed The Skin To Receive The World". Though it lacks any rapping, I love the arrangement by Stoupe and the fade that is applied to Yes Alexander and her singing. I let it play through most times.

"Certified Dope" kicks off my favourite act of the album. Stoupe serves up quite an untreated sample as a playground for Vinnie's double time. Eamon belts out a fantastic chorus among electric guitars and tambourines. The drum breaks are wicked fun as well and I know how much further a third verse would've gone because all the talent involved here seems to be really flourishing together. The Eamon song from The Thief And The Fallen was a highlight even back then. Good batting average for this team so far.

My favourite song from this album is "Hell's Henchmen". This song is hard off the rip with kicks and basslines that rattle my car and one of favourite snares. Our instrumentation varies from 8-bit keys to furious strings and crashing cymbals that supply the fuel for some of Vinnie's toughest verses on the entire album. There's more than a few attempts at aggression on this album and I think "Hell's Henchmen" is one of the stronger cases for it. Cool hook as well showing great vocal range from Paz.

"God Forsaken" was a song that didn't exactly set the world on fire for me now that I'm thinking about it. Vinnie's attempts to rap faster have grown in popularity since fans heard his verse on "God Particle" from the Army Of The Pharaohs album In Death Reborn and for the most part, it's led to some great songs in the last handful of years. This one however, just doesn't hit the mark for me due to the instrumental being a tad overwhelming. Lots of rumbling bass hits and our hooks is quite messy as well. I can't explain where, in my iPod or music collection full of aggressive and experimental music, the line is drawn but, this song goes over it. Between the clutter of this instrumental and the appeal of simply listening to the other double time song that has an Eamon feature, I skip this one often.

Despite the previous track, our second acts still remains my favourite part of the album. The final song from act two, "Legacy Of The Prophet" is a definite high point as well. Stoupe, C-Lance and Hiltz connect with tumbling drum breaks and rapid kicks woven into some very cinematic strings. Sean Price lends one of final recorded features and my favourite vocal guest appearance on the album. From Sean delivering a timely Trump diss and Vinnie asserting that "[they're lasting forever]" its just a true demonstration of the chemistry that Paz and Price had together down to their final recordings. Vinnie snaps on the second verse as well. It's hard to accept that P passed away while still dropping heat like he does here.

As we transition into the third act, we reach our second to last interlude, "Void Ritual". I like the drums and Yes Alexanders lyrics are less edited so it sounds a bit better than the one from earlier. Probably my favourite interlude. Worth playing through as it adds to the tone and continuity of The Bridge And The Abyss.

Another later favourite of mine is "You Have One Devil But Five Angels" which kicks off with bass chords and frantic pianos. Our kicks and snare guide us into Vinnies braggadocio and the cuts are fierce too. This beat has quite an ensemble of instruments from the flute, organ and bass. Vinnie has some tough bars here similar to the style we got in the first act. Mostly the beat is perfect and Vinnie know just what to do with it. Easy highlight.

"Marciano's Reign" wasn't a highlight at first but I love it now. Much like "Certified Dope" Stoupe selects another sample. It's quite a heartfelt passage with Vinnie comforting his son and teaching him how to process pain and loss. The music video really ties it all together with depictions of how difficult it is to leave children behind to goes on tour. A great moment of humanity to break up the rest of the albums aggression.

"Torture Chamber" launches into explosive cuts and drums. Inspectah Deck takes the opening verse by storm and Esoterics maneuvers through some intricate flows into the second verse. It's not the first time we've heard Czarface and Vinnie Paz together, however, with Vinnie Paz featuring on their self titled debut. It is exciting to hear them over a Stoupe beat versus the tone of a Czarface record. It definitely brings something different out of everyone. This song is so late in the record I often forget its coming on so I definitely feel like I don't play this song enough.

The record loses some momentum as it goes on with "The Letter Concerning The Intellect". Stoupe delivers quite a strange beat. The lead sort of riff for this beat is simply singing reversed and then looped. It bizarrely works and leads us into Vinnies rhymes. His delivery pauses between each line to gives us a peek through to the instrumental. Its nice break for melody.

"Making A Killing" was a surprise to me. Much like the "You Can't Be Neutral On A Moving Train" series, C-Lance and Aaron Hiltz conduct over six minutes of music. This beat moves through few different tempos and grooves while Vinnie delivers an animal rights song. No, really. It kind of works. Though the message is spectacular, I find this pattern of lengthy and informative songs to be a little long in the tooth at this point. This song, along with other parts of this album, seems to blur the creative borders between JMT and Vinnie Paz as a solo act. I do love the instrumental here as it breathes through pianos, guitars and several drum patterns.

The album wraps up with "What Falls Is Fallen" featuring the most lyrics from Yes Alexander but it's somewhat squandered by still having the shortest running time of any of her passages. Much like the rest of this album the interludes seem to spread the narrative rather thin to pad out the runtime or accumulate more streams, we really could've done with one of two less of these intro/interlude moments and just focused on making two perfectly necessary Yes Alexander moment rather than four that convey less.

Pros: Vinnie has great history and chemistry with all producers involved. Instrumentally, there's notable high points and great ideas being brought forward. Yes Alexanders vocals add the same wonder and intrigue this time around as well. It's also very apparent that Vinnie Paz is still sharp with his pen. And new topical songs like "What She Left Behind" and "Making A Killing" show that the conscious and imaginative reputation of Jedi Mind Tricks is still intact.

Cons: Despite having similar artwork and the same production team as The Thief And The Fallen, The Bridge And The Abyss actually shares more with Vinnie's recent solo efforts like The Cornerstone Of The Cornerstore and The Pain Collector. We see the focus shift from the usual promise of JMT tropes to the looser, less pertinent braggadocio that emerged from Vinnie's solo catalogue. I still got a good serving of bangers his time around but I do hope the cohesion increases on the next Jedi Mind Tricks album.

After it's over, The Bridge And The Abyss lands somewhere in the middle of JMT's discography. There's more duds than 2015's The Thief And The Fallen but also about the same amount of likable songs. Vinnie is still at his best for most of the vocals and the production has it's own unique tone due to the recruiting of Scott Stallone, C-Lance and Aaron Hiltz. The interludes don't hold my interest as much this time around and the somewhat ballooned length only succeeds in adding extra songs I'm not fond of. But again, I loved the unity and vision that Jedi Mind Tricks albums usually have and hope to see a tighter narrative with the bands next outing.

Collector Reviews: Off The Rails by Snak The Ripper

After tragedies and miracles, Snak The Ripper return to the fold with Off The Rails.

The album was recorded across 2017 and 2018. After touring heavily throughout 2016, he was beset by a family emergency and removed himself from the spotlight. During this hiatus he continued to record music and returned to touring for the summer of 2017. In hindsight he really only disappeared for under a year. Though news on upcoming material was eerily quiet.


Snak also confirmed on his social media that he and Jaclyn Gee were expecting their first child. In February of 2018, Snak began releasing singles but was careful to reveal any album plans until their son was born. He continued to drop singles until the album was released on August 16th.

The album starts literally where From The Dirt left off with Snak stepping off of the train we heard him catch on the final seconds of his 2016 album. Slowly a snippet of some psychiatry recordings emerge. It's an intriguing intro that blends in a little better than his last attempts at skits. I actually like him starting the LP like this. "Off The Rails (Intro)" is mysterious and builds interest.

"Say My Name" was instantly resonating. Not that this cut is particularly ground breaking in terms of substance as it brings a pretty familiar tone. Snak always kicks off the start of his albums with his signature style of banger. You can find low brow and mischievous bars all across this song. It's more the conviction in his delivery and his rhyme schemes that draw me in. C-Lance composes one of his most sinister and commanding beats as well. I'm already noticing the theme of Snak coming into each song harder and hungrier than ever before.

One of my personal favourites is "I Ain't Dead". Elements of trap and boom bap are mixed very tastefully here by Starkore. The snares and kicks slap nicely and the hi-hats are at a comfortable volume as well. Snak drops lyrics affirming his self confidence as well letting us know hes still alive and kicking harder than ever. I love the break down of this beat as the tempo picks up on the second half of each verse and Snak reacts accordingly with some great double time. It's one of the shorter songs on the record so if I had a complaint that would be it. We can always rewind it though and I always do.

"Knuckle Sandwich" was a bit of a let down for me. Sure there's a grimy beat and Snak and RA are delivering some vicious 24 bar verses but, I just can't shake the fact that is a song they've all made before. It's Snak and RA being as offensive and loud as they can for as long as they can. It even feels like C-Lance has made a beat like this before. For the A-list roster that this song has, the style and tone are just too predictable. Decent hook though and Snaks breath control is already better than it was on any of his previous works. Still, it should be more of a highlight than it is I feel.

As a great standout and one of the lead singles, "I'm Good" works for a number of reasons. From Starkore's glossy and contemplative trap beat to Snaks lyrics about financial stability this song is a great end to other songs Snaks had like, "Eight Hours A Day", "Famous And Broke" and "Stress". His seemingly overnight mastery of double time is displayed here too, though the hook is tastefully slower. He's finally experiencing the spoils of his success but he's still saving money keeping his eyes on his future. His persona of being rowdy and out of control has been pretty well documented in his music and stage performances and this is just a well written and well composed evolution. Other lines about being a role model for his son, learning not to lend out money to old friends helps affirm his growth as well. His life just seems to finally be falling into place.

Of course we have to bounce back to the obnoxious stuff again with "Real Drugs". The second single chronologically, has C-Lance returning on the boards. It's similar to "Knuckle Sandwich" in that it's another off the wall Snak song. I love the hook and the drums are pretty heavy on this too. There's only sixteen bars on this one so it doesn't feel as long as "Knuckle Sandwich". The hook showcases his classic gravely singing but like the rest of this album, there's noticeable improvements to Snaks vocal range.

"Hour Glass" features a beat by Snak himself. Furious hi-hats and gloomy keys punctuate some speedy verses from Young Sin and Snak. There's a cool subject to this song as well with them both diving into their limited time on this Earth and reminding us of the urgency mortality brings. Evil Ebenezer has an appearance on the hook and kills it. It's not my favourite song on the album but, its one I'm often restarting. I should note that Young Sin has one of the standout features on the record as well but Snak still competes on the second verse.

The final single "All Out" featuring Rittz is another strong point on the album. The music on this one is crazy with wild guitars and rapid cymbals accompanying our smashing drums. Snak and Rittz tear through their verses with vicious double time and internal schemes. Snak brings his classic gravely signing to this hook once again. Of all the C-Lance and Aaron Hiltz beats here I'd say this is my second favourite. There's great progression and this song has crazy momentum that builds with each bar but I find that during Rittz's verse the song gets a little slower. It's not a detriment I just wish the music continued to build through the second verse. The hook still explodes at the end of the song so it is a small critique.

The albums second half begins with "Ashes". Snak recounts his fathers battle with cancer in a one of the most raw and thorough storytelling songs I heard in 2018. He recalls his fathers strength while wrestling with having to watch someone he loved decline in health. The production on here is perfect too this beat on it's own conveys the same feelings as Snaks lyrics. Great match. Its one of my favourite C-Lance beats ever and the hook is mixed the perfection so you really feel each note. "Ashes" is a song we can play over and over and it won't stop being powerful. There's really not much room for criticism on a song like this. It's emotionally heavy so I'm not always in the mood for it but for the subjects it covers, its perfectly written.

"Baby Boy" I believe, is pretty solid as well. Snak details his anticipation and excitement for his sons arrival with Jaclyn bring some reassuring lines in the hook. The song is another case of a perfect beat being mixed well. There's recordings of their ultrasound timed to the beat and the drums shuffle along against gentle guitars. The mixing and fading on this album is another strong point and it was at about this point of the record where I really started to queue into it. The song is actually structured similarly to "It's Over" from Snak last record Off The Rails in that we have verses and bridges from Snak and the beat changes to accommodate Jaclyn's singing. I gotta give it up to this song however for having just a little bit more humanity. I also find that with the matching music video that "Baby Boy" stands as one of the more solid collaborations from Snak and Jaclyn period.

"Driftin" has Snak on the road recounting the way his life has unfolded. The warbling synth keys and tumbling drums match Snaks reserved tone quite well. I love the juxtaposition of meeting fans and performing in front of massive crowds with catching flights and booking hotel rooms. It's like despite being surrounded by people while he's on tour there's an element of solitude that he finds peace in. Almost as if artists need to be nomadic to keep their sanity. Also this beat, even with it's short loop just keeps you nodding the whole way through. It was a good call to let the beat ride out at the end.

After those more mellow and reflective songs, we reach my favourite song on the record. "Shania Twain" sees Snak collaborating with the recently formed Jamo Gang. J57 brings some real slamming drums and cymbals. Ras Kass and El Gant both have some of the best guest features on the record. The fact that hook mentions all the members in the song is exciting too. In today's age of emailing verses back and forth its nice to hear three rappers in a cohesive way like this. And again, despite the talent recruited here, Snak drops the best verse of the song towards the end. How is this dude improving so fast? I have to play this at least twice every time we hear the album. Everyone here went in.

"Criminal Ideas" is a little lukewarm for me. Similar to Knuckle Sandwich, the song does exactly what you expect it to do and not a whole lot more. The beat from C-Lance features his usual crashing cymbals, opera chops and haunting pianos. Ill Bill brings a solid enough verse but with the impact of Black God White Devil, I can't help but be underwhelmed. I can't rap any better but I definitely feel like he could. D-Rec does bring some fantastic cuts and scratches for the hook, however. Reef The Lost Cauze brings my favourite verse on the song and Snak finishes the song up with some decent bars as well. Honestly my least favourite parts of this album are songs like this. This just feels like it came too easily for everyone involved. Sometimes I'm in the mood to play this song all the way through but it still feels like a song everyone one of these guys has made before.

The album has a terrific third act, however, that kicks off with "Paid Up". Marco Polo, who previously produced "Premium Dope" from Snak's From The Dirt album, returns on the boards here. The song starts with heavy kicks and snares that are some of my favourite on the record. Synths and organs back Snaks stories of persistence and work ethic. The song breaks into some relentless chopping in the second verse similar to "I'm Good" that we heard earlier. One of the best displays of his improved breath control is on this verse.

"Highs And Lows" has to be one of my favourite conceptual tracks on the album. C-Lance supplies high noted keys with more relaxed percussion while Snak opens up about overcoming his cocaine addiction. Prior to this album, there really wasn't much evidence of clues that Snak had been struggling with it and that only adds to this song. He talks about his addiction journey as if it's a on and off again relationship. The first verse portrays Snak immediately losing authority over his cravings and he cascades into addiction hard as Tiago Vásquez brings resolve and strength to the chorus. Snak recalls his clarity and confidence now that he's clean and provides a bit of a twist on the finishing line with the only direct mention of cocaine on the whole song.

We close the album with our first single chronologically, "Lesson Learned" was released the February before the album came out. Even hearing it prior to the rest of the album, "Lesson Learned" introduced us to a more seasoned Snak. We instantly knew what ever album this song was going to be a part of that in that album we'd hear significant growth and pertinence. Vokab brings multi layered snares that crash along to Snaks advice and recollections. I also adore this hook I find it to be very wordy but also clear and easy to rap along too. It was a perfect tone to begin his releases of 2018 with and a fantastic closer once it made the track listing for this album.

Once the record was through, I still knew that Off The Rails was Snak strongest and most confident outing yet. He more ambidextrous than ever this time as he explores his past, present and fearlessly goes into his future. Different aspects of Snaks character and important plot points are already hinted at on the front cover and the actual music sticks to those threads quite well. As a matter of fact I think the story sections of this album could be my favourite parts. The more boastful stuff is still impressive and an improvement upon the last album, however.

Pros: This is really feels like the most introspective Snak has been for an entire album. Even beyond that, his technical ability and breath control is greater this time around too. Most of the features sound really hyped to be here as well. The production is pretty satisfying no matter what your tastes are and even the bangers that I should be tired of at this point still have their moments. A great mix also shows off Snaks confidence in trying new vocal styles.

Cons: Pretty early on we figure out that the mature and transparent songs don't really compliment the bangers. These songs of wild energy translate well into a live show but I still found more enjoyment in the internal stories Snak was telling between the bangers. Maybe I just wasn't in the head space for it but I don't find myself shocked or drawn in by that kind of zany presentation anymore. I've heard lots of underground rap trying to "shock" me over the years.