The Madd Rapper "Tell Em Why You Madd" (1999)

First surfacing on Life After Death, Producer Deric Angelettie's agitated alter ego has appeared on a spread of Bad Boy records. The frustrated character, running his mouth, serves well to sprinkle comedy between the music. Having laid the groundwork for this debut, it could have been something special. Instead, skits and jokes land flat, unable to flesh out his personality to comedic effect. So to do the Madd Rappers' verses lack a spark to muster humor. Unless this persistently irked personality is your comedy gold, the joke will get beaten to death across its CD filling seventy minutes.

Its clearly ambitious, bringing a massive array of guests beyond his record label peers. Featured routinely come armed with slick mafioso adjacent lyrics, painting flamboyant lifestyle pictures with their lyricism. It sands in stark contrast to the central theme. Eminem however, meets him at his level, the unhinged Slim Shady persona has the two aligning their lyrics on self destructive energy. Given the date, this flow is a gem for fans, hearing Eminem evolving into his classic Marshal Mathers flow.

Fun fact, a young Kanye West produced that track! Its a rare highlight among an endless string of average bears. Its other merit belongs with 50 Cent on the criminally unabashed How To Rob. Fifty name drops a lot of big names years before his breakout. Other than that, its sadly a missed opportunity to do something unique. Poor execution on a wonderful idea. It seems the last of The Madd Rappers steam was spent on the first Big Boy hits compilation, where his player hating energy musters amusement between the East Coast's record labels greatest songs.

Rating: 4/10

Bal-Sagoth "The Power Cosmic" (1999)

 

Scouring the web for more unturned stones within Symphonic Black Metal, I found my way to fellow Brits Bal-Sagoth. Although not akin to my favored Dimmu Borgir incarnation, The Power Cosmic has been a lively listen! It possibly representing the band in their best stride, with an aesthetic production scaling a welcoming clarity.

Far from the dark depths of Black Metal's reach, its extreme nature, felt through bombarding drums, bombastic orchestration and howling screams, would feel unfitting elsewhere. The musics core characteristics are Fantasy and Epic in nature, weaving big symphonic adventures akin to the likes of recent discovery Fairyland.

Bal-Sagoth's identity lacks a distinction beyond the merits of its various textures and intensities, sticking firmly inline with much of the Fantasy music I've heard before. Its array of synthesized instruments emulate triumphant trumpets and battle horns in aggressive strides. Harps and stringed sounds deliver the swashbuckling adventurous melodies. Behind it all, a soft, ever present glow of choral airy synths.

The rhythm section mostly acts as a sturdy foundation. Lead guitars erupt into the music frequently with squeals and creative arrangements to add an expression less rigid than its symphonic counterparts. Its all stitched together with touches of Progressive Rock influence as the band shake up their own blueprints on occasion.

Overall the experience rarely transcends a sense of expectancy dark fantasy styling offers. Great as an album to serve a mood but lacking stand out moments. Its mostly a pleasant dazzle of upbeat, gleaming instruments sounding off battle-cries. At forty minutes, The Power Cosmic is a lean and concise offering, shy of true glory.

Rating: 6/10

Len "You Can't Stop The Bum Rush" (1999)

If mid 80's Hip Hop with its clunky grooves, fun but dated rhyming tropes is your niche, then You Can't Stop The Bum Rush might just float your boat. I'm quite partial to the era, however Canadian group Len's millennium offering has little to add aesthetically, essentially a stiff nostalgic resurrection. Its bizarre his how eclectic and interwoven with other genres this record is, however the music isn't all as fluent.

Echo's of classic 70s Electronic music to the likes of Kraftwerk emerge, as a string of songs foray into crossover with Hip Hop the likes of Afrika Bambaataa once flirted with. Loaded with body popping vibes and vibrant 808s, the authenticity should be sky high with legends Biz Markie and Kurtis Blow hopping onboard to lend their voices. Despite this, the lack of reach to new territory has a stale energy about it.

After Cold Chillin the flow looses pace, ditching the Hip Hip beats to explore Rock, Punk Rock, Pop and Jazzy vibes to see the record out. Although its nice to hear such diversity, only June Bug swoons with its easy flow and gentle singing. Of course, the albums star is Steal My Sunshine, a massive hit known the world over. An oddity, considering how little of its charm gets echoed elsewhere. Worth a listen but quite mediocre.

Rating: 4/10

Type O Negative "World Coming Down" (1999)

 On initial exposure, a singular overt obvious influence and echoes of October Rust's Gothic glory hung overhead, looming like a curse. Type O Negative seemed to have hit a snag, one of stagnation. Having wholly won over my admiration, I persisted. With repetitions familiarity, their gloomy Gothic themes explored last outing grew on me. As did the Black Sabbath fervor reveled in by Hickey and Kenny, who's decent into the menacing grip of grueling Doom Metal lethargy, carves many unshakable riffs.

The buzzing, thin and fuzzed guitar aesthetic seems hard to justify on first contact. Riffs drift into the ether as Steele's manly darkened voice broods alongside bright punchy synths that channel 80s gothic cheese into stunning emotional splurges. Of course, this is actually their brilliance, great song writing in action. Swinging from gloomy theatrics with flashes of cold colors, dramatic lunges of rhythmic sway consume one. Powerful notes and bends play off one another, shuffling down the fret-board with measured persuasion on its groovy, sludgy march of Doom Metal prowess.

The thematic tone is rather dark as title and song names suggest. A looming gloom seems constrained to Steele's struggling lyrics and strife dwelled upon. The rest of the band come through with familiar strides in terms of theme, Steele directing a once Gothic allure to something grave. Despite this, the music still encroaches on the mid 90s melodic glory of past, among its diverse set of songs. Less experimental, more instep with their established persona, its Sabbath influences that shine brightest.

It sharper gravitas swings into gear when bluesy grooves bustle a rhythmic might. Pyretta Blaze kicks off with lengthy, sludgy low end riff to die for. Each time it comes back around is a pleasure. White Slavery, Who Will Save The Sane & World Coming Down all contrast Tomi Iommi riffs with ideas not plucked from this metallic world.

This underpinning comes to ahead on the closing and sublime Day Tripper Medley. Some how, this Gothic oddball group fused The Beatles and Black Sabbath together without a hint of irony. Sung with sincerity and heart, the odd fusion of sludgy groove and classic Pop Rock songs coalesces brilliantly under a haunting cawing of crows.

Technically cut short, its a special note to bow out on after a lengthy CD filling runtime. Its oddity tracks and interludes run intermittent with natural flow. They tie its rather grim lyrics to bodily constraints of mortality. As a whole, it plays wonderfully without filler yet some of its lengthier tracks do linger. Not quite as sharp as before but on World Coming Down Type O Negative still spark a bright, fascinating flame.

Rating: 8/10

Carpe Tenebrum "Mirrored Hate Painting" (1999)

 

My most treasured record in existence is Spiritual Black Dimensions by Dimmu Borgir and perhaps It would of fared better not have written on it as my first blog post here. My aged words seems quite inadequate given how years of writing has evolved my articulation and expression. One day, when inspired, I will write of it again. The reason I mention this, is because I could use much of that language here, you see Mirrored Hate Painting is essentially a counterpart to SBD. Carpe Tenebrum is the side project of lead guitarist Astennu who illuminated SBD with a darkly rapturous presence heard here once again.

He is joined by Nagash, also of Dimmu Borgir who emulates Shagrath's vocal style wonderfully. A little loose and fragrant at times, he captures the throaty guttural growl in uncanny resemblance. The music too emulates much of the compositional principals too, mixing dark, aggressive guitars with throttling drums, classical dizzying pianos and a lavish helping of bold synth tones, going through all the stark theatrical dynamics. Released the same year, it gives an impression of left over material from their work with Dimmu. The lead guitar solos being the one carbon copy element that rouses equal emotions as they plunder into the night with a soaring sense of epic.

It leaves a question to ponder, does this highlight the influence of Astennu on his band mates? Or did he bring the ideas and leftovers to this effort. I'm sure its a question that will remain unanswered as the records either side of this sophomore project have quite the contrasts in identity. Its own, however, is tarnished somewhat but a less refined production style that could of done with a little more care. The synths are dulled by quietness more often than not. As are the sprawling piano melodies jump in with flashes of jovial color. They find themselves smothered, however if you know what to expect, you'll hear it somewhere in the mix as the sections of music roll out with mirrored ideas from SBD.

 And mirrored they are, the tropes play out with all the same techniques, half time beats often giving rise to atmospheric synths and the guitar pinch squeal whammy bar howling plunging us into blast beats and momentous darkness. Mirrored Hate Painting does come with one distinctive tarnish, the inclusion of bizarre audio clippings, down pitched and reverberated in the tackiest of manors, something akin to b-rate 70s horror movies. An English woman talks of satanic coercion, sacrifices and the murder of infants... My only thought are perhaps that the audio is not fictional and that is supposed to hold some merit to the records theme? Because if not, it sounds pretty trashy and runs in contrast to the music the few times it crops up.

I've enjoyed this one immensely, however it cannot compare to my most treasured record. Only in flashes does it show the same level of brilliance. Dimmu forged some fantastic music that felt more purposeful in composition as its lyrics and lead guitars would channel a song to meaningful climaxes. So far I hear the same ideas but not the glue to give the songs a sense of start and end. Perhaps I need more time with it, which It shall get a lot of in the coming months and maybe I will learn more of its magics but for now I am just stoked on finding such an adjacent record.

 Rating: 8/10

The Kovenant "Animatronic" (1999)

 

Embarking forth with a new name and shift in identity, Animatronic is their first album as The Kovenant. Nestled between last years Nexus Polaris and the later SETI, it represents the stylistic move towards Industrial Metal and electronica with a little of the former magic lingering. Reflecting on this with a more perceptive mind, it is a bigger change than I once remembered. The transition is held over well in vocal department where snarly shouts and brutish half screams anchor it to their former glory, along with Eileen Kupper's enigmatic operatic singing to usher in powerful melodies on their two best known songs. Mirror's Paradise and New World Order hit things off with an unforgettable union of catchy melodies, rocking riffs and stomping drums, all illuminated by Eileen and the strings that cruise between its Drum N Bass percussive cuts. Its a shake up of sounds, a melting pot of ideas channeled through clever song writing that appeals to popular fundamentals.

With such a strong opening, its a tough trail to follow but the remaining material explores different approaches to tone, pace and experimentation in well defined songs that form the unique feeling the opening two have. Mannequin dives into the downtrodden brooding the following record would dive into on a couple of songs too. Jihad brings an eastern melodic flavor to its crunching Industrial guitars. The Human Abstract ups the tempo with a fast paced thrashing romp lavished in glossy synths, akin to their prior effort with its more aggressive guitar tone and symphonic overdrive. All the songs have this over-represented keyboard presence that sways between club electronica and classic strings. It works wonders, beaming with prominence above the density of woven Industrial noises below it.

Home to two timeless classics, sadly Animatronic looses its footing in the closing as a couple tracks, missing the level of excellence excelled elsewhere. Prophecies Of Fire hails back to the carnival and jovial likeness of Nexus Polaris, almost like a left over reworked for this album. In The Name Of The Future recycles to many previous ideas and The Birth Of Tragedy seems an odd closing note for such a dramatic shift in tone as it explores a dark, paranoid, cyber aesthetic wonderfully. Most notable is the clunky cover of Babylon Zoo's Spaceman. Ironically It sounds like a flip of the original, where the mess between the catchy chorus was rather unappealing. In this instance The Kovenant do everything right except the hook which doesn't spark in the deep burly voice its delivered through. Animatronic is home to a potent, exceptional and inspired sound but as an album tends to decline steadily to a good from greatness. That said, you can't deny the brilliance of its opening two songs, forever personal favorites.

Rating: 8/10

Dysmorphik "Tick, Burn, Screech & Halt" (1999)

 

To write of Dysmorphik is to tease a treasure lost to the Internet's youth, years before the current perceived permanence of data. I discovered this Industrial musician through online communes, an early form of social media where artists where talking direct and giving their music away for free through MP3 sharing websites long dead. I had a collection of about twenty tracks obtained in my youth and a few years back managed to contact the man himself. He graciously sent me the missing songs from the only two albums before vanishing into a puff of smoke, with all traces of his peculiar art disappearing online, possibly forever! Many of these songs have been burned into my mind, occupying a strange space no other artist can get close to. Its survived the years, stitched to my painful youth and growth out from that darkness.

Tick, Burn, Screech & Halt is an amateurish debut, a wonderful cascade of obtuse noises, smashed and molded into an broken heap of sound. In that wreckage, something spectacular lurks. Its dystopian, alien and difficult. As far as Industrial music goes, this has many of the common hallmarks, yet the end result feels oddly different. A downtrodden voice broods between the cracks of melodies, rhythms and slabs of sound crammed together with force. These songs are an ugly mess birthed from beautiful intentions of expression. In that is a magic not often heard.

Most these tracks consist of several layers. Rattling, gritty and stiff percussive grooves get wedged between slabs of Industrial noise distortion. Airy synths lurk in the distance, softly groaning with unease, shaping a mood. Around them a calamity of stabbing synths, wobbling basslines, strikes and crashes prod and poke into the mix with a mechanical madness. The voicing that get sliced in are often of that whispering, shadowy variety. When reaching to hold a note its charm is solely in the attempt.

So much of this music feels machine like, disjointed, disconnected and strange but through the awkward cohesion certain instruments emanate the intention. Through its friction and unease the music pours out a vision that takes some time to hear. When I was young I lapped up having something odd and interesting to listen to for free. Then missing songs decades later, it took far longer to fall for them. With time they shape up into odd hashes of vision and aesthetic that dominates its own peculiar space.

 

Sometimes it is obvious which instruments are pushing the narrative but in its better songs your never quite sure. Giving ones attention to the barrage of noises, brimming with subtle zaps and whirls in its arsenal of synths, you can get lost in the detail. The colliding sounds and friction rub all over each other and yet through that spurious mess something enigmatic, dark and curious washes over with a spell. Much of this praise, however, should be reserved for the following release. That is where things get exceptional. At this stage the amateurish execution shows its nature and influences, reaching back to Synth-Pop in certain moments too. It is still a wonderful mess, unlike anything else Ive heard since.

Rating: 7/10

Metallica "S&M" (1999)

 

With S&M2 out and on my playlist, I wanted to relive again this remarkable collaboration between Metallica and the San Fransisco Orchestra. My impression of it today comes with more appreciation than ever. How has this record not become a yearly ritual. Between the Metallica binges, it would bring a whole new dimension to their arsenal of classic songs. More so, I think its the newly found adoration of what the band attempted with Load and Reload that lifts a fair portion of the record from depths I once skimmed over.

Symphonic Metal and the like may have been in relative infancy but to this late 90s period its no stranger. However the collaboration doesn't even resemble how strings and orchestra instruments had been paired with Metal music to date. The San Fransisco group orchestrate on their own terms, acting as another layer of musical identity with in songs already brimming with stature. The music is embellished, a real treat for those who appreciate a union of style often perceived of opposite despite many emotional similarities.

The album's opening is brilliant, Ecstasy Of Gold followed by the instrumental Call Of Ktulu gives ample time to take in the added dimension before ripping pace with Master Of Puppets, possibly the best way for James to bring his iconic voice in. From there the record ebbs and flows with refreshing changes of pace and also involvement from the orchestra, not every song and moment requires a layering of symphony and it too breathes with the set list. One thing to say, there is no fear in getting right in the weeds of some of the bands most iconic music.

There are many favorites each listener will find, among them a couple originals, Human and the adored No Leaf Clover, two fantastic songs, the last before St. Anger. No foreshadowing there. S&M is not without its flaws though. The seventeen minute passageway of Wherever I May Roam and Outlaw Torn drags its feet a little with the plodding repetitive baseline reminding me of a festival jam session giving the crowd ample time to take a trip to the bar and refuel on booze before the closing hits.

Being one to continuously move forward with music, a few nostalgic trips to old records have had me worried of magics left behind. I knew S&M stood in great stature among fans and myself, not so much critics at the time. Listening to it again, its almost as if I forgot about the endearing sparkle the whole experience has, especially the goosebumps educing enthusiasm from the crowd who James lets sing on the record with him. Must of been one heck of an unforgettable experience to have been there!

Rating: 8/10

Spread "The Whole Nine Yards" (1999)

Around fifteen years ago my music archive hard drive suddenly stopped working. This was absolutely devastating for this young audiophile. It subsequently brought about the practice of frequently backing up all my data, in multiple places. I was able to recover a fair amount from the drive but sectors of it were damaged. Fortunately I could also print the entire directory list to file and at least have a record of what I'd lost... The internet has changed greatly since then. Its much easier to find niche content now. Browsing over that directory list I thought I'd have a little search and what would you know the album has been available on YouTube for two years!

The power of want and nostalgia had mystified The Whole Nine Yards as a "lost gem" in my mind. Hearing it again... how little of that is true! With so much time passed its just the one track, Sacrifice, that I can actually remember in its entire sequence. How I ever found this band in the first place is a mystery now. It is however a fun revisit to the glum moody spirits of Nu Metal, this record perfectly embodying the downtrodden, broken and frustrated tone many bands shared at the time.

As a self produced record, they clearly checked all the boxes for being picked up by a label looking to cash in on the fad. Its obvious weak point though are the vocals. The production at time deploys some reverbs to help mask the weakness but its mostly the clean takes are off key and strained, you can hear what they were aiming but it falls short. The screams and shouts can be a little tiresome too with a lack of interest in the textures they arrive with. They do all the cliche approaches with a couple of Corey Taylor shout raps thrown in the mix too.

When it comes to originality there is little. Deploying all the tropes, one can hear plenty of Korn, Coal Chamber, Godsmack and Slipknot with the echos of the Alternative Metal scene present. Mixing throttling bursts of distorted aggression, quirky guitar melodies and open wound vocal performances, little touches of DJ interludes like Limp Bizkit akin Hip Hop beats just give it everything heard elsewhere before. I probably sound harsh in my tone, despite how its aged poorly with a tired look back at the scene, The Whole Nine Yards is a pretty competent and impressive attempt to fit in with the times, forging some decent songs of that vein. If your in the mood for something depressingly indulged and aggressive then this EP has it.

Favorite Track: Sacrifice
Rating: 3/10

Danzig "6:66 Satans Child" (1999)

Arriving at the sixth chapter in the Danzig series we have a refinement of sound, vastly improving upon the disappointment of Blackacidevil which tried and failed at its own unique take on the Industrial Metal sound of that era. Satans Child follows suit in the same genre but takes no risks with erratic experimentation and nauseating drum sampling. Instead the band forge a leaner sound with a rounded, brighter production. They give its guitars a weighty metal punch that unfortunately doesn't manifest the same magic from Danzig, II, III or IV, however we do hear strong echos of that time on songs like Into The Mouth Of Abandonment but the record is a mixed bag.

The biggest sell of this record is front man Glenn Danzig himself who returns firmly to his bluesy style, rising to the center of attention, the double tracking of his vocals has some real oomph that's a nice touch and his emotional burdens find their theater again. With a firm sound and the return of the singer it is the obvious influences that initially took my attention away. In the wake of the Nu Metal scene one may initially hear the syncopated stop start grooves that play thick distortion guitars against their absence and focus on the altered approach to groove however its not really not in that vein. They do sound strikingly akin to other bands on some songs though, the Unspeakable main riff sounds lifted from a classic Helmet record and Apokalips sounds uncannily alike to Swans. For the most part they sound like Danzig experimenting with the Industrial Metal style other bands had mastered at this point.

Once over these humps I could hear somewhat of a slow start to this record, its first tracks roll out and the tone is cramp, the guitar work stiff but as it grows the slow crushing guitars of Doom Metal start to revere its demonic head. Further down the road the welcome sound of pinch harmonics starts to bounce of the guitar riffs in true Danzig style. Cult Without A Name is the first instance but its not until Cold Eternal and the last five songs that the record really blossoms, the closer being a real gem. Its a strange journey that ends well, the music is enjoyable but the infection is only to be found in a handful of songs at the end. I think the band find themselves again here but have a hard time getting the best from Glenn and themselves when they are stepping away from the fundamentals of their roots and sound together. A fair record.

Favorite Tracks: Into The Mouth Of Abandonment, Apokalips, Thirteen

Rating: 6/10

Notorious B.I.G "Born Again" (1999)

Released two years after his death, Born Again is the first truly posthumous album from the late rapper Notorious B.I.G, a record produced without his input. Its a trend set off by his west coast rival Tupac who was also assassinated in wake of the unfortunate 90s coast beef. The record came to be thanks to Puffy Daddy and his Bad Boy Records, who pulled together a collection of Biggies early demo tape raps and freestyles, pairing him up with other big names in the rap scene. Its also home to the classic self titled song, the first of his I heard, I still remember downloading it from Napster as a kid!

A whole host of names drop onto the record, bringing their A game with tight verses and paying their respects to the great resurrected rhymes of Biggie who has a lot of great material in the vaults. The production is of its time, tightly programmed beats that mostly have bold, punchy, upfront instruments with an occasional touch of aggression. Variety leaves some space for a couple of summery tracks and funky upbeat vibes too but its mostly playing into the street life vibes with an edge of Mafioso Rap, playing close to what can be heard from two years earlier.

The record doesn't try to be more than it is with any overbearing themes or concepts. Each song is its own bubble and on quite a few tracks you can hear some disconnect between the tone and delivery of Biggies rhymes and the backing music but even then it still sounds good. It was really enjoyable to hear more of the late and great rapper. His guest brought excitement too, Eminem turns up with a ghastly verse on the harsh Dead Wrong. Juvenile and B.G. of the Cash Money crew represent the south, Busta Rhymes, Craig Mack, Nas, Mobb Deep, Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan and even Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg of the west coast join in paying tribute. Its a fitting farewell but far from a classic, just a solid collection of songs that any fan can pick some favorites from. The following Duets I have not heard anything good of though.

Favorite Tracks: Notorious B.I.G, Dead Wrong, Tonight, I Really Want To Show You

Rating: 6/10

Eminem "The Slim Shady LP" (1999)

My affinity for this record has never faded, back when I was a troubled teenager, as most teens typically are, this albums excessive out pour of frustration, anger and hopelessness was comforting as an emotional outlet. It was Eminem's major label debut and it broke through with a ton of controversy over its lyrical content loaded with vile language, violence and rape. Em's Slim Shady character took the musical world by the scruff of its neck as a breakout mainstream artist with alarming content. Although his Marshal Mathers persona would go on to take this even further, I have always adored this moment in his career for being closest to his troubled upbringing and failure as a rapper, which lead to a very unique form of inspiration.

This record is Em at his breaking point. Haunted by his past and unable to forge a future in his adored Hip Hop world, the Slim Shady character is a persona unable to take anything seriously, a self parody born of despair and frustration in his dreams to make it as a rapper. In the 90s no lables would take him seriously but thanks to the EP released two years prior, he caught the ear of Dr.Dre which landed him on Interscope Records. And so this record marks a moment we will never hear again, a young, desperately ambitious and energetic Em, foaming at the mouth with his opertunity to flip the middle finger back at the world that rejected him.

 Obviously all the passion in the world would fall short without a sharp set of skills to express it and Em arrives unexpected as one of the keenest rhymers with an unrivaled technical prowess. With topics of self hatred, bullying and mental illness he turns Rap on its head, rhyming from the perspective of the victim as opposed to the all to common self affirming braggadocio the genre is drowning in. It was massively refreshing at the time yet smothered in controversy as Em expressed in through vivid violent lyricism striking out at almost everyone around, including himself of course.

That ability to turn it in on himself gives the record a subtle undercurrent of comedy rooted in self loathing that crops up all over the verses in brilliantly executed lines, one of my favorites "My mind wont work if my spine don't jerk". His talent is raw and powerful, illuminated by his use of conversational characters in songs like "Brain Damage" where his genius story telling walks us through the troubled tales of his bullied youth, intersecting the rhymes with sound affects and the voices of the people in his rhymes. It brings the words to life, the jump out of the song and paint a picture. His back and forth with Dr.Dre on "Guilty Conscience" another illuminated example of his brilliance and Em plays a devils voice whispering into the ears of characters in testing situations. "Just Don't Give A Fuck" gets a merit for its slew of disgusting rhymes taking aim at just about everyone. It includes the records best hook "So when you see me on block with two glocks, screaming fuck the world like 2Pac". Its loaded with smart rhyme schemes and tantalizing word play, including Em dissing the white rappers that came before him, he gets the names in so quick it can pass you by. Pete Nice, MC Serch, Milkbone, Everlast and Vanilla Ice get dropped in a couple of lines that flow swiftly from the talented delivery and unrivaled flow of Em.

Knowing every word of this record I could waffle on for hours about the topical schemes that come with every song on this record but to mention my favorites, "Role Model" has Em saying just about everything he shouldn't say as a potential role model for young people, of course its drenched in a critical, cynical sarcasm. "97' Bonnie & Clyde" tells a tale of Em taking his daughter in the car to dump his murdered wife in the lake. Its truly haunting, the sorrowful, gloomy instrumental paints an uncomfortable setting for Em talking to his infant daughter as they throw her body in the water for to nap in her "bed at the bottom of the lake". He is obviously venting his relationship troubles with Kim but the fantasy of him and his daughter disposing the body is alarming. Beyond the rhymes Em has the Bass Brothers at his side again, providing crisp and bold instrumentals with tight drum grooves that still sound ship sturdy to this day. The capture the mood and tone of Em perfectly with melodies that reflect the gloomy anger in his lyrics.

This record has undoubtedly been eclipsed by his follow up and Ive heard it talked about as a raw and unpolished precursor but Id have to disagree. I think this raw, of the moment Slim Shady is what makes this record everything it is, the frustrations and anger manifest into an endless string of genius rhymes draped in controversy and approaching a twenty year anniversary its rhymes still sound sharp, witty and potent. It has a few songs that fall behind the mark and sound a little aged but those are fantastic tracks among classics, which are mostly carried by Em alone who only has two guest rappers across the whole record. One of my all time favorites from the era where we form the strongest bonds with music.

Favorite Tracks: 97' Bonnie & Clyde, Role Model, My Fault, Ken Kaniff, Rock Bottom, Just Don't Give A Fuck, Still Don't Give A Fuck.

Rating: 10/10

Puff Daddy "Forever" (1999)

I couldn't help myself, despite its poor reputation and some bad reviews I had to check out Forever. My love of No Way Out had me searching for more of the same on Puff's "solo" release, dropping the "Puff Daddy & The Family" moniker. It is perhaps telling of an album that focuses more on Puff as a rapper than producer yet it suffers from both mediocre production and a lack of spice the Bad Boi family brought on the last record. Despite almost every track having a feature, including the likes of Nas, Redman, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Bizzy Bone and a posthumous Biggie, the album fails to ignite a spark as it lulls through the motions.

Forever opens with a track to set the stakes high, the pressures of Puff's situation encapsulated with news sound bites, sirens, lightning strikes, gun shots and tribal singing slowly elevating with heavenly choral chants, spinning chopper blades and soaring bagpipes. Its an ambitious tone which slips away into the slick and pristine production of tight kicks and dazzling electronics sparkling around the piano melody on What You Want. You can hear the problem when Puff steps on the mic, his flow soft, timid and to calm to be the lead voice. He gets his point across with decent lyrics but the delivery lacks immediacy and energy to elevate the beat, his casual conversational style would prove to fall behind the production on almost every track.

 Do You Like It encapsulates a lot of this record, super slick late nineties production comes to life with tight snappy drums resonating off futuristic synths rattling electronic zap noises around the key vocal sample as the baseline strikes sparingly. Its one of the better tracks as Jay-Z brings it to life with a stronger, superior presence as a voice with power. Unfortunately this vision fades as quite a few weak cuts dilute the run time as the albums better instrumentals are drowned out. I must mention Pain, a brilliant sampling of the opening chords to Les McCann's Benjamin, however it was done better a few years back by Mobb Deep.

Puff's self obsessed, status oriented ego dominates the albums tone, every other song is affirming his wealth, success and it seems he is paranoid of anyone who doubts his riches. It gets tiring quickly and manifests into a handful of weak interludes that border being laughable. This obsession with status and perception reaches a bizarre point with the return of the Mad Rapper, Puff appearing in his dreams to rob him. Its a strange moment right before the closing track which no doubt is the records best cut. Puff declares himself as public enemy number one for a song almost redeeming of the record. A banging beat and enthusiasm in his rhymes goes a long way to create a bright end to a dull record.

Favorite Songs: Pain, Reverse, P.E. 2000
Rating: 3/10

Timothy Steven Clarke "Starsiege OST" (1999)

In a similar vein to Frank Klepacki's Command & Conquer soundtracks, Starsige is another video game soundtrack of weird and wonderful Industrial music colliding with Techno, Breakbeat, Cyber Punk, Metal and all with shades of Ambience steering the musical intensity. This is the sort of music you could grow to love after hearing it over and over in the background of your favorite childhood games. The difference is I never played Starsiege, It was recommended to me based on my adoration of the C&C soundtracks. I'd always yearned to hear more music in the Industrial Metal styling of Frank Klepacki and this is the closest Ive come yet. Unlike the back road to bands like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, here is a record that comes after the likes of Tiberian Dawn & Red Alert that pulls influences from Frank's particular flair and contribution to the genre.

All I know of Timothy is his work on this soundtrack and its squeal. His distinction is in the detailed layering of sounds that stack up in these compositions, throwing all sorts of guitars, synthesizers, drum sequences and samples into overwhelming blocks of deep, textural sound that charge at you with big theatrical directions. That's just some of the tracks though, others dispel the lively energy, creeping into mysterious territory with eerie, unearthly synths brooding dense atmospheres over janky disjointed beats. Thick and blunt with its delivery, many of the synths and oddities are paraded upfront with no measure for subtlety. The resulting songs can often be very alike to some of Frank's own but Timothy gets the chemistry right, emulating a rather wild and fringe sound that will turn off many. The vocal presence, where it turns up, is surprisingly dark, offering alien warped voices and distorted shouts in the vein of Aggro-Tech.

The soundtrack is split onto two discs, the first is rather disapointing, with just six tracks it feels like the projects b-sides, with exception to "SS2" and its thudding, pounding break of the Amen Loop, bordering on Hardstyle. The album gets going on the second disc with the anthemic, blood pumping "You Got". From there on the pace and variety is just fine, constantly mixing up the approach, fluctuating the intensity and maintaining the same mysterious, alien, cybernetic atmosphere. Its a journey, a trip and has totally scratched the itch, one to go on the playlist with some of my other favorite video game soundtracks. Great discovery!

Favorite Tracks: You Got, Newtech, SS4, Purge, Watching, SS1,

Rating: 6/10

Crazy Town "Gift Of Game" (1999)

Listening to "That's Not Metal" Nu Metal podcast special had me curious about how bad a record could be. Back in the boom period of the genre, Crazy Town's "Butterfly" was a song you couldn't get away from and I have fond, humorous memories of my friends mocking the song and band. I didn't mind the song much myself but it occurred to me I have never heard anything beyond it. That single alone carried the record to platinum sales and given the podcast duos angry musings on how awful it was I decided I could endure a little punishment. Given my fondness of the era and tolerance for Rap Metal I got a kick from of the record that Id never expect of anyone else. Even if some aspects were enjoyable in the first half of the record, the lyrical obnoxiousness and cheapness dragged it to the gutter and once you've past the single track its clear the bands ideas becoming exhausting.

Before we get to the tripe it should be said that the guitar sound, despite being generic for the time, does have some punch and bounce about it. The occasional riff is able to muster some interest and the drummer holds a reasonable beat. I quite liked some of the experimentation with various influences, synthesized vocal lines, Funk and Disco grooves, effect washed acoustics. Unfortunately these reasonable aspects are dragged down by the frankly appalling front men Binzer and Mazur.

The duo's raps are a constant bombardment of cheap, sleazy, thuggish braggadocios. They sound like sex creepers as many misogynistic lyrics show they have very little regard for anyone but themselves. There attitude says lyrical gangsters, yet all the street talk comes of sour, a lot of hot air spat between blunt tongue cursing. Its trashy, the two have passable flows but their tones are nasal, sharp and repelling, word play is cheap and stuck in the past with obvious, simplistic rhymes often arrive to at a great stretch of the path.

The last few songs start to take on a Beastie Boys persona, throwing it back a decade with a sampling of the classic PSK, deploying a faster old school flow. Unfortunately the legendary KRS-One becomes a casualty, lured into the studio to get involved in the Metal Hip Hop crossover. Seems he drew the shortest straw, his presence is by far the best thing the record has to offer. Crazy Town represent the worst of Nu Metals corporate days. If there is a passable record here, its drowned by the nauseating presences of the two "rappers" and their self centered antics.

Rating: 2/10

DMX "...And Then There Was X" (1999)

Making our way through the troubled rappers discography we arrive at his third and most commercially successful record. It shipped over ten million copies world wide no thanks to the massive hit "Party Up" and it being released in the prime of the industry's sales. Its not his best work but certainly has a more consistent tone about it. The instrumentals feeling very fitting one song to the next and X seems as ruthless and unforgiving as hes been so far. Its not to much effect however, beyond the savage nature of the stories told, his vocabulary doesn't expand much beyond a constant reliance on curse words which gets a bit tiresome where lyrical creativity is needed.

The albums theme has X diving deeper into stories of street life, painting an unapologetic image of him delving into crime, drugs and questionable behavior as he raps very directly about his experiences. They are often aimed at an individual, X threatening his actions through the music with violent imagery and insulting slurs. I'm probably focusing on the negative aspects as Ive heard him so frequently recently, his flow is still fantastic, wild, up beat and hyped with plenty of barking but it still feels like the lyrical content isn't anywhere near as exciting. On "What's My Name" he gets the hook just right to make one my favorite DMX songs thanks to a fantastic instrumental, however the records best raps come from The Lox on "D-X-L".

The production is tight, consistent and a little denser than before. Another set of programmed instrumentals and drum kits take a step forward with a shade more complexity and depth in the various arrangements. The drum loops are loaded with more cymbals and hi-hats, alongside them strings, pianos and various synths set the setting for X's dark criminal raps. Its got the atmosphere down but far from being special. Just a solid collection of beats from start to end with a hint of mafioso.

My one big turn off is "Prayer III", X's spoken word piece, a conversation with god that's featured on each record. This time it feels a little contrived and illogical for him to acknowledge his influence on his potentially impressionism audience, accepting his success and fame as a gift in the wake of his troubled behavior and antics. I'm not keen on this way of thinking, its enabling but I'm not here to cast judgement, just making observations from my perspective. Good record but only has a couple of sparks.

Favorite Tracks: The Professional, Part Up, What's My Name, D-X-L

Rating: 5/10

Basement Jaxx "Remedy" (1999)

A recent revisit to this record takes me back to my youth. At the turn of the millennium London based House duo Basement Jaxx's debut burst onto the scene with heavy airplay rotation and music video promotion on MTV that ultimately landed this record in my lap. The nostalgia was strong but I found the retrospect hadn't changed my opinion much in the ten or more so years since I last gave it a spin. The singles are banging, classic Dance tunes that speak volumes but beyond them a rather varied inclusion of styles through sampling that doesn't always hit the same intensity.

 Behind almost every song a steady is baseline thudding away in unison with programmed drums shuffling through tight varied arrangements to lay down the Dance foundations to move and groove to. Sometimes a little drab and narrow they get rather bombastic on the livelier, upbeat numbers and around them the samples and instruments create a different atmosphere for each song, with flashes of Pop, Ragga, Big Beat, Downtempo, Dub, Synthpop, Techno, Hip Hop and Ambient in the last two tracks. The duo give the House sound an expansive flavor from track to track which can be a little hit and miss.

It really comes down to taste but for the most part I like a lot of tracks on this record. For me "Always Be There" stands out as a song more released with its slow build up creating a slow settling mood for its vocal feature to climax with rich, sunny strings and echoing reverbs shuffling back and forth. The opener "Rendez-Vu" is a timeless classic sampling Spanish guitars, delivering a hook with infectious strings and topping it with the opening vocal lead "dum dum dum" and "doo wop" siting no need for coherent sentences to sing along with a tune. Each song has its own chemistries and arrangements, most of them suffer from a little repetition once the song has shown all its tricks and I'm left feeling pretty much the same way as before. It has fantastic moments but is rather inconsistent in flow. The final tracks drift off as the wheels slow down and fizzle out.

Favorite Tracks: Rendez-Vu, Jump N' Shout, Always Be There

Rating: 7/10

Emperor "IX Equilibrium" (1999)

Third times a charm or so they say but for Emperor the bar had been set unseasonably high by their iconic debut "Into The Nightside Eclipse" and 97s "Anthems..." which transformed the bands sound with remarkable vigor. "IX Equilibrium" stands in the shadow of its former with little evolution and a tamer set of songs in the second half that don't amount to the same level of musical astonishment. Its a step up in production, tighter, crisper but still a menacing wall of sound that pummels away with moments of equal intensity and lightning blast beat tempos faster than ever. The album crashes open with the thunderous and mighty "Curse You All Men", ripe with melodies of empiric glory entangled in agile, enduring guitar shredding while Nordic group shouts call in the distance and the horns of warfare are sounded.

With "Decrystallizing Reason" the symphonies of war and wonder gleam brightly before the song erupts into mayhem with cascading blast beats somehow finding room to intensify the already blistering wall of sound. The song moves through its motions and the returning war horns signify a climax I feel the song was searching for but didn't quite find. "An Elegy Of Icaros" follows, a song which may be one of their finest. I developed a great appreciation for this song learning to play it on guitar and reading all the instruments. Its a fine example of Ihsahn's intricate musicianship, with every instrument playing a different line of notation to form a woven piece of music that shifts through original and interesting riffs to culminate in a beautiful song laden with splices of melody and aggression, climaxing in a splash of color and wonder in the songs break out moment. With a lack of relenting blast beats and calmer tempo I wonder if this is the direction this album should of looked for as it offers far more in the reflection of "Anthems..."

"The Source Of Icon E" returns us to dizzying drums and spiraling aggression that stands apart with a flair of startling high pitched vocals similar to King Diamond. I believe that perhaps the bands cover of "Gypsy" by Merciful Fate comes from the same studio session given this vocal performance appearing on both. The bands other cover of Bathory's "A Fine Day To Die" also has echos on "Warriors Of Modern Death" with its guitar solo being identical in tone and notably similar in composition and delivery. All had been fairly strong to this point but with "Sworn" and the following tracks the record seems to shift gears and the musical complexity is traded in for simpler power chord shedding controlling the progression of these songs. 

"IX" comes close in moments and falls far in others. Some of its arrangements and intricate compositions don't quite hit on the same emotional level. Sometimes its progressions feel more transitional than natural and overall its shortcomings lie in repeating itself. Where it retreads the waters it isn't as remarkable however it is still a dose of extreme music from one of the genres finest bands. It makes for a cracking listen and is a great record in the shadow of greater ones.

Favorite Tracks: Curse You All Men, An Elegy Of Icaros

Rating: 8/10

Incubus "Make Yourself" (1999)

Browsing through my collection a record caught my eye, one Ive maybe barely thought of in the last decade. In the midst of Nu-Metals rise Incubus dropped this fine record that brought the healthier traits of its sound to an inviting Alternative Metal style rich in a colorful tone with a plentiful helping of melodies and sing along vocals. It was American rocker's Incubus third full length and one I don't think I gave it enough praise at the time of its release. Its quite remarkable to spin this one again and find the words fresh in my mind, I found myself singing along with Boyd's infectious approach.

With tinges of Pop Rock and Punk Rock they almost come across like an atypical band of the time, however the constant waves of bright and colorful melodic accents give their music an inviting depth. Between the bouncy, heavy guitars that lead the way they drop in to fill the music with a gentle vibrance the distortion guitars don't offer. There's plenty of decent, mosh friendly, Nu Metal riffage, even some vinyl scratching thrown in over the break down moments but its counterpart is what makes the all difference in raising the bar. From a perspective of how this record has aged, its the dropped tuning guitar distortion and DJ scratching that feels tired, but the rest is brimming bright.

Aesthetics aside, where the record really finds itself is in its spirit, message and purpose. In retrospect there's a lot of deep and thoughtful substance to introspect. As the title says, "Make Yourself" and a lot of whats discussed through the lyrics are fantastic for a young person to engage with. Positive, considerate and critical, Boyd's lyrics avoid the teenage angst you might except in favor of strong, rational messages of introspection and using ones mind to think about whats going on. At a couple of moments he needless cuts the mood with some unnecessary swearing which I'm not opposed to but in this case it took the edge of the spirit in favor aggression. Listening back to these lyrics I wonder how much they impacted me as a lot of it feels quite relevant to me now.

Favorite Songs: Privilege, Nowhere Fast, Drive, Battlestar Scralatchtice, Pardon Me

Rating: 8/10

Silkk The Shocker "Made Man" (1999)

Diving further into the dirty south I picked out this record from No Limit rapper "Silkk The Shocker" that marked his commercial peak with a platinum record that debuted first on the American billboard charts. There's an agitated and aggressive side to Silk's flow and flicking through this record I found it unappealing but decided to give this one a go anyway. Its often the case that familiarity makes music easier to understand and by the end of my first listen I was really starting to dig Silkk's style that sways between a smoother traditional delivery and the agitated, violent rap style similar to the energetic hyped flow of Mystikal who appears on this record too with a whole array of guests from the No Limit family, including RnB singer Mya who illuminates the single track "Somebody Like Me".

Like many records of this era "Made Man" stretches the CD length with 74 minutes of beats and raps that hold it together without dragging on. There's a fair amount of variety in theme and mood that shifts around from track to track. From gangster, to RnB with some heart felt tracks in between the mood can switch quickly yet somehow it flows. For example the rowdy rhyme stomping track "No Limit" where Silkk, Fiend & Mystikal spell out words is followed by the remorse for the dead song "End Of The Road". This chop and change approach helps keep the record exciting and beside the more traditional Rap tracks there's a handful of more creative and experimental tracks that where a breath of fresh air for the sound of this era. The album's name and opening track lay's down a theme and concept for the record which drops off immediately. Romanticizing with gangster culture of the Italian-American mafia, Silkk creates a scene of him becoming a "made man" like in the Godfather movies. There's not much mention of this theme after that, one of two tracks bring it up but essentially that's as far as it goes.

Silkk and the group bring a decent set of raps but nothing exceptional, Master P seemed excessively hyped with many of his enthusiastic ugh shouts in the background, couldn't help but put a smile on my face. It was nice to hear Jay-Z pop up on "You know What We Bout" but his style sounded out of place. The records production is solid and testament to holding this one together for 74 minutes. Its a typical late 90s collection of clean MIDI instruments with less sampling and plenty of creativity. One or two tracks stand out, but in general its a solid but not spectacular record that was worth giving a fair few listens.

Favorite Songs: Somebody Like Me, I Ain't My Fault, No Limit, Southside Niggas, Get It Up

Rating: 6/10