Ho99o9 "Skin" (2022)

 

In my camp of awe inspiring, adrenaline pumping music, a spot is reserved for the gritty punk duo known as Ho99o9. Their crossover of Horrorcore, Hardcore Punk and rebellious persona has been enthralling in recent years. Skin, their sophomore album wedged between many mini albums and EPs, has sadly failed to reinvigorate the wild energy they usually conjure effortlessly. Opening with a brief offering of Thrash guitars, manic percussion and unhinged screams, a couple of tracks get the blood flowing with the best the record has to offer coming from Corey Taylor of Slipknot.

His timeless scream is a great fit as the one working chemistry from a few collaborations. Jasiah inducts the group into the adjacent Trap Metal scene with tropes and tones perhaps heard best by City Morgue. Those harsh hitting, volume peaking bass drum aesthetics crop up on other songs to little avail. That sentiment extends to much of what Ho99o9 aim for on Skin. Not looking to circle back on previous successes, the many chemistries they forge just fail to vibe with me sadly.

With a lack of songs sparking the right words to describe the experience, I simply fall back to a sense that the pair looked for unsettled atmospheres, moments of mania and a dystoian grittiness less dependent on Metal and Hardcore guitars. These tracks also feel like a jumble of ideas, rarely resting in one place for long and jumping into a variety of odd temperaments along the way. Whatever the vision was, it failed me in feeling cohesive. I'm left quite disappointed but hopeful they'll get back on track.

Rating: 4/10

Ho99o9 "Blur" (2020)

 

  As one of the more exciting acts to follow, the regularity of new material is always welcome. Hot off the heals of Cyber Warfare, the duo offer up another keenly themed mini album to digest. Blur is intermittent with snippets and samples of what sounds like eighties and nineties media hysteria over the emergence of loud and aggressive music in the form of Hardcore and Heavy Metal. The fear and rhetoric feels relevant to their twisted hybrid of dark Hip Hop and Hardcore Punk, ironically the music these talking heads were commenting on is meager and tame in comparison.

These thirty four minutes split along ten tracks feel like a call back to Mutant Freakx and their earlier releases. The bulk of music focuses on slower tempos, twisted and sinister atmospheres built from unhinged beats. Vocally the raps and hooks revel in ambiguity and discernible performances, occasionally lashing out with mean tonged aggressive verse of the Trap Metal variety. Each track is like being dipped into a different dimension of eerie unease as its slowly burns away.

Drifting from that norm, Flesh And Blood has a burst of tempo and Punk energy for the albums shortest affair. With only three tracks led by distortion guitar, Dog Shit takes the cake for being a ferocious riot, unleashing ravenous energy through its dirty riffing. Its brief, housed by samples and the dingy atmosphere the album revels in. Hardcore makes a distinct break from all this with a style and format that ultimately seems like a piss take aimed at Tyler The Creator, ripping off the attributes of his fantastic music.

Compared to the last two stints, it hasn't pushed my buttons as Id like given I am more drawn to their metallic side. It has however been a enjoyable listen with a host of tracks to stuck into but my ultimate take away is the darkly atmospheres don't deliver quite the engagement after multiple spins, it becomes a slow burn as the mystique wares off having deciphered the somewhat cryptic musics facade.

Rating: 6/10

Ho99o9 "Cyber Warfare" (2019)

Less than a year on from one of last years favorites Cyber Cop, the vicious Punk Rock fusing and Hip Hop grooving duo Ho99o9 return with another vivid, conceptual EP that experiments with eerie cyber space hacker aesthetic. Opening up with Master Of Pain, gothic organs conjure an unsettling hallowed horror soundtrack atmosphere for slow tempo percussion to brood and then pivot into a riotous romp of synthetic guitar riffs fit for the pit. The back and forth is fantastic but this new gothic element sets a desire for more that is left alone on this one song. With Plexiglass a smothering, repetitive, obnoxious baseline fills the void akin to something you might hear on a TV commercial. A ridiculous mania of hurling frantic screams quickly stops this in its tracks as it turns up the intensity alongside scratchy discernible noise. At this point it may be hard to stomach for many a music listener.

Shadowrun slams into the Punk energy with fast and energetic guitar riffs, burred screams and pummeling drums. Its ecstatic and highly intriguing as the distortion and production techniques mask much of the instruments in layers of unusual aesthetic. From their the good songwriting emerges as the song leads into a fantastic closing groove played twice over. The end of the song introduces a layer of technological theming as a pitch dropped voice talks of internet connections. There is a few other bits like this but they fail to be interesting in my opinion. The next few tracks brings out the mean and gritty raps, delving into gloomy, dangerous street vibes akin to similar songs heard on their Horrors Of 1999 sophomore EP.

F.O.G. wraps up the record with some serious metallic stomping and tight drum patterns not far from something heard on a Extreme Metal record with its tight double pedal working. The song gets progressively heavier and distorted synths lead up to a ridiculous climax that maybe falls a little short of its intention. Overall this record is another fantastic chapter in what I hope will produce more of this paranoid cyber theming. Its not reached quite the peaks of Cyber Cop but it has produced some remarkable songs once again. This band are very much in a stride and I find myself dead excited for whatever it is they will do next.

Rating: 7/10
Favorite Tracks: Master Of Pain, Plexiglass, Shadowrun

Ho99o9 "Horrors Of 1999" (2015)

Rounding up the records Ive missed we have another short EP from American experimental duo Ho99o9. Once again their fusion of Hip Hop, Punk Rock and Horrorcore seems far more enjoyable than the reputable Dead Bodies In The Lake where I started this journey. With one skit and five short songs the duo get into dark, grisly menacing vibes and flex degrees of raps and Punk screaming vocals with all sorts of distorted, pitch shifted and reverberated inflections. The pair firmly sit at the heart of the darkly atmospheres their puzzling instrumentals conjure. Industrial pallets of gritty sampling paired with abstract, slow and stretched out percussive grooves set the tone for the act to get maniacal on the majority half of the music.

Its vivid and concise but the most fun to be had is in the two Punk tracks. No Regrets and Savage Heads bring on a drummer to muster up some lively beats for a roaring buzzed out bass guitar to power the track forward as an array of unusual synth sounds chime in, often with little melody and a helping of oddity. This is where the two liven up, shouting out catchy lyricism with ferocity. Overall it makes for a fun and haunting listen with a splash of cheesy horror vibes in the middle. Again the potential to grow as artists is far more obvious at this point in time for Ho99o9.

Rating: 5/10

Ho99o9 "Mutant Freax" (2014)

Mutant Freak is Punk Rock and Hip Hop duo Ho99o9's debut EP release. I was initially not so interested, I got the impression from the differences between Dead Bodies In The Lake and United States Of Horror that the pair where an upwards path. Occasional tracks bang with hard hitting grooves and heretic energy but a lot of their material revolves around unhinged "atmosphere" and aesthetics that culminate to a strange breed of rebellion born from their unique fusion of influences.

With Cyber Cop the two produced a very cohesive set of songs which mostly rocked from front to back. Its not what I expected but the three tracks of Mutant Freak do this too, without any apparent bangers or big beats. On this eight minute listen their dark aesthetics and sporadic mic presence finds a dynamism I didn't hear before. Their selection of gritty, night time synth samples play against loose drums as they drop darkly verses between odd vocal inflections with an interesting spark.

Split in the middle is Hated In America, a heated Punk Rock track with fast tempo drums, thrashing power chord guitars and a infectious amount of reverberation to echo and add some maniac energy to their screams. Its short but sweet and far better than I had expected. In this case the two forge engaging music that doesn't rely on head rocking tropes. Something I didn't think they did to well before.

Rating: 4/10

My Top 10 Albums Of 2018

The year rolls round and another selection of great records are added to the collection. Overall this year hasn't been quite as exciting as previous ones when it comes to top record lists. There were not as many apparent contenders, so it was an easier pick but the quality always emerges and this year has been marked by the trend of brief records. Short and sweet is a lasting formula when done right, six of the records in the list are under thirty minutes and have been the most returned to! I'm personally hoping this trend for curation continues, more of less and less of more!

(10) Zeal And Ardor "Stranger Fruit" link

A highly anticipated released that time will tell us of its greatness. Their new take on Black Metal is fresh and exciting and this new album builds on their notorious entrance onto the scene, becoming a bands band in the space of a few years. Its a mighty piece of music but one that still suggests their are places to groom and grow while in other cracks and avenues it firmly reaches musical peaks.

(9) Kanye West "Ye" link

Kanye leaves his mark on this year with three records in my top list. All of them needed time to grow on me. I liked them all to begin with but Ye took the longest. Its precisely what I prefer from artists of his stature, introspection and of the moment lyrics. It just took me a while to digest them fully but with that time I grew a lot of fondness for the vulnerability and honesty he showed in his words.

 

(8) Ho99o9 "Cyber Cop" link

 

Cyber Cop has the advantage of being in recent memory but since inception it has forged an unstoppable riot of frenetic energy within my mind. This is my workout music! It never fails to get me pumped up and enthusiastic. Unfortunately with any adrenaline fueling music that spell needs more absence to recharge but of the weeks I've binged on its chaotic Punk attitude I am yet to feel any tiredness to its charm.

(7) Pusha T "Daytona" link

At first I found Pusha T's plain tone and clear pronunciation a little dull but with every listen, and those beyond my initial post, I found myself myself being pulled in closer to his craft and growing a true appreciation for the record. His verses are concise and condensed, a series of firm statements and narratives that took me time to chew thru. It also helps to have a banger, What Would Meek Do, to pull you back in again from time to time! I need to check out more of this guy.

(6) Irreversible Mechanism "Immersion" link

 

I think I should schedule regular returns to this record. Its so dense and loaded with complexity, a beast to digest and talk about in my post. Whenever I return to it I am still overwhelmed with that dazzling feel of being mesmerized in its presence. Its truly a marvel of extremity and aesthetic, a reminder that there is always room to push further in the world of Extreme music. It will take many more spins to really wrap my head around. So much of it still takes me by surprise.

(5) C418 "Excursions" link

Its probably both a blessing and a curse to have your musical career kick started by a cultural phenomenon in the form of a video game. Anyone with a keen ear for music will know their is magic in the Minecraft soundtrack that goes beyond the game but that extends to C418's stand alone records too. This beastly one hundred minutes of new music felt like an exceptional stride forward from the strengths already established in his sound that may go unfortunately overlooked by the broader musical community. Its his best to date, a truly indulgent set of songs.

(4) Plini "Sunhead" link

This short twenty minute release is a fine example of curation at its best. With this cut Plini has delivered a gorgeous aesthetic treat of gleaming melodies spliced with chunks of groove and spicy instrumentation on all fronts that makes every second a delight to indulge in. Admittedly it slipped my mind however giving it another spin I hear that wonder and bliss is still firmly intact and charming.

(3) Ghost "Prequle" link

Ghost are one of my favorite modern Metal bands. With this release they flex their musicality into interesting avenues diverging from their roots and they do so with that brilliant ear for song writing at the core. They set them selves up for a great future with this album while simultaneously loading it with unforgettable songs to grace many future set lists. A lot of infectious choruses and grooves laden throughout.

(2) Turnstile "Space & Time" link

Turnstile have captivated me so much this year with their breed of Hardcore that seems to step out of the limitation of the genre while simultaneously maximizing its best attributes. Every time I put this record I find myself pumping fists, singing along infectiously and giving myself a potential case of whiplash! I cannot expressive enough how wonderful these short and animated songs are. Everything this band do just seems to be bordering perfection. Most the songs of this record is gem after gem.

(1) Kids See Ghosts "Kids See Ghosts" link

Guess what baby... I AM FREEEEE!!!!! Hahaha, It was a tough choice but Kanye and Kid Cudi take the top spot. Kids See Ghosts is a stunning collaboration where the two artists get the best from one another. Its sometimes psychedelic and exotic vibes are a refresher and much of what it offers feels like a river gushing creativity. Every track has its flavor and the seven play stunningly together. Its been one Ive gone back to over and over. It still sounds utterly fantastic and thus takes the top spot!

Ho99o9 "Cyber Cop" (2018)

Horror, stylized Ho99o9, are one of the most exciting acts Ive heard in recent years, their fusion of hardcore Hip Hop, Industrial and Punk with an anarchistic flavor is exhilarating! This new soundcloud EP flew right under my radar, which is a shame because its probably their best work yet! They struck me as having potential but in this moment its really manifesting. Their recent collaboration with The Prodigy seems to of rubbed off well on the duo as the production style here has more composure and occasional Big Beat vibes. The opening track even has a tune you could lift into a Prodigy song. Its also another short and sweet seven songs amassing eighteen minutes. A curated approach to music that is serving many artists well in my books.

A clear theme and identity for the record is established through its fascinating online release including digital artwork. Cyber Cop revolves around digital paranoia in this connected ages and stylizes its songs as unauthorized viruses. It lets the electronic aspect of their sound flourish with flavorful synths and digital noise playing into the computing heart of the theme. Just about every song has talking points. The second track has a hard siren and glittery beat you might link to Death Grips, however its the vocals that almost sound like MC Ride himself chanting Internet Thuggin' in a low voice. Its a maddening orgy of noise which much of the record indulges in. Mega City Nine samples Slipknot's Only One and Tattered & Torn, fusing their darkly demented melodies with vicious street raps. Its a treat for a metalhead who loves crossover however its the Punk and Industrial influences that dominate the narrative here.

Punk Police brings the unapologetic attitude to the forefront as the two yell into peaked mics shooting back at their critics. Its a short track with dirty synths and gritty drums, total Punk aesthetic! Delete My Browser History slows down the tempo and brings in some gorgeous 90s Industrial synth baselines also heard on the opening track. Its focus on atmosphere heightens when twirling, snappy synths jive in, leading to an explosion of distortion guitars that culminates exquisitely. It ends with Leader Of Pain, an absolute banger to play at high volume! The singing is phenomenal. They fully embrace a over the top echo reverberation and deliver unhinged maniacal chanting over slamming guitar riffs. It only plays its sweet spot twice and the second time it suddenly cuts off short, always leaving me yearning for more of the madness.  

Ive only talked in specifics so far. This record conjures it own realm of anarchistic digital madness that's spurred on by an aggressive release of youthful energy and rebellion. Its immediate and fiery, an adrenaline shot to the mind as it takes on an aesthetic assault fit to diverge down different paths which it does! Not a moment repeated itself and the seven tracks forge a unique distinction within the experience. Thrashing guitars, expansive electronics and a relentless vocal presence unite with explosive chemistry. This is undoubtedly their best to date and my current addiction!

Least Favorite Track: Forest Fires

Rating: 8/10

Ho99o9 "United States Of Horror" (2017)

The New Jersey duo Horror, stylized with three nines, blew me away with a wild performance at Download Festival last year. Their anarchistic fusion of Hardcore Punk and Hip Hop has a lot to offer, unfortunately their EP Dead Bodies In The Lake didn't quite live up to the hype bar one song. With their debut full length, things are different, the ideas are in sync are ready to bombard us with rebellion and chaos. Released a few months back, this one managed to sneak past me, in a moment of excitement I foolishly ordered an import copy from America, rather than checking Amazon... A silly mistake that cost me a pretty penny and had me waiting a few weeks more to listen. Given the bands underground vibe I figured it would be hard to get hold of but as everything is commodified these days its no surprise to hear they are signed to universal records with worldwide distribution.

The music is the message, and horror's message is a weapon, aimed at our societal norms and the values that need questioning. Kicking off with a child reading a corrupted pledge of allegiance, swearing loyalty to the nines, the duo fly head first into the critical mindset to set a spotlight on the perverse and corrupt. It rattles off at a sprint, flying through short burst of songs, swaying between its fast guitar thrashing metallic Punk and the dark, disturbed Hip Hop personas with an unusual ease. The styles are held together with a strong Industrial current of pounding mechanical drums and pumping, dense electronic synths that electrify the sound and give power to the wild energy the pairs dissatisfaction inspires.

Retaining a twisted atmosphere, the album drifts into its Hip Hop persona effortlessly, the tropes easily corrupted to fit the anarchistic mold, the fast shuffling Trap hi-hats and dirty sub baselines are menacing. "Hydrolics" takes up a fantastic opportunity to lace the track with a thick layer of sarcasm that serves their purpose well. Its a real collision course of sounds that the two use to forge a unique and distinct person that comes to fruition in the diversity through the track listening. Each time they lean into Industrial noise, Hardcore thrashings or devilish Hip Hop, it comes out the mixer with a distinctly different sound yet through all this diversity the album flows a charm.

I enjoy this record more so based on my mood and apatite, where sometimes it isn't as appealing or enjoyable. Objectively, I think all the positives here really add up to something special. As much as I like the idea of the chaos this duo brew, It isn't always my preferred taste. The way they have fused styles is inspired and unique and this debut full length comes together with a plethora of ideas and some solid direction. From here the coin could spin either way, I hope the continue to push and redefine themselves as the best could be yet to come.

Favorite Songs: Ware Is Hell, Face Tatt, Knuckle Up, United States Of Horror

Rating: 8/10

Ho99o9 "Dead Bodies In The Lake" (2014)

Horror, stylized Ho99o9, are an American Hip Hop duo from Los Angeles who perform a noisy and twisted, dark breed of Hip Hop influenced by Hardcore Punk and Horrorcore. Its most likely that people will draw comparisons with Death Grips as a influence when discussing this band, however this mixtape would suggest that despite their abrasive and noisy approaches to Hip Hop they are fundamentally different in terms of inspiration and attitude. I caught them at Download Festival and the fifteen minutes of their set blew me away, so much rebellious energy and stage presence. Their most impressive song was "DeathKult Disciplines" which can be found on this record so that's where I decided to start.

"Dead Bodies In The Lake" sets the tone with an audio clip from a movie of young kids discussing guns and a dead body they found. From there it grows with dissonant bass synths and outbursts of Hardcore guitars into a Punk sprawl of smashing crash symbols and restless shouted vocals throwing words like raps while remaining firmly Hardcore. After two tracks a gurgling baseline and sinister synth line pull together with a hollow beat to form the foundations of a hellish, paranoid Rap song. Its lead melody paranoid and deranged, taking a trip into a psychotic mind.

The record flexes between these two styles, in one half its wild, energetic and full of loud rebellion fit for mosh pits and hardcore dancing. On the other it dives into horrid, dingy, back alley raps spite with psychotic personas. The duo have a charm for hooks when slamming along to the distortion guitars which are often grooving, the accommodating arsenal of rambunctious drumming and frittering electronic noises amplify their wild tone with an infectious stir. The twos flows when performing more traditional raps aren't exactly spectacular and the extent of their horror shock lyrics doesn't save the Rap side of the record from feeling dull and played out. They have a full length on the way, I hope they steer the ship towards the better half of their sound which has a unique flair and bright chemistry great for live shows.

Favorite Track: DeathKult Disciplines

Rating 5/10

Download Festival 2016 Top 10 Performances

That's it! Ive officially been going to Donington for a decade and as always music festivals are a wonderful experience, Download being one of the best with three days and four stages of heavy and hard music to get stuck into. This years was the most subdued of all Ive been to, the rain came down as heavy as the metal and really affected the freedom to rock out, head bang and mosh to your hearts content, at least if your me and are not fond of being soaking wet and cold. So cocooned in my waterproofs and ponchos I did my best to stay dry while enjoying some great performances.

(10) Ho99o9

Hailed as a Hip Hop / Punk crossover Ho99o9 are often talked about with Death Grips in mind. This duo take their raps to dark, noisy and aggressive places with sampled punk guitars and a crazy rebellious persona. I only got to catch half there set on the forth stage but it was a blinding riot of aggression, noise and attitude that blew me away.

(9) Rammstein

 Not the first time Ive seen them live and probably not the last. You can count on Rammstein to put on a good show fueled by fire, pyrotechnics and an absurd amounts of fireworks. They were fantastic however I wasn't keen on their cover of Depeche Mode's "Stripped". An energetic show loaded with their classics.

(8) Megadeth

 

Thrash legends Megadeth came out playing a solid set with a few tracks from their latest album "Dystopia" which sounded fantastic live. Loaded with classics like "Hanger 18", "Trust" and "Countdown To Extinction" there was little they could do wrong.

(7) Havok

A classic Thrash Metal band I had not heard of before spotting them on the lineup. Glad I chose to watch them, very fast and energetic thrash like a cross between Slayer and Testament with many climatic and intense moments in their songs to head bang to.

(6) Amon Amarth

An undeniably great Viking Metal band of which Ive never quite clicked with. Their latest record "Jomsviking" was a decent listen and seeing them certainly helped me appreciate them more. Fantastic stage presences with dragons heads and rune stones plus plenty of fire!

(5) Korn

I've not been in the mood for Korn in a while but when they walked on stage I was sucked in. Playing a few more songs than usual from 2003's "Take A Look In The Mirror" their set felt a bit chunkier than usual and I enjoyed every minute of there performance. So good to hear them again.

(4) Periphery

This band well and truly won me over with last years double release of "Alpha" and "Omega". Their performance was tight and flawless with a thick and dense wall of Djemt coming from the four guitarists. It was an infectious performance of groovy head banging that sounded to big for the stage. Set was a little short but that's just because I didn't want it to stop!

(3) Deftones

Probably both the best and worst performance of download but at no fault of the band. Promoting their new record "Gore" I caught them a week back at Wembly warming up for the big stage and they sounded fantastic. On the day though the rain poured and soured what would of been a memorable show, Deftones lined up their more emotional and atmospheric tracks for the sunset slot on the main stage and in the downpour it still sounded fantastic but the weather sucked the life out of the crowd.

(2) Babymetal

Babymetal also suffered the rain with bursts of heavy showers delaying their set for over half an hour. When they finally took to the stage the crowd loved it and so did I! They are even better as a live act and the bands modern compression heavy production sounded sublime on the big stage. The girls danced along with metallic choreography and smiles to fire up everyone's spirits. Definitely would of been in the pit if it wasn't for the mud and rain.

(1) Black Sabbath

The most influential and important band in Metal history would always make it a historic occasion when they play, as part of their farewell tour the band get ready to close the curtains on their history spanning six decades. It was a flawless performance with Ozzy who can barely string a sentence together having no issues hitting all the words and notes while inspiring the crowd with momentary bursts of energy before shuffling back to center stage. Toni Iommi and Gezzer Buttler sounded sublime with the best guitar tones to grace the stage. The stand in drummer got a fair spotlight with a tame and lengthy set of drum solos leading into Iron Man and hearing "Into The Void" really made my evening. It was one to cross off the bucket list and I'm so very glad I waited out the rain at the front of the crowd to see them.