Common "Black America Again" (2016)

Socially conscious rapper Common is back with another charged record thats very much relevant given the social climate and resurgence of black struggles in American society. With the title alone the topic is made clear and through the fifty six minutes he barely takes a step of the path. It's certainly the time for music to reflect the atmosphere but that doesn't necessarily define a good record. "Black America Again" fails on many fronts, mostly its religious inspirations and Common's unchanging approach. As a 90s fan of 90s flows, Common is one who's barely changed a lick, an old rapper with an old flow and unchanged rhyme style. He was never a particular favorite, he has gems in his discography but what mainly appealed to me was the positive, intelligent commentary of his persona in the raps.

There is a ton of subject matter I agree with on the record but the music is spoiled where biblical themes and words of praise come into play. With all the problems addressed he frequently turns to prayer and god as a solution to them. I appreciate the warm intention but for a person who see societal issues as systemic, the call for praise of Jesus over engagement or practical solutions infuriates me. Another difference of opinion grinds me on "The Day Women Took Over", a song calling for an oversimplified ideal that Women's disposition to empathy and caring would make them better leaders. Considering there are many women in positions of power around the world it would again suggest that our societal issues are systemic, related to power, wealth and its corruptible qualities. What Common has is simply utopian, poetic statement that lack any depth or substance beyond a nice but ludicrous idea.

Behind my indifference to Commons lyrics a rather sweet and soothing record exists in the instrumentals. Toning down the bombastic nature of the beats, soulful influences and roots of black music are given room to shine with occasional string sections bringing subtle crescendos too. John Legend's singing on "Rain" tunes out the drums for a stunning piano and singer song that only resembles a Hip Hop track thanks to Commons verses rapped without a beat. His raps are steady and mostly solid but its a style unchanging. On "Pyramids" a bit of technicality comes to fruition but otherwise hes mostly stagnating on a un-progressing approach that disappoints without the lyrics to match. There are good moments in the record and I have tried to love this record but large sections of the raps just didn't work for me.

Favorite Track: Black America Again, Pyramids, Rain
Rating: 5/10

The Dillinger Escape Plan "Dissociation" (2016)

Announcing it would be their final record certainly enticed me to listen to Dillinger for the first time in many years. There reputation and legendary live shows are undeniable but the erratic math rockers never drew me in at a time where I was far more close minded. Its their seventh full length in eighteen years and a farewell as the group decide to call it a day and part ways. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but "Dissociation" drew me in instantly and the past few weeks I have been enjoying it ever so much. Its a fun wild ride with all sorts of crazy sporadic music and jazzy inflections between the dizzying onslaught of elasticated aggression.

At times you will be scratching your head, how do these guys perform this dizzying onslaught of erratic noise? Between more convention repetitions the music rolls into bursts of odd time signatures that have the guitars thrashing frantically as blast beats blast without form and it all sounds like a mess, a somehow how delicious, exciting mess. The record is diverse though, between its loaded moments they find measures of melodics, conventional song structures and vocal hooks to sing along to. "Fugue" marks itself as a fascinating interlude of disrupted melodies, schizophrenic baselines and glitched out drum programming quite reminiscent of "IGORRR". In the midst of "Low Feels Blvd" the music breaks from its frantic persona into a splendid affair of smooth Jazz in whats initially a cold break but the music finds its was back to its usual self as the elements get increasingly energized before a blast beat takes us back to the insanity normality.

Another quality of the record I enjoy is the layers of sound. At several moments in the the record there are submerged layers of synth and sound that creep out between the chaos of the leading instruments. It has its moments of simplicity but otherwise its a weaving organic web of sound elasticizing back and forth at the mercy of odd time signatures. There's little to fault, maybe singer Puciato's screams might turn you off but I just loved how much energy and emotion he put into his turbulent screaming, raw, harsh and animalistic although between those moments many more conventional styles arise.

"Dissociation" is a finely produced record with a ton of variety. No moment in the record feels like its retreading old foot steps and the constant evolution of the music keeps one on their toes. With little knowledge of their rest of their discography it seems like a solid record to sign off on however It leaves me wanting more of this sporadic art, luckily their is a back catalog to digest!

Rating: 7/10

Saor "Guardians" (2016)

Ive been awaiting this record for some time, Saor, a one man band, really impressed me with his last release "Aura", a fine record that took traditional Black Metal values to a serine, warm and heart felt setting inspired by the Scottish highlands. It was a mature, seasoned piece of music that took all the mockeries away from the extreme music and imbued it with the sombre beauty of the natural world. It ended up being one of my favorite records of the year. So Saor returns, still a one man band and unchanged in approach "Guardians" stagnates somewhat, repeating the same successes of its predecessor.

Its a noticeable step up in fidelity, richer clarity in the guitar distortion and organized space gives room for the stunning string sections and earthly bagpipes to gleam through the walls of blast beats and guitar shredding. The songs take on grandiose themes and progressions with each clocking in over ten minutes and going through many passageways, soaring high, tumbling lows and climatic peaks in their wake. A little more groove and rhythm feels present in the guitar styling than before but mostly its power chord whirling as the flutes and fiddles inflict human melodies and cultural folk roots into the heathen music.

There are times where deep guttural shouts accompany guitar focused sections and it can drift into a sleepwalk between its grandiose moments. Although aesthetically polished and stronger the music competes with its own style as some parts feel like a repeating formula. "Tears Of A Nation" tips the scales with a break at the six minute mark for a truly memorable moment as the album concludes with a timeless melody, heightened by the continual shifts in intensity that comes from the Metal instruments. Its a solid record but more of the same, which is not a bad thing given the brilliance of this project, however it doesn't surpass the benchmark of "Aura" for me.

Rating: 6/10

Suicidal Tendencies "World Gone Mad" (2016)

Mediocrity is currently the theme but its not surprising when getting to the older acts who released new material this year. Its usually the fresh faces that push boundaries and Suicidal certainly had their moment in history being the band to mix Hardcore and Thrash Metal, known as Crossover Thrash. Their song "Institutionalized" was a big hit on MTV, when MTV played music videos and a couple of their early records are considered genre classics. Singer Mike Muir is the only remaining original member on their 12th full length record which includes the recruitment of legendary Dave Lombardo of Slayer on drums, who does a solid job but little to save the record from its averages.

So the album opens with a real banger, "Clap Like Ozzy" a furious fast passed thrasher with a meaty base line rattling away under the high intensity guitars. Mike Muir does his usual thing but fails to make much of an impression beyond the title hook, most of the chorus / vocal hooks are in the title making for rather predictable moments. You could guess the records theme by the title alone and its no surprise that the lyrics delve into many problems of the world, however little insight is provided beyond pointing at apparent hypocrisys and madness observed.

Like many run of the mill records the best songs are loaded at the front and the initial thrashy, fist pumping energy gives way to a fair amount of acoustic moments which wind down the record with two finishing acoustic tracks which had potential to be far better. "Happy Never After" caught my attention with eerie Gothic guitar leads reminiscent of Christian Death but that was as out of the ordinary as things got. There not much more I can say, its passable, listenable, mostly forgettable but has a couple of exciting tracks to remember.

Favorite Tracks: Clap Like Ozzy, The New Degeneration, Living For Life, Get Your Fight On!

Rating: 5/10

Helmet "Dead To The World" (2016)

Helmet are an Alternative Metal band who had their moment of success in the early 90s among the grunge hype. They have been cited as a part of Nu-Metals development through their influence on bands like Korn with their dropped guitar tuning for accessible power chords. Essentially they are tinged with a grungy sound that is partly Alternative Rock and has a metallic overtone. After four records the group split before front man Hamilton reformed with a new line up 2004, releasing "Size Matters", my favorite of their releases. Six years since their last they are back with "Dead To The World", the bands eighth.

Its no grand ambition of creative endeavor. Unsurprisingly the band return with their usual sound for a collection of tracks to pass the album mark at thirty six minutes. The songs stroll through simple structures and enjoyable riffs that focus on chunky drop d grooves and chord progression riffs that derive from power chords too. At times it can get a touch atmospheric, in others its heavy, crunchy and a little mesmerizing with the way some riffs are strummed over and over as the get lost in the dense sound. The occasional simplistic solo might drop in over a riff to fire a bit of color into the music.

Unfortunately its all a bit to mediocre, unspectacular and forgettable. As pleasant and listenable the record is, it does very little beyond appease the appetite for their sound and with better records in their discography its not going to make much of an impression. One thing that dawned on me is a similarity between Hamilton's vocals and that of Billy Corgan. Not a mirror but there are moments where he sounds alike. "Dead To The World" is passable with a couple of good songs in the first half of the record but overall is just lackluster after six years.

Favorite Tracks: Life Or Death, I Love My Guru

Rating: 4/10

Chance The Rapper "Coloring Book" (2016)

I still can't get get my head around the difference between a mixtape and an album. Of the ones Ive listened to, a mixtape feels like an album. This one is true of that at fifty seven minutes in length with a theme and sense of continuity at start and end. With all the critical acclaim "Coloring Book" has received it seemed like a good time to check out a fresh face from the new generation of Hip Hop music. Chance is from Chicago and yet to release a debut record with this being his third mixtape, it has broken into sales charts and topped album of the year lists from various critics. Of the months Ive been listening to it I haven't shared much of the same feelings, however it does have some remarkable production moments sprinkled in.

Since "To Pimp A Butterfly" many artists have been retroflexing on the roots of black music and so we enter a sort of Hip Hop Renaissance as many mainstream artists seem jump on this wave of revival. Already having a keen ear for Soul, R&B, Gospel and Jazz, a lot of the sounds and vibes explored aren't particularly fresh to me, its a mixed bag of fruits. To new listeners its probably quite marvelous. Chance employs a production where the beats are toned down, subdued, as pianos, strings and gospel vocals step to the forefront around his raps. In the mid section of the record it steadily gives way to more traditional tracks and that's when the music starts to loose me, not to be pulled back at the end by some great church music.

Chance's flow is laid back, easy going and casual, to the point where his soft croaky voice sounds like he may just be talking if it weren't for the steady timing and occasional rhymes. Not much of it hit home beyond the story telling, biblical "praise him" tracks don't do it for me. The album also has its helping of "to be dated" trendy vocal styles and word slurring that I'm doubting will hold up over time. Songs like "Finish Line Drown" are fantastic but essentially like gospel church songs of praise, played with a full live band and spiced up with a bit of flashy production. It and a lot of the record remind me of Kanye's debut records, there is a lot of use of vocals with a helping hand from the Chicago Children's Choir it plugs into those gospel roots. "Coloring Book" has its moments but it mostly comes from borrowing rather than innovating.

Favorite Tracks: No Problem, Summer Friends, Finish Line Down.

Rating: 5/10

Avenged Sevenfold "The Stage" (2016)

It was fifteen years ago I first heard Avenged Sevenfold, abbreviated as "A7X", the Californian rockers burst onto the scene amidst the storm of Metalcore's commercial arrival. I remember it fondly, a wild sound, slightly unhinged, with bursts of melody and harmony between a screechy onslaught of groovy goodness and boundless energetic drumming. Their following releases steered away from the heavy aspects of their sound and I lost interest. Over the years Avenged have become a huge name in Metal, Rock and Alternative music, much of it passing me by but the opening song, the title track and single caught my attention. How glad I am that I decided to tune in, "The Stage" may be one of the years best records, an epic, lengthy concept record that delivers a continual level of class across its seventy three minutes, concluding with the fifteen minute epic "Exist" featuring none other than Neil deGrasse Tyson.

So the record takes on the common theme of mankind's potential self annihilation through a plethora of lyrics that unsurprisingly amount to little for me, given my more musically oriented mind most the words are in one ear and out the other. M Shadow's clean voice doesn't particularly resonate with me and he is no annoyance through this record but there were only a handful of moments where his presence helped elevate the music, "Everyone lives on borrowed time". Fortunately the instrumental aspect of the record is so strong it does little to tarnish the theme and direction of the music.

"The Stage" is a metallic treat that stretches its might into a few unexpected crevasses, "Fermi Paradox" showcasing a brief Black Metal blast beat and shadowy riff. For the most part its a generally Progressive Metal record with moments of Thrash Metal intensity, rhythmic moments of Groove Metal with Hard Rock and Heavy Metal antics. Its pulled together with luminous guitar leads that flex melodies and energetic guitar solos seamlessly in the transitional moments. The songs don't just hammer down on the heavy, with gorgeous, bold and slightly metallic acoustic tones the instrumentation comes together flexing its muscles between intensities as songs organically move through the motions. Calming a storm in one moment and blowing up the next.

Each track makes its distinction and on some with the help of additional instruments that sneakily drift into the music, disarming us of their presence. Keyboards, strings, trumpets and the like crop up throughout the record, often to participate in just singular moments of a songs journey. "Sunny Disposition"s chorus has M Shadow softly singing over a Mexican sounding horn section, its astounding catchy. If not an additional instrument, the core music is always exciting with quality riffs and song structures that come together with a lot of fire and energy. It plays through like a true epic.

The albums conclusion "Exist" is an almighty one, starting off with gritty thrash beat downs that are brought to life by fast, colorful sweeping guitar leads, then it bursts into an unsettling tone with looming organs. Once again the gears shift and grooving riffs rhythmically slam before light horns lead the way back to the organs. It plays back and forth a charm, steadily culminating into a storm before the song blows out its steam and calms to an acoustic tone before steadily building towards its grand finale, a stunning, inspiring and deeply meaningful speech from Neil deGrasse Tyson that plays through the music and with each words takes more of the focus.

Whatever Avenged were up to before this record I think it would be a fair assumption to say they have out done themselves. "The Stage" is lengthy, yet without filler. Its production is modern, crisp, clean and balanced for it to never be a concern. The inclusion or rich instrumentation and the general ambition of the record speaks volumes in the quality of each of these tracks, there is never a dull moment.

Favorite Tracks: Paradigm, Creating God, Fermi Paradox, Exist

Rating: 9/10

In The Woods... "Pure" (2016)

Surprises seem to be common this year and there is certainly a contest for most "unexpected". The news of a new record almost passed me by, surely "Pure" is just some compilation record I thought... "In The Woods..." are an obscure Black Metal band who released the remarkable "HEart Of The Ages" in 1995. It was and still is an obscure release, an absolute gem to me in my youth, a distinctly different record for the time that homed in on inspired pagan and nature themes within the stark context of extreme music. It still strikes a nerve with me to this day, unfortunately I didn't get along with the two following records, which moved in an Avant-Garde direction, the band then split in 2003 and here we are thirteen years later. As I look up the history of their lineup I learn that the only change is singer Fogerty, the other three have been in the band since day one, I find this interesting because this record gave me some serious "one man band" vibes, a curiosity in the cover that had me painting the records voice, Fogerty, as a lone musical force. This should be a compliment to how "together" this record feels and how much the identity of their roots is intact.

"Pure" is lengthy, a sixty seven minute epic that has no measure in pace. Its a Post-Black Metal record in the truest sense where traditional values have been further removed as its extremities give way to the vision that Fogerty illuminates with his raw and charismatic, heathen voice which calls out from across the mountains. In its mercy of natural wonder a burgeoning of emotion spills through the music in many moments of this record, there awakening built through lengthy passageways of dense progressive music. With a lot of clarity and volume these instruments carry forth an honesty in the raw, chunky guitar distortions, loose drum environment, nostalgic archaic synths and ethereal acoustics that harbor the authentic, natural qualities of low fidelity without compromise in its audibility.

The band immerses us in rich atmospheres as there songs, one by one, move through the motions, varying metallic intensities, dropping back for acoustic moments and soaring with earthly vocals. Its all a familiar affair as many composition techniques are the same as on that classic debut. "Towards The Black Surreal" has a deja-vu moment where the song suddenly shifts to a seemingly identical piece of music, bar one or two notes, from "Yearning The Seeds Of A New Dimension". There is no moment quite the same, but in seems two parts of guitars and vocals overlap perfectly, capturing the beauty of their early music.

As much as ill rave about this record, it has a flaw. I felt in the right mood it would captivate and transcend yet It wasn't one to make that happen through the music alone. "Pure" has a stunning tone and solid aesthetic to match but mostly it draws through temperate passages that only light up if in the mood, however it is littered with plenty of attention grabbing moments too. Whats most remarkable is how alike to their debut this record is. Overall its got a meatier sound and no breakaway tracks like "Morning The Death Of Aase" and "Pigeon" but they are just differences. I hope this return is not a one off, the band still have a lot to offer.

Favorite Tracks: Cult Of Shining Stars, Towards The Black Surreal, Transmission Krs

Rating: 7/10

Animals As Leaders "The Madness Of Many" (2016)

Further exploring their texture driven acoustic Djent sound, American Progressive Metal trio Animals As Leaders return once again, taking another step towards abstraction with further removed time signatures and strange guitar manipulations for all sorts of mathematical grooves and acoustic breakdowns. Unfortunately its the more conventional guitar leads that make the record light up between there regular intervals of polyrhythms, a string of experimental guitar noises chugging through arrangements of complex, dexterous patterns that spark little emotion within me. Initially they are unusual and interesting, yet quickly become dull.

The record bounces back and forth between these luminous, colorful leads and textural experiments in time signatures. The result has no song reaching its purpose, pursuing any peaks or developing a path. They meander and meddle through the motions settled in the various, tempo, texture and identity of that particular song. Its been quite a disappointment after there last release "The Joy Of Motion", an experiment in Latin guitar sounds that was both inspired and technically brilliant. The technicality of this record is in bizarrely complex breakdown moments and guitar chugging that yields little groove, elasticity or much beyond a curiosity.

I've tried hard to love this record and one place it succeeds is in its pleasantries. Guitar leads are mostly gentle and soothing, aesthetics are gorgeous and in its ambience its a great record to not pay much attention too. One song "Ectognesis" starts with a synthesizer lead that opens a door but its involvement in the music is quickly drowned out. It teases at a subdued element in their sound stepping forward but it seemed to be a singular moment in the record. High expectations have left me disappointed but nothing here is particularly negative, it just feels as if these musicians are capable of more, this is a record that feels more calculated than inspired.

Favorite Track: Ectognesis

Rating: 5/10

Nails "Unsilent Death" (2010)

Pushing the Grindcore sound to its groovy extremes, Nails are an American underground band from California who Ive been noticing over the years have built a bit of a cult reputation. Ive sighted them frequently mentioned as one of Metal's most extreme sounds. To my ears they have re-invented the wheel, taking the core Punk and Metal values of Grindcore and reinvigorating the attitude with a dense claustrophobic wall of sound production that will have you foaming at the mouth in the wake of its aesthetic intensity. Formed in 07, "Unsilent Death" is the bands debut "full length" clocking in at just under fourteen minutes across its ten songs.

And so the album opens like a flood of water bursting through the seems. Our ear drums are pelted with a ruthless pummeling blast beat, furious throaty screams of anger and strangulating guitars that smother and creep into every each of sound with their monstrously dense distortion tones. Its disorienting, fast and nauseous but as the smoke settles and one adjusts a quite simplistic set of grooving riffs emerge as the musical backbone. With hints of Thrash, Punk, Hardcore and Groove Metal the riffs alternate between different intensities and in their short life cycles they steer clear of wearing themselves out. It plays like one big song that's forever shifting gears as the burdening aesthetic intensifies all that's on display.

The records most interesting moment comes on the title track as screeching guitar feedback sounds intimidate over the top of a gorgeously low and textural bass guitar that groans in its over driven tone. It leads into an effective but primitive breakdown that has notable influences from the Deathcore scene and trends of the time. Beyond that its business as usual, with nothing out of the ordinary. Nails's strength is in the aesthetic which is certainly something to marvel, behind it a rather atypical set of riffs that don't defy expectation. They are like Napalm Death on crack, so much so hearing some of their records with this aesthetic would be an interesting treat. The bands overwhelming sound intensifies what might not be as impressive in a regular setting, either way its a fun listen to get you fired up for some carnage and hand banging which ends with a monstrous riff in the closing moments of "Depths".

Favorite Tracks: Unsilent Death, Depths

Rating: 6/10

Navie D "Opra EP" (2014)

Following up on the newer "Post EP" record we check out another seventeen minute collection of five tracks that are very much of the same vein, so much so the two roll off one another. "Opra EP" shows the formula was minutely refined with big luminous leads, synths and ghetto whistles sparking the tracks to life with memorable melodies to mark a climactic moment in the tracks trajectory. This is very much the same record without those moments to kick it up a notch from the mediocrity these ambient, ambiguous beats can fall into when they fall from the forefront of attention.

As mentioned these instrumentals are atmospheric, a collage of dissonance where traditional synth instruments are distorted in ambiguity and oddities that give them an organic feeling of disorientation. When giving it a keen ear the instruments fall into place and seem more traditional. Its this leaning to the unusual that gives the record its dark dystopian flavor that revolves around the mid tempo beats that fade in and out of focus. With steady and stuttering Trap hi hats the pace is marked along with screeching, howling synthesizers and samples of operatic voices eerily drifting in from the shadows. Its melodies are subdued and server to not been seen as much which is where I feel the record looses something its follow up has. Progression for this sound is certainly on a positive path and with Navie D having released his full length debut It will be next on my playlist.

Rating: 4/10

Metallica "Hardwired To Self-Destruct" (2016)

And so the time has come to pass, the moment where the world's most important and influential Metal band graces us with new music. For my generation that's been quite the sour experience, firstly with the bizarre "St.Masterpiece" and then eight years ago with their attempted redemption on the thrashy, over compressed "Death Magnetic". I never gave their collaboration with Lou Reed any attention, its since been snubbed from their discography, which leaves us at a point where expectations aren't even a consideration. If they felt pressure or not, Hardwired certainly shows no signs of it, external or internal, its as if they have found their spark again. Of course time has passed and there will never be a "Ride The Lightning" again but dare I say it, Hardwired is their best sounding record since the "Black Album" in 91.

After many plays through its as if this record could reside between Black Album and "Load" / "Reload". Its got the Dynamic feel of "Black Album", the slower heavy grooves of the "Load" era and between a majority of mid tempo tracks there is a hand full of thrash tracks. "Moth Unto Flame" illuminates as an instant classic with its hard crunching riffs, fluent grooves, catchy leads and James's timeless delivery you can sing along to. It will undoubtedly become a staple track in the bands set list. "Hardwired" shreds as hard and fast as Battery, a short tempered, fast and furious burner. The album closer "Spit Out The Bone" also invests in a faster tempo that grinds through its verses, interluding with a Metalcore riff and leading up to a fantastic sparse guitar chord ringing, then a bass solo before Kirk throws in infectious leads.

The only moment on this record where Metallica don't quite sound themselves is on "Atlas, Rise". Mostly its a grooving song but its lead guitars are very reminiscent of Iron Maiden, to the point where it sounds "lifted", using the same techniques and harmonization. The rest of the records song fall into the mid tempo range with stomping, steady grooves crunching away while James sings similar to the "Load" era. They are far from bad songs but certainly the weaker aspect of the record, which is applicable to taste, depending on your thoughts to their slower style.

Individually each member is where they need to be. James at the fore front finds the fire in his hands and throws many vocal licks down in typical fashion however some of the mid tempo track lyrics aren't going to turn your head. Kirk is stunning with his contributions, every guitar solo is fire, inspired and in his distinct wah style. They are in shorter bursts by nature and some solos sound very similar to old classics but it all works like a charm. Rob mirrors James's Rhythm work with one or two short "solos" but Lars is the only one I'm not entirely convinced about, not the best drummer in the world but certainly has a great chemistry with James which is important. I found every beat and groove here solid, with exception to the fills. Everything is snares... snare, snare, SNARE! The one time he does something other than a snare fill it really adds a dimension, "Now That Were Dead" and its flat, autonomous tom hammering.

Much more could be said but in short its just a great record, not a classic but a solid release, something little were expecting this late into the bands carrier. This could well be there last full length record, which is actually a two disc release but not their longest. When I next see them live Ill be wishing to see at least four of these songs live and hopefully they will stick for the next few years, unlike the last two records of which nothing sticked. The band has found themselves again and in the build up to its release "re-textured" covers were appearing online of musicians playing the new songs in old album aesthetics. Hearing "Moth Unto Flame" as if it were on "And Justice For All" gave me shivers.

It also got me thinking that "Hardwired"s tone, distortion, production etc is not king here, the music is. The albums drums sound fantastic but James's guitar distortion is a little brittle and compressed. It gets the job done though, no complaints just not the most pleasing sound for the albums most prominent instrument, oh and James's voice is, strong, powerful and in its usual persona however live he is struggling to keep up. Possibly the bands last record and a solid farewell, lets hope its not though as clearly they have re kindled the fire.

Favorite Tracks: Hardwired, Now That Were Dead, Moth Unto Flame, Spit Out The Bone

Rating: 8/10

A Tribe Called Quest "We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service" (2016)

Its been eighteen years... and I doubt anyone saw this coming. The legendary ATQC, innovators of Jazz Hop and creators of one of Hip Hop's greatest records "The Low End Theory", played their last ever shows a few years back and with the sad passing of Phife Dawg earlier this year the groups fate seemed final. Turns out they resolved their differences after the runion tour and decided to record a new record in secret. So imagine the astonishment I felt when I got an email announcing its release, more so at how good of a record it is and what a blessing to hear Phife on the record. How much of this was created with out his input I'm not sure but he came up with the title and the rest of the group aren't quite sure of its meaning.

I can't help but think its a tip of the cap to show the old traditions still have value in today's music. ATCQ sound like a group in the moment, flowing in the waters of inspiration and reinvigorating their identity because "We Got It" feels as if their is no absence. No greasing of the gears, no rough edges, they are in sync and doing what they do best. This is no nostalgia trip though, fresh production ideas and choices dominate this record without deterring from that warm hearted Jazz Hop soul the group always had. They also bring a star studded set of features, from Kendrick Lamar to Kanye West. Andree 3000 of Outkast and even their old friend Busta Rhymes. Speaking of old friends, Jarobi White is on the record, who only took part in the groups their first record.

Split into two sides of eight tracks the record flows effortlessly as a sixty minute piece, due much to its drifting from traditional song structures into artsy organic flows of creative sampling between the verses and chorus's. Some of this manifests with bold intrusive sampling, electronic Kraftwerk alike noises beep away in the start and end of tracks as well as snippets from Willy Wonker and the classic Thriller evil laugh in the records opening track. Q-Tip's production has no boundaries, its as if hes unbottling held back creativity and so many of his choices work. On "Lost Somebody" he lets the drum machine rapid fire like its glitching out. Bold, off key and different. The song even cuts to silence before some guitar jamming noises through into the next track. These experiments are fantastic but between them a set of solid and expressive loops, from the boom bap beat of "We The People" to the Reggae Dub grooves of "Black Spasmodic" Q-Tip finds all shades of Soul, Jazz and R&B to keep the flavors flowing from start to end.

Much of that bottled up creativity speaks to Phife and Jarobi who toy with afrocentric accents between sets of inspired raps. Q-Tip is also on point as the group talk to many relevant issues in the wake of Trump's election, "Muslims and Gays, boy we hate your ways". Id have to hand verse of the record to Kendrick Lamar who drops a impassioned rap on "Conrad Tokyo", his words come so fast with so much weight I feel like each listen adds a new dimension to the wieght of his words. The rest of the track meanders in the echo of his words while a keyboard solo jams away. Its a fantastic choice to let the instrumental take steer of the ship for the rest of the song.

The record rounds up with "Donald" a Phife Dawg track, layered with sampling and snippets of news presenters saying the president elects first name. I can't help but think the songs design is a tip to Phife's classic line "I cash more checks than Donald Trump". It an remarkable record and more so for its exceptional circumstances. One things for sure the substance is there and we have been gifted a wonderful album that must be respected, fans like myself would love more of this I'm sure but the reality is this is a send off, a twilight special and how blessed are we to hear it. One things for certain, the tribe can kick it! Yes they can.

Favorite Songs: We The People, Solid Wall Of Sound, Conrad Tokyo, Ego
Rating: 8/10

Mobb Deep "Hell On Earth" (1996)

As the album opens its purpose is stated with the opening words. "You know how we did on The Infamous album right?", "Well were going to do it again son!". Fitting lines to summarize both the albums strengths and weaknesses, Mobb Deep intentionally attempt to recreate the success of their legendary 95 "The Infamous" record. Just a year later the duo were fast to jump back into the studio, rounding up some familiar voices, Big Noyd returns for a couple of tracks, Raekwon and Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan and Nas once again. Despite "The Infamous" being one of my favorite records, Id never given many of their other records, bar "Juvenile Hell" much of a try and with my conclusion in mind I believe this would be a record Id of really loved had I gotten into it years ago. These days my appetite for more of the same flavor is rather diminished.

"Hell On Earth" takes "The Infamous" blueprint and attempts to twist it to darker territory. Firstly the beats have the same sharp, crisp snappy tones and programming arrangements, with deeper spare baselines backing the kicks. The sampling looks for more upfront, direct sounds, sinister ensemble strings sections with Gambino crime family vibes rub up against the rugged, urban drum loops. It finds itself more involved, removing some of the atmosphere and reverb the drums use to fill between more sparse sample choices. As a result thicker walls of sound bare down on the listener with grimy mafioso vibes. The soundtrack to scarface inspired crime, it creates quite the air of burden, gloom and doom on some tracks like "G.O.D. Part III" where the mood is rather grim.

On the vocal front much not has changed in the duos tone, delivery and flow but lyrically there is less story telling and more gun play, braggadocio and threatening word play as the two make remarkable statements related to crime life and violence. Some tracks run narratives and others not so much but as a lack of familiarity would suggest I didn't enjoy the lyrical side as much as the beats which on a few tracks really hit the mark. "Hell On Earth" is very much a repeat of success that leans into the Mafioso Rap genre that was emerging at the time. Its a solid, enjoyable record but as I said I have a diminished appetite for "more of the same" in this instance.

Favorite Tracks: Extortion, Man Down, Can't Get Enough, Nighttime Vultures, G.O.D. Part III, Give It Up

Rating: 7/10

Old Man Saxon "The Perils" (2016)

Old Man Saxon is a Los Angeles based rapper who caught my attention with his untypical music videos. Staring at the camera with a blank expression, he shows us through his day living out of a car, visiting the cleaners, working as a dish washer and sitting on the john. Focusing on the odd, plain and usually unspectacular he makes a marvel of what is not in the visual medium. Either gauging on ice cream or rapping as a sales man it certainly caught my attention and I was happy to grab a copy of this EP.

The single track "The Perils" is fantastic, unfortunately the rest not so much. Saxon's rap style is dry, pale and steady, practically spoken word there is little oomph in his delivery and emphasis. Without the video his words don't have the same charm, they simply don't convey the same tone in message and story. On the other tracks I really couldn't follow Saxon's train of thought, there's a lot of hot air and foul talk between a string of lines and rhymes that didn't amount to much in my mind. it was in one ear and out the other.

The backing instrumentals were my favorite aspect of the EP. Two numbers were relatively jazzy and sample driven. The other two a lick more spacial and driven by odd vibes. "O.G Ghost" gets minimal with sparse drums and some light singing and has the records most incoherent lyrics, which I really couldn't get along with. Saxon shows a lot of promise with an interesting approach to his music in the singles but the other tracks here feel miles behind. Rather disappointed but it wasn't exactly terrible.

Favorite Track: The Perils

Rating: 3/10