This might seem like an odd release for me to review, but this album is a lot more confrontational and darker than a lot of metal that came out this year...let's see the Faceless comes to find. And you ,might as well lump all the djent bands into that list as well. However initial listens seem to indicate this is not as abrasive as the "money store". With the accompaniment being Lo if electronics , though Hella drummer Zach Hill is a member of the band and his drumming can be heard on the album.
Ironically the day I sat down to write this review is the same day Death Grips were dropped from Epic Records, after the band intentionally leaked their album to torrent sites when a disagreement with the liable ensued about its release date.
The first three songs flow together with the angular bleep and booms not holding as much distinction as the previous . mc Ride doesn't employ the same militant chanting style that appeared on the Arlie's album though the ...beat down maddness part of "no love" comes close to recapturing this.
"Black dice" sees more unique verbiage which I appreciate , though the first few songs followed a more straight forward hip hop patten than mormal. The mix of this album sounds drier and more organic with less effects on M.c Ride's voice.
"World of dogs" is first song on this one that hits me as heavy or dark, this also happens to be the song for first video , there is are patting chant of ..." it's all suicide " the beats are bleeping chaos with the burp of bass underneath.
"lock your doors" keeps a similar shade bordering on what might be called witch house. the layers of non sensical rap pops out of the walls like a crackhead Freddy Krueger. The hook chant here is " I got some shit to say just for the fuck of it" which might be the lyrical theme of the album.
Things take a lighter shade on the weirder "Whammy" but not by much, his flow is more precise and enunciated here as well. There a bizarre looped female voice haunting the songs edges. For some reason I get a Dizze Rascal vibe of this one.
Capable of creating chaos even with minimalist beats, "Hunger Games" is like free form jazz of free styling . Is this a real song I'm not sure as nothing really holds it together. In some ways this song could be about illegal downloading I suppose, which would make sense considering the drama that followed its completion.
"Deep Web" has interesting tracks set against very effected wall of creeping distortion. The rap is yelled around the opaque backing, in juxtaposition to the following which has sparse that sound like bubble wrap popping underneath his rap. Maybe this is bubble rap. This almost accapella style doesn't do them any favors.
The pseudo witch house darkness returns for "Pop" , though the raps come in more relaxed against the very sluggish sci fi drone of these beats , I don't think the exercise in contrasts and confrontation is really realized on this one and it is mainly a collection of interesting sounds.
"Bass rattle stars out the sky" is not as bass heavy as you might expect from the title , the war chant is back and Ride is in a more comfortable zone with his flow here. the closer "Artifical death in the west" is more subdued , but still bleak enough to hold my attention despite is mellow glitch factor, hook like chant is the only redeemable factors here.
"the Money Store" came across as much more aggressive while this Blum might be a shade darker. I don't think this more minimalist style works for M.c. Ride. I'll round this up to a 5.5 for the very reason that they have the balls to try something different, this album is largely inferior to the superior "money store" maybe the reason for the delay is the label wanted them to revisit the give this some more love before it go deep on the web.
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