Marilyn Manson – “1 Assassination Under God” review

Ohio singer/songwriter, actor, painter & writer Marilyn Manson making his Nuclear Blast Records debut with his 12th studio LP. Signing to Nothing Records & Interscope Records, his debut Portrait of an American Family proved to be a passable industrial rock/alt-metal debut although The Triptych launched him into international stardom. Said triptych including Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals & my favorite Holywood: In the Shadow of the Valley. The Golden Age of Grotesque & Eat Me, Drink Me were both received to mixed responses as was his final Interscope offering The High End of the Low & the Loma Vista Recordings debut Born Villain. However during my senior year of high school, The Pale Emperor made his true return to form followed by Heaven Upside Down & the Shooter Jennings-produced We Are Chaos wrapped up his Loma Vista contract. Marilyn hasn’t been around musically in a while because of psychological & sexual abuse allegations, which I can’t speak for myself on whether they’re true or false. That said as someone who grew up during his prime, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in 1 Assassination Under God.

The title track sets it all off with this 5 & a half minute intro singing about refusing to suffer for everyone else’s amusement assuring them they’ll always be entertained & everyone showing up for the execution whereas “No Funeral Without Applause” infernally discusses the only thing in this world that can fill this hole inside of him. “Nod If You Understand” throws it back to the Antichrist Superstar era refusing to repent since that’s what he was sent here for while “As Sick as the Secrets Within” mixes elements of alt, industrial & goth rock to sing about making everyone dream of him.

“Sacrilegious” swaps out the goth rock influences in favor of glam rock telling us that’s exactly how he’s been feeling just before the industrially glam “Death Isn’t a Costume” sings about being left behind. “Meet Me in Purgatory” goes alt-rock again wanting everyone to come with him if he’s casted out prior to alt/industrial metal hybrid “Raise the Red Flag” sings about refusing to accept your surrender. “Sacrifice of the Mass” ends by getting dressed in his mortuary best ready for his ride.

I’m not exactly sure how many more chapters we’re gonna get outta 1 Assassination Under God since it’s said to be the 1st in a new series, but I can definitely say that this is easily the best thing that he’s made since The Pale Emperor nearly a decade ago. His production with Tyler Bates feels like a mix of Mechanical Animals & Holywood pulling from alt-rock, alt-metal, industrial rock, industrial metal & glam rock with the songwriting nostalgically taking us back to 2000 channeling all the anger he’s been feeling in the past 4 years.

Score: 4/5

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Opeth – “The Last Will & Testament” review

Opeth is a Swedish prog-rock/progressive death metal band consisting of drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, keyboardist Joakim Svalberg, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson, bassist Martín Méndez & of course frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt. They would go on to put out 8 consecutive classics in a row after their acclaimed debut Orchid including Morningrise, My Arms, Your Hearse, Still Life, their MNRK Music Group debut & my favorite Blackwater Park, Deliverance/Damnation, their Roadrunner Records debut Ghost Reveries & Watershed. They’ve mainly diverted from the death metal elements since although I prefer In Cauda Venenum & Pale Communion over their Nuclear Blast Records debut Sorceress also marking Moderbolaget Records’ formation & Hertiage respectively. 16 years later, they’re returning to their progressive death metal roots for their 14th album.

“§1” begins with this progressive death metal intro with additional elements of symphonic prog confessing as part of his final plight whereas “§2” gives off more of a standard rock vibe altogether singing about a child in the night cursed to survive. “§3” takes the symphonic progressive metal route stylistically to sing about all being still when he broke the seal just before “§4” gets back on the progressive death metal tip addressing the shifting sands of time.

Meanwhile on “§5”, we have Opeth continuing to further embrace the progressive death metal sound that they made a name of themselves with pledging themselves to us all the secrets revealed in paragraphs leading into “§6” pulls from traditional prog metal singing about tragedies of future past now being chained to your neck. “§7” serves as a progressive death metal reminder of the fragility of heritage & “A Story Never Told” ends by singing that there is indeed a road that leads to home.

Although I personally have always had Damnation as my favorite prog rock offering of theirs, these guys have always been at their strongest when performing in the prog death metal style & their return to form after 16 years happens to be a well crafted concept album set in the post-World War I era unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative, infertile patriarch whose last will & testament reveals shocking family secrets.

Score: 4.5/5

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Skribbal – “Electric Lungs” review

Los Angeles, California emcee Skribbal teaming up with both his uncle Katfish & the multifaceted SVH for his 4th studio LP. Coming up in 2016 off the strength of his full-length debut Drug Spun Funk, would catch the attention of the rising Wisconsin underground label Force 5 Records & they would put out his sophomore effort Skinwalker a couple years later. Once he dropped his debut EP Quarantine Sessions a month after the pandemic started, he would leave the label to form his own Splatterbrain Records & celebrated this newfound independence by dropping his 3rd album Black Eyed Children distancing himself from horrorcore in favor of a more hardcore hip hop style. Last time I covered him was the winter of 2022 with the Road to Dystopia EP & Electric Lungs is now making a daring shift from underground hip hop to nu metal/

After the intro, the first song “Gaslight” sets the tone of what’s to come with this nu metal opener rapping about the opps’ tactics backfiring on them & losing his own sight whereas “Suffer the Fall” works in some more heavy guitars except he’s singing this time looking to make the world believe. “Forged in Fire” kinda has this industrial hip hop vibe cautioning a violent storm forming since the Devil resurrects when the beat drops leading into “Torn” going full-blown rap metal to talk about being ready for war.

“Iron Sky” after the “Military Industrial Complex” interlude continues being hip hop & metal music together making room for conscious lyricism while “Start All Over (Bad Side)” kinda feels reminiscent to LINKIN PARK’s early 2000s output discussing coming from a broken home & having a broken mind. “This Graveyard Earth” takes the boom bap route instrumentally bringing hardcore lyricism to the table, but then the trap metal-inspired “Breaking Out” promises to never let them take away who he is.

Ashes Like Rain joins Skribbal on the song “Shadow Bleeding” getting back in his nu metal bag with rap verses & guttural screaming on the hook talking all these hoebags nowadays embracing the propaganda while “Run Rabbit!” featuring Myalansky of prior Wu-Syndicate fame & Praise1 just before the outro properly finishes Electric Lungs with more of a hardcore hip hop-driven closer talking about haters being mad over their return from Hell to rob rappers of their chains.

Combining the lyrical depth and underground sensibilities of hip hop with the aggressive instrumentation of metal, the Splatterbrain Records founder takes us on a genre-bending journey tackling subjects from government corruption to dark occult conspiracies in addition to inviting listeners to embrace their own strength and individuality in a world that often seems oppressive through his confidence & bravado.

Score: 4/5

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Ty Farris – “Timing of a Tarantula” review

Detroit veteran & Bars Over B.S. Records founder Ty Farris dropping off a physical exclusive 4th EP a week before Thanksgiving. Originally going under the moniker T-Flame being featuring on a lot of projects throughout the mid-2000’s until the very end of the decade, it was at that point where he started to put out solo stuff at a prolific rate by dropping 11 mixtapes, 11 full-lengths & his last 3 EPs. Standouts include the Room 39 duology & the No Cosign Just Cocaine series, the Machacha-produced Malice at the Palace & the Graymatter produced Sounds That Never Left My Soul. He just put out Enigma with an Attitude over the summer & is back with the Timing of a Tarantula.

“Gawd Mode Activated” is this drumless rap rock opener giving y’all the pain, the glory & everything that comes with it whereas “Trendsetter” gives off a mafioso vibe instrumentally talking about mixing longevity & high quality in addition to those tryna copy him when he’s building a monopoly. “Glass Joes” has a cloudy boom bap flare expressing his only concern now being the cash flow while the sample-driven “Venom in My Veins” talks his visions of living in flames.

Flames Dot Malik joins Ty on the piano boom bap joint “8 Eyes on the Paper” tryna maintain with 1 foot in the game each as they try to get paid just before a personal favorite of mine “Eat What You Kill” produced by Denny LaFlare keeps it in the basement suggesting that those thinking they better than him be mixing PCP in their blunts. “Top Rank” featuring Estee Nack aggressively reaffirms both of their statuses as lyricists & “Web of Lies” protects what’s his refusing to get involved with a network of deceit.

“You Bleed, I Bleed” featuring Rome Streetz reaches the final moments of Timing of a Tarantula with both of them hopping on top this crooning, drumless beat from Apollo Brown letting y’all know that it doesn’t even have to be this hard at all & asking why you can’t even see their stars while the closer “Heart of a Champion” finishes the EP by keeping the soul sampling in tact 1 last time flexing that he can simply email himself if he needs a raise.

For anyone who happens to love the conceptual street hip hop like some of Ty Farris’ previous releases, you’re gonna love Timing a Tarantula without question & it really might be my new favorite EP in his discography. His imagery makes sharp comparisons to the aptly named Theraphosidae family of arthropods & Divine Crime reveals himself as a future A&R that’ll be a force to be reckoned with over production balancing boom bap & drumless.

Score: 4/5

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Bobby J from Rockaway – “Higher” review

This is the sophomore effort from Queens emcee Bobby J from Rockaway. Coming up as a protege of Kwamé, he would begin to turn heads in the underground during the summer of 2019 off the strength of his full-length debut Summer Classics along with his Statik Selektah produced debut EP Endless Summer, the latter being my introduction to his music along with 1 Mic & a Drum’s eponymous EP. Bobby then joined forces with Detroit veteran Hush to drop the collab album 718 II 313 last summer, of which they had the honor of playing 80% of to me at a studio a year before it even dropped. Nef produced the Radio Days EP nearly 2 years ago & is tapping in with Dom Dirtee to take us Higher.

The title track starts with this otherworldly beat wanting to take it to a new level whereas “Once Again” takes the boom bap route instrumentally so Bobby can talking about being back up in this bitch with the hardcore composer. The 2nd single “Vibin’ (All By Myself)” gives off more a playful tone discussing the relatable subject matter of having fun by yourself in your room listening to music & after the “Mr. Walt Checks In” interlude, the lead single “Dangerous” lets their aptly titled mentality be known when facing them.

Paul Wall joins Bobby on the 3rd & final single “I Gotta” for both of them to go hard with their respective squads while “Outta This Club” tells the DJ to not stop playing this heater. After the “Tape Stand” skit, “Round N Round” makes their head spin over kicks & snares leading into “Get Away” passionately feels the need to escape. “Hello” nears the end agreeably saying he deserves more exposure & “Break Me Down” ends by refusing to crumble.

It’s already been 5 years since Summer Classics, but Higher comes off a couple EPs & group projects allowing him to elevate us with Dom Dirtee joining him in succeeding at that. Majik Ninja Entertainment in-house producer Fritz the Cat’s engineering is superb, Dom’s production reasserts his status as the hardcore composer & Bobby holds off from having any guests MCs unlike last time to snap for 36 minutes.

Score: 4.5/5

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Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 2” review

Tha God Fahim enlisting Nicholas Craven for his 48th EP. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. But dude has been on a CRAZY ass EP run in 2023 with the standouts being the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull & the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced Berserko, Dump Gawd: Rhyme Pays produced by Mike Shabb, Tha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine Wealth. Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & more recently Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. 5 years since Tha Myth Who Never Quit, we got a 2nd AND a 3rd installment last month. Coming off Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap from last weekend, they’re dropping a sequel.

“Tha Unfathomable Horror” is this soulful intro promising that your wounds won’t ever heal & that he’s forever ill whereas “Shogun Jump” takes more of a chilled albeit hardcore route instrumentally talking about his legacy being set in stone calling himself the golden goose the litter. “Planetary Exploration” hooks up a prominent piano sample likening his raps to war & proclaiming himself as a scholar for dollars while “Planet Vegeta” keeps the keys in tact to talk about the game being watered down.

To kick off the other half of the EP, “Otha World” soulfully writes tracks of sorrow since he’s borrowing time & staying strong after losing loved ones just before “Onslaught” pulls a bit from orchestral music showing his steadiness with the aim. “Mad Life Menace” gets back on the chipmunk soul tip assuring he’s still a menace on the mic & “Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 3” finishes the EP with a jazzy installment of the titular song trilogy.

It wouldn’t even surprise me if Fahim dropped Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 3 next weekend or the weekend after since he’s dumpin’ nonstop in the last month, but he & Nicholas Craven continue to prove themselves as an unstoppable duo. A lot like the other 3 projects that they’ve put out in the last month, the latter’s production during the 20 minute experience is absolutely flawless & the Dump Gawd goes harder than he did last weekend.

Score: 4.5/5

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Cyn – “Valley Girl” review

Cyn is a 31 year old singer/songwriter from Michigan whom Katy Perry signed to her Capitol Records imprint Unsub Records in the summer of 2017. Her debut EP Mood Swing came out in the fall of 2019 & has since been working on her official full-length debut studio album, dropping off a total of 7 singles ever since. However, she’s finally ready to make her biggest artistic breakthrough yet after her mentor’s latest offering 143 was critically panned a couple months ago.

“Losing Sleep” happens to be this dance-pop inspired intro track singing about her being unable to sleep as of late whereas “I Don’t Care” works in a bit of a pop rock vibe instrumentally showing off the curls in her hair without any fucks to give. “Lemons” embraces the pop sound fully refusing for her free fall down your hill to stop while “Be Like Her” pulls from the original theme for AEW Collision on the Discovery Global-owned TNT network “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” by Elton John feeling envy towards another woman.

As for “House with a View”, we have Cyn singing on top of this trap beat that she wants to live out in Malibu with a significant amount of wealth just before “Drinks” goes for a bit of a cavernous pop flare altogether consuming alcohol to get her mind off her man being pissed. “Los Angeles, No Offense” apologizes for being a bitch during a party over this pop rock instrumental detailing her preference for Michigan instead of California leading into the stripped-back “Where Do All the Diamonds Go?” keeping her mind stuck on a thought that doesn’t serve her.

“Love You Like I Want To” turns the pop rock influences back up singing that she didn’t do anything wrong whatsoever wishing this individual’s ex would calm down, but then the jangly “Hard to Love” asks this person that Cyn’s no longer seeing why he’s acting like she’s difficult of deserving affection. “Crazy” pushes towards the conclusion with this catchy pop joint unable to put a finger on this woman’s insanity & “Growing Up” wraps up her debut promising you’ll take your time when it comes to that topic.

Starting the deluxe run, “The Smiths” has this catchy & fun pop rock vibe throughout paying homage to the Manchester indie pop band of the same name while the empowering ballad “Sweet” sings about still being here regardless of people writing her off for noticing her flaws & firing low blows. The final bonus track “Sink Your Teeth in Your Tongue” is a final pop rock joint telling her ex to stop sending texts to her new man, pointing out him leaving a hole in her heart & him never making the time for her.

If you’re like me & this is the first time you’re hearing of Cyn, you’re gonna want to give Valley Girl a listen because I definitely see why Katy Perry gave her a record deal since she’s easily the best artist on Unsub as of right now. The production here is a lot more detailed than 143 was pulling from dance-pop, alt-pop, pop rap, trap, pop rock & electropop matched with songwriting & vocals that come off as witty, clever & emotional.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gwen Stefani – “Bouquet” review

Gwen Stefani is a 55 year old singer/songwriter, producer, fashion designer & actress Fullerton, California most notable for being the frontwoman of No Doubt. She later embarked on a solo career by signing to Interscope Records, seeing huge success following the release of her full-length debut L.A.M.B. (Love.Angel.Music.Baby.) named after her fashion line & The Sweet Escape. A decade later, she returned to positively received This Is What the Truth Feels Like as well as the Christmas album You Make It Feel Like Christmas consisting of covers during the 1st half & original material for the other. However, country producer Scott Hendricks is now joining Gwen for her 5th studio LP.

“Somebody Else’s” starts with this country rock opener singing about her current state mind after moving on from her ex-husband Gavin Rossdale whereas the title track those for more of a traditional country flare explaining that her heart was broken when meeting her new husband Blake Shelton. “Pretty” goes for more of a stripped-back approach singing that she’s bloomed & the acoustic-heavy “Empty Vases” tells Blake that he filled this lonely space of her’s.

Meanwhile on “Marigolds”, we have Gwen going country pop explaining that the tears they cry brought them back to life just before “Late to Bloom” goes for a country rock vibe once again singing about how waiting for Blake took centuries from her perspective. “Swallow My Tears” mixes country, pop & rock into 1 feeling as if the past has been chasing her around wanting Blake with her leading into “Reminders” asking if she can stay in his shade when she’s scared.

“All Your Fault” pushes towards the final moments of Bouquet pulling from traditional country music once again singing about her previous ex-husbands making her feel broken putting all the blame on them & “Purple Irises” featuring Blake Shelton himself properly finishes the LP in the form of this country duet telling each other that they’ve never known I love like the kind they have picking the titular flowers that symbolize wisdom, respect & admiration.

Chock full of 70’s pop-rock radio gems with a prominent Nashville influence, Scott Hendricks helps Gwen make her foray into country music one that’s better than I had originally anticipated because I can definitely see myself going back to this more than This is What the Truth Feels Like or You Make It Feel Like Christmas. Scott was the greatest choice of a producer that the No Doubt lead singer could make since he’s worked with her new husband plenty of times & Gwen’s songwriting throughout is prominently based around her experiences with love.

Score: 3.5/5

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070 Shake – “Petrichor” review

070 Shake is a 27 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from North Bergen, New Jersey who started out as a member of the 070 collective. She later caught the attention of one of my top 10 producers of all-time Ye formerly known as Kanye West, who signed her to a joint deal with G.O.O.D. Music & Def Jam Recordings in 2016. Her debut EP Glitter saw a release in the spring of 2018 a couple months ahead of her mentor’s historic Wyoming sessions & it showed her artistic potential, which the full-length debut Modus Vivendi & the sophomore effort You Can’t Kill Me both expanded on. Def Jam would sever all ties with G.O.O.D. Music a few months after the latter due to Ye’s antisemitic meltdown forever altering his public appearance after calling himself a Nazi & later starting YZY SND, resulting in people questioning G.O.O.D. Music’s future. Over 2 years later, Shake’s returning for her 3rd album & presumably the last under the G.O.O.D./Def Jam tandem.

“Sin” works in some pianos & guitars to get us started singing about being awake & in a dream state simultaneously whereas “Elephant” keeps the guitars in tact addressing an individual that she doesn’t even recognize anymore & vice versa. “Pieces of You” brings the pianos back in the fold swapping out the guitars for strings asking what to do with the pieces of this person in her head, but then the standout “Vagabond” was originally conceived during the Vultures 2 sessions never loving anyone else than Johnny Depp & Vanessa Paradis’ daughter Lily-Rose Depp.

Moving on from there, the minute long “Lungs” wants to know if Lily-Rose would come with her to go find another one when the sun explodes & there’s nowhere to run kinda giving me a Yeezus vibe instrumentally just before “Into Your Garden” featuring JT brings the pair together over more keys being under the impression that all good things come to an end. “Battlefield” has these prominent organs throughout asking to come & give it up on top of restoring her faith, but then “Winter Baby / New Jersey Blues” is a drumless 2-parter paying her dues & doing her time.

“Song to the Siren” featuring Courtney Love asks if they should stand amid the breakers or lie with death while the synth-driven “What’s Wrong with Me?” sings about feeling as if a virus took control of her body with a new host. The crescendoing “Blood on Your Hands” finds her being unable to begin untangling herself from Lily-Rose while the song “Never Let Us Fade” repetitively sings about if she had her way. “Love” ties up Petrichor professing her love for her partner.

Taking it’s name from a term used to describe the smell of rain on arid soil after a long period of dry weather, what’s likely the end of G.O.O.D. Music’s partnership with Def Jam gives 1 final look at 070 Shake’s genre-bending style & a glimpse into her fatal vision of desire. The musical palate consists of acoustic guitars, ornate piano passages, ominous synths, dembow & hip-hop rhythms with a dash of psychedelia leveling up her maturity.

Score: 3.5/5

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Mary J. Blige – “Gratitude” review

Mary J. Blige is a 53 year old singer/songwriter, rapper, actress & entrepreneur from New York City who became the youngest & 1st female to sign with Uptown Records distributed by MCA Records at the time. Her full-length debut prominently inspired by new jack swing What’s the 411? indicated her being a real deal & the sophomore effort My Life would catapult her into international stardom, cementing her as the Queen of Hip Hop Soul. Share My World, Mary, her final MCA offering No More Drama, her Geffen Records debut Love & Life, The Breakthrough which marked Matriarch Records’ formation and Growing Pains were all positively received with some of my favorite Mary J. songs appearing on all of them although Stronger withEach Tear came out to mixed feedback. My Life II…The Journey Continues became her final Geffen release & A Mary Christmas was a decent 1-off with Interscope Records, signing to Capitol Records for The London Sesssions & Strength of a Woman respectively. Matriach has since been distributed by 300 Entertainment after Mary put out Good Morning Gorgeous to coincide with her performing the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, returning once more for her 15th LP.

Fabolous joins Mary for the intro “Breathing” for an R&B/pop rap crossover sampling the classic Notorious B.I.G. cut “Kick in the Door” knowing their exes can’t breathe whereas “Need You More” featuring Jadakiss hops over a En Vogue sample as they confess how much they need each other. “Beautiful People” produced by KAYTRANADA comes across as this peppy dance track refusing to stop until she gets it right while “You Ain’t the Only One” finds her singing about being proud of herself.

“Never Give Up on Me” goes for more of a funkier vibe to the beat courtesy of DJ Cassidy refusing to give up on herself just before “Nobody But You” throws it back to the My Life era a bit telling her new man that she doesn’t want anyone else in her life besides him. “Here I Am” finds her singing over some pianos praying for a rainy day to wash her pain away, but then “Don’t Fuck Up” is this delicate R&B number proclaiming that she’s in love.

To start the final leg, “Superpowers” points out that there comes a time where a woman should be celebrated & receive all the flowers that she deserves while the laidback “Can’t Wait for You” asks her new romantic interest what if she told him that she’s scared at the mall where he wants her. “God’s Child” featuring Fat Joe is another R&B/hip hop soul fusion showing a religious side to both of them & “I Got Plans” featuring A$AP Ferg ends with them playfully rocking to another DJ Cassidy instrumental.

Over 3 decades in the game, the Queen of Hip Hop Soul & R&B puts the constant Gratitude that she’s been feeling as of late & channels it all into a 41 & a half minute album that further reinforces her legacy as much as her 300 debut did almost 3 years ago. The production maintains the consistency of Good Morning Gorgeous, every single guest MC who joins her offers their own different flavor with their verses, Mary’s own vocals are passionate & she lets everyone know how life’s been treating her.

Score: 3.5/5

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