God’s Hate – “Won’t Be Disgraced” review

God’s Hate is a metalcore band from Los Angeles, California consisting of bassist Alec Faber, guitarist Taylor Young, guitarist Martin Stewart, bassist Anthonie Gonzalez, drummer Colin Young & current 2-time AEW World Trios Champion Brody King performing lead vocals. Introducing themselves in 2014 off their debut extended play Divine Injustice followed by Under the Knife & their full-length debut Mass Murder, they eventually would go on hiatus following their eponymous sophomore effort in 2021. I was however interested in their 3rd extended play after former 3-time AEW World Champion, AEW International Champion, CMLL Mundial de Peso Semicompleto Campeon, CZW World Heavyweight Champion, アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, MLW World Middleweight Champion, MLW World Tag Team Champion & ROH World Tag Team Champion MJF tweeted about it.

The title track begins incorporating elements of groove metal into their signature metallic hardcore sound asking where everyone’s rage went & those who don’t have shit still having them in the end while “I’m the Cure“ treads the beatdown hardcore waters explaining the straight edge get to decide the way they die. Won’t Be Disgraced finishes with a cover of “Warriors Will Reign” by Harm’s Way & although I’m personally not the biggest fan of covers, I give them all the respect in the world for doing it out of remembrance of Bo Lueders in light of his passing several months ago.

For only 2 newly written songs & a cover: God’s Hate have made a fierce comeback driven by grief as well as the state of the greater hardcore community & the world at large. The former AEW World Tag Team Champion, NWA World Tag Team Champion, PWG World Tag Team Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion & ROH World 6-Man Tag Team Champion recaptures the beatdown metalcore style of their self-titled album & sprinkles elements of groove metal along the way kin to Mass Murder encouraging those listening to make a change using their hatred.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ice-T – “Criminal Migraine” review

Ice-T is a 68 year old MC, actor, songwriter, producer & author from Los Angeles, California by way of Newark, New Jersey known for pioneering gangsta rap with his 1987 debut Rhyme Pays under Warner Records. Poweras well as The Iceberg: Freedom of Speech…Just Watch What You Say! & O.G. (Original Gangster) were all equally praised, dropping the underrated Home Invasion through Priority Records. Ice-T VI: Return of the Real & 7th Deadly Sin both came out independently to lukewarm reception, returning 2 decades after the poorly received Gangsta Rap for the Body Count frontman’s 9th studio LP.

After the intro, “It’s What You Say” produced by Charlemagne begins with a piano-driven boom bap opener talking about kicking game every time he’s on the mic whereas “No Competition” aggressively asks why he should stop when most of these bitches are trash over an Afrika Islam beat. “Keep It Gangsta” featuring Kenny Ivy, Treach & Zieme goes for a summery vibe instrumentally getting on their gangsta shit lyrically just before “Hardcore Motherfucker” ruggedly talks about being a badass.

“California” featuring Fedie Demarco unites the pair over a beat Dr. Dre would’ve made in the 2000s representing the west coast leading into the title track returning to the boom bap talking about him cautioning not to look inside his head when one already has. “It’s All About…” links up with P.A. Dre fresh off Inspectah Deck’s 5th album Dragon’s Breath tackling materialism while “You Can Get It” featuring Smoothe da Hustler & Treach unites all 3 of them so they can discuss achieving your dreams.

As for “Follow the Leader”, we have Ice-T leaning towards a rap rock sound talking about having a plan for your life unless you want to spend the rest of your days on the lamb while “Shut the Fuck Up” disses artists making podcast appearances snitching on themselves. “Hustle Hard” reaches the midway point of Criminal Migraine talking about always grinding no matter what while the romantically eye-rolling “Kick Rocks” gets the 2nd half going dismissing women who didn’t want to give him a chance now showing up in his DMs.

“Jewel Lick” featuring CJ Mack joins forces to put ourselves inside of the shoes of 2 jewel thieves while “The Hate’s Real” featuring Smoothe da Hustler reunites over a key-woven instrumental talking about fake love. “No One Ever Wins” tells the story of a woman who ends up burnt out, alone & broke wishing she was one of her friends happily married with kids while “Ego” shifts towards an atmospheric trap direction talking about egotism.

The soulfulness of “2 Be a Man” enhanced the mature themes explored breaking down his definition of a grown man while “N***a Please” featuring Money Reeks, Murkemz & Ras Kass gets cutthroat together with The Waterproof MC having my favorite guest verse. “Bangerz” featuring Freddie Foxxx boasts themselves amongst the ultimate but “Lost My Mind” featuring Smoothe da Hustler & Treach talks about insanity, “No Regrets” preceding the outro ends the album showing 0 remorse.

Everything Ice-T said regarding hip hop having no age limit was 100% accurate considering veterans from Rakim to the Juice Crew making musical comebacks & now Big Daddy Kane prepping his final full-length within the coming months. Nevertheless, I adamantly believe Criminal Migraine’s some of the O.G.’s most salvageable material mostly because the production’s at it’s best since Home Invasion regardless of a few being skeptical of it’s runtime.

Score: 3.5/5

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Montez Ford – “AFTERTHETIDES” review

Chicago, Illinois professional wrestler & rapper Montez Ford dipping his toes in music again with a brand new extended play. Someone who’s become a 6-time WWE tag team champion in addition to marrying 3-time WWE women’s world champion & 2-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Bianca Belair, dropping his full-length debut God is Good & the sophomore effort Happy Birthday Tez! to poor reception despite guest appearances from former TNA Digital Media Champion A.J. Francis & even Consequence surprisingly. Coming off Jacy Jayne & the other 2 members of Fatal Influence respectively becoming WWE Women’s United States Champion & WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions this past weekend however, AFTERTHETIDES has arrived.

After the “Any Second.” intro, “Madvillian.” made for a soulful opener to drop average hardcore bars dismantling cosplayers of the game whereas “Tides.” continues some interesting sampling techniques flipping soul music once again so he can discuss themes of fatherhood. “Stairway to Heaven.” continues from there with an orchestral boom bap beat talking about being black excellence leading into “Fooling Around.” reaches the midway point taking a more boastful approach over a cloudy sample.

“Late Nights.” kicks off the 2nd half of AFTERTHETIDES on an underwhelming note slowing down Tez’ vocals over a woodwind instrumental just before “Silk Road.” hooks up some luxurious piano chords talking about trying to show his soulmate a different live from sitting in a cubicle to being married. “Iced Out.” had a questionable bar regarding him spending money made from the dope game when I’m not sure if there’s any truth in that regardless of the diss towards 7-time WWE world champion Roman Reigns until “Sandcastles” jazzily ends the EP talking about being mimicked because of his likability.

AFTERTHETIDES is far from being one of the groundbreaking EPs I’ve heard all year, but I’ll still take it over Pat McAfee’s new bro-country album The Diary of a Polarizing Figure. Regardless of his average songwriting, Montez Ford clearly put more care in this than Pat did because the production choices are actually pretty interesting varying between chipmunk soul or boom bap & jazz rap reminiscent to Griselda following the inaugural 4th Rope Heavyweight Champion Zilla Fatu’s debut in the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s primary developmental brand NXT.

Score: 2/5

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Stanwill – “$tanley” review

This is the latest & 5th full-length LP from Detroit, Michigan rapper Stanwill. Coming up as 1/3 of the ShittyBoyz with Babytron & TR Dee signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, he eventually branched out on his own during the COVID-19 pandemic off the debut EP $camwill as well as it’s successor Gifted & the debut mixtape Van Gundy. He also went Full Auto for his 3rd EP & 4ever $hittin’ following Still $hittin’, coming off Stan Always Will for a deeper look at $tanley.

“X Rated” doesn’t have the strongest instrumental to kick things off speaking of having that dog in him prior to “Alzheimer’s” explaining that he’ll stay up all night for the money since he could a give a fuck about catching any rest. “Oscar Mayer” discusses catching the muhfucka talking spicy on his name & putting a bullet in his head just before “Hocus Pocus” featuring T Bone finds the pair trading bars with each other similarly to both of Stan’s last couple albums.

Continuing from there, “Action Packed” hooks up some bells to talk about anyone beefing with the Dog $hit Militia being left on stretchers leading into the piano-driven “Go Figure” brushing off some broke ass hater for staying pressed. “Betta Ask Somebody” explains that he ain’t gonna send disses unless he’s wrapping up corpses while Danny G saves my favorite beat for “I.Y.K.Y.K. (If You Know You Know)” so he & Lil Mello can discuss their respective wealth.

“Motion Picture” wraps up the 1st leg of $tanley going for a mellower vibe instrumentally asking how one’s simultaneously wearing Rick & owing rent prior to “Disco $hit” kicking off the 2nd half combining the Detroit sound & disco talking about no one in his squad sharing racks with each other. “Up 50” featuring Buddyy speaks of others having trouble catching up to the run they’ve been on while “Bruce Wayne” likens himself to the main character of the Warner Bros. subsidiary DC Entertainment-owned Batman franchise.

The ShittyBoyz get together for “Jahmyr Gibbs” talking about investing in themselves while “2026” expresses confidence of becoming historic. “Same Old Ways” dabbled with plugg & pop rap advising against saying names if he’s being interrogated while “What You Need” decently tackles themes of love. “I Got More” talks about not worrying over shit & “Come With Me” sends off the album with a melodically romantic plugg outro.

Ahead of his very first solo show next weekend, Stanwill comes off D$M’s debut tape a couple weeks earlier to reveal a more introspective side to him including some interesting experimentations with plugg & pop rap towards the backend of $tanley. The pluggier moments somewhat take me back to 4ever $hittin’ & the poppier cuts might not be for everyone although I understand him doing it in the context of those tracks.

Score: 3.5/5

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Marilyn Manson – “1 Assassination Under God 2” review

This is the 13th studio LP from Ohio singer/songwriter, actor, painter & writer Marilyn Manson. 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. Coming off his Nuclear Blast Records debut 1 Assassination Under God however, he’s back for a sequel.

“Unalive” begins with a goth rock intro singing about his eyes never weeping & being the only enemy we need whereas “Don’t Answer the Door” shifts towards an industrial rock vibe speaking of the tongues coveting us & consuming every last thing they see. “Front Toward Enemy” was a rebellious industrial metal/rock single with secondary influences of alternative metal demanding those on the ground to get up & right while “All the Vilest Things” dismisses revenge because those who tried to destroy him made him stronger.

Kicking off the 2nd half, “None of the Suns” takes it back to the goth rock sound singing about being in the black now at the end of everything while “Lucifer’s Teardrop” goes industrial rock again likening his heart to a loaded gun. “The Arsonist” sings about being the poison one can’t ever take over an industrially alternative rock crossover & once “Exit Wound” tolerably culminates all the general sounds explored to get resilient, the outro “Enantiomorph” concludes 1 Assassination Under God 2 singing about refusing to let people kill him or break his love.

Regardless of where Marilyn Manson goes beyond the 1 Assassination Under God duology, I can confidently say I enjoyed this final chapter more than its companion which felt like a cross between Mechanical Animals & Holywood. The darker production primarily leans towards the industrial rock side of things than 1 Assassination Under God 2‘s predecessor did retaining elements of alt-rock, alternative metal, goth rock & industrial metal using each stone he had thrown at him to sharpen his edges & outgrow purgatory.

Score: 4/5

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The Musalini – “The Don & Eye 3” review

New York emcee & Jamla Records signee The Musalini running it back with 9th Wonder for his 14th studio LP. Taking the underground by storm since 2018 after dropping his debut mixtape Musalini Season, he went on to release 3 full-lengths & another tape before signing to TCF Music Group. Since then, he’s made himself home by dropping a few EPs & Return of the Oro in the early part of this decade. In God We Trust produced by 38 Spesh, The Don & Eye alongside its sequel fully produced by 9th Wonder & Pure Izm produced by Khrysis have all quickly become his best material over the past 4 years. Mackaroni produced by Cookin’ Soul and Live & Let Fly produced by DJ Fresh were really enjoyable too, now looking to properly conclude The Don & Eye trilogy.

After the “Musalini’s Stroll” intro, “Lay Low” featuring Le$ links up for a funky opener talking about playing to win & likening themselves to Rick James without the coke whereas “2 Letters” instrumentally takes a more soulful synth-based approach suggesting one would do better if they knew better. “Shrimp Lo Mein” shifts towards a boom bap direction talking about the long nights making him who he is while “Can You Stand the Rain?” featuring Silent Snipers, Swank & Sweata poses that very question.

“Game Cold” takes the opulent boom bap route assuring his partner it’s all love while “Pocket Full” has a groovier approach talking about him & this woman who he quite a bit in common with. “Off the Books” gives off a more chilled out mood explaining he’s only here to win & the eagerness of showing those new around the operation leading into “Memories” combines elements of soul & boom bap talking about a woman he sees in his dreams.

Kicking off the 2nd half, we have Mu$ on “Salt Box” trying to bring balance to the game while “Pretty Lady” featuring Swank reunites the pair goes for a chipmunk soul direction promising their lovers they could be sitting right beside them in the Porsche rollin’ blunts if they really want to be. “Owe It All” takes some elements of jazz rap & soul talking about having to take some time outta his prime to live it up whole “Car Keys” featuring King Draft links up so they can discuss still standing in true fashion.

“Fast Life” flashily dedicates itself to the hustlers doing numbers while “Picture Me Rollin’” featuring Silent Snipers talks about leaving at sunrise like real pros. “Capital Grille” featuring Eli tha Don speaks of always staying at the top of the hill while “Live from Tokyo” talks about reporting directly from Japan’s capital. “Premium Plush” featuring Jaewon & Smoke DZA finds the trio jazzily explaining their preference for everything while “Time Travels” soulfully sends it off making his paper increase.

A huge reason I felt like The Don & Eye 2 was weaker than it’s predecessor was because almost every track having a feature & although not every guest appearance The Don & Eye 3 does the same, I can still put this new chapter above the previous installment since I can appreciate The Musalini being given more room to rock it by himself than he did when he & 9th Wonder last got together in 2022 for what could likely become his finest 2026 solo effort.

Score: 3.5/5

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Sweeping Promises – “You Say I Romanticize” review

Sweeping Promises are a post-punk/art punk duo from Lawrence, Kansas consisting of guitarist & drummer Caufield Schnug as well as bassist & vocalist Lira Mondal. Making their debut in the summer of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic with Hunger for a Way Out, they would go on to follow it up in 2023 with the sophomore effort Good Living is Coming For You & the positive reception both of those receive landed the pairing a deal with Sub Pop Records. The teasers building up towards their 3rd studio LP gave me hope of them getting the exposure they deserve & I had to find out if that’s the case or not.

The lead single “Shooting Shadows” wasn’t too bad of an artsy post-punk intro describing one’s personal space being invaded whereas “My Friend’s an Entomologist” sings about having a colleague who’s an expert regarding invasive species. “Last Man” thematically bases itself around Mary Shelley’s novel of the same name discussing a cholera outbreak & after the “Rapture, Or…” takes inspiration from Siouxsie Sioux to tackle apocalyptic themes, “Abduction on Camera” keeps the post-punk vibes for a powerful anti-ICE anthem.

“My Anchoress” kicks off the 2nd half conceptually centering itself around Julian of Norwich leading into the final single “Cocoon” develops a concert staple of theirs written after the Hunger for a Way Out sessions in a disarmingly dead-simple way. “Accent” maintains a post-punk sound singing about words not landing when falling out of their mouths & once “Does He Want to Be the Weatherman?” cheerfully uses meteorology as an unusual metaphor, “Write Lightly” concludes the album responding to those saying their perspective’s compromised.

Conceived during an 18 month period, the Sweeping Promises take the ethos they’ve developed & turn it upside-down for debatably the most frenzied half hour of their 6 year career marking their debut for Sub Pop Records. You Say I Romanticize’s post-punk influences are significantly minimized within the production compared to their earlier material, emphasizing the art punk & indie rock elements for a tribute to the chaos of creation & collaboration under shifting circumstances.

Score: 4/5

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Open Mike Eagle – “Doomed!: Rap Songs About a Relationship That Ends in Every Possible Universe” review

Open Mike Eagle is a 45 year old MC, producer & comedian from Chicago, Illinois known for being a member of the Project Blowed collective. His full-length debut Unapologetic Art Rap wouldn’t arrive until 2010, following it up with Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes & 4NML HSPTL preceding his Mello Music Group debut Dark Comedy. Paul White would later be brought in to produce Hella Personal Film Festival & would depart MMG after Brick Body Kids Still Daydream to form his own label Auto Reverse Records. Anime, Trauma & Divorce alongside Another Triumph of Ghetto Engineering and Neighborhood Gods Unlimited each had their own highlights but I thought his 10th studio LP marking his debut for Backwoodz Studioz distributed Rhymesayers Entertainment would be something special considering Kenny Segal’s involvement.

“Out to Lunch” makes for an outstanding jazz rap intro advising not to let him make your day if that favor cannot be returned whereas “Streets of Rage: Public Arguments Edition” featuring Gothic Tropic hooks up a vibraphone mixed with kicks & snares talking about tapping x to hold the block back like a video game. “Doomed!” turns up the jazziness referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 2-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, 3-time WCW World Tag Team Champion, 2-time WCW World Television Champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion Lex Luger.

Hemlock Ernst shows up on the soulful “Unfinished Concrete Initials” talking about the apartment & wallet being left empty when it’s all said & done just before “Don’t Go Look (Battleworld Focus Prayer)” comes to the realization of possibly getting what he asked for over a synth-driven boom bap instrumental. “She Swear I’m Colorblind” featuring billy woods saves my favorite guest appearance for last talking about everyday thing becoming fashioned into weapons while “Science Fiction (Fantasy)” suggests to protect your peace if you want it.

“The Irredeemable Magic Man” kicks off the 2nd half with some bluesy licks talking about a magician who can never return because of his inability to improve while “The Many Hustles of My Lonely Time Traveling Uncle” returns to the boom bap discusses building an empire off selling nokia phone cases. “Trying to Remember What I Aimed At” psychedelically talks about executives & this industry at large being bullshit while “Schrödinger’s Green Room (There But Uninvited)” brings some horns in the picture telling the story of an intrusive man.

After the “It Happens In Every Universe” interlude, “Sweetheart Jail” dustily talks about a cruel & unusual person sitting behind bars who was arrested on a Friday night while “Infinity War Spoilers” gets in his nerdcore bag a bit spoiling the greatest Avengers flick. “Watching a Movie Called Freedom By Myself” concludes Mike’s official Backwoodz/Rhymesayers debut Doomed!: Rap Songs About a Relationship That Ends in Every Possible Universe on a dreamier note talking about the green chasing his blues away.

From the very moment Rhymesayers Entertainment began their distribution partnership with Backwoodz Studioz a year earlier, the whole label’s been on quite the run & Doomed!: Rap Songs About a Relationship That Ends in Every Possible Universe adds to that, joining Dark Comedy along with Hella Personal Film Festival & Brick Body Kids Still Daydream to become a top 5 statement in Open Mike Eagle’s catalog mostly because of the way he uses Kenny Segal’s experimentally jazzy production to paint his impression of a dead world through his abstract lyricism.

Score: 4.5/5

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October London – “Love Me for Me” review

South Bend, Indiana singer/songwriter & producer October London returning for his 4th studio LP. Coming up in 2013 off his debut EP The Introduction & both installments of the Color Blind series, he eventually caught the attention of WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg & signed to Doggystyle Records for his 4th EP Please Leave a Message before moving over to Death Row Records not too long after Snoop bought the label he started out at & teamed with gamma. for a new distribution deal. October Nights has since become his most celebrated material & he’s asking his partner to Love Me for Me coming off the holiday-themed For You, My Love nearly 8 months ago.

“Your Girl” passionately sings about temptation knocking at his door over a buttery beat from both Uncle Snoop & Soopafly whereas “My Favorite Song” works in some finger snaps showing off his crooning chops. “Silent Treatment” works in a funky groove & some pianos to sing about a woman who ain’t saying shit to him but once the title track wants his girl to love him for who he is, “Family Ties” reaches the halfway point explaining he makes music for this loved ones.

Meanwhile on “Hooked (A Cougar’s Anthem)”, we have October coming through with a mediocre ode to cougars just before “Dance & Mingle” takes a peppier approach instrumentally making something the audience can move to. “Body Talk” & after “Like a Canvas” incorporates some pianos to compare the love his partner has to woven fabric surface stretched over a wooden frame, the closer “Pencil Me In” concludes Love Me for Me singing about trying to get with a woman with children upstarting her business.

There weren’t any real concerns I had going into Love Me for Me since For You, My Love was created specifically for the most wonderful time of the year & October Nights remains October London’s most celebrated collection of material although I ended up enjoying this album as much as it’s predecessor nearly a couple years earlier. Snoop Dogg & Soopafly’s production is heavily rooted in the neo-soul sound exploring topics including love, commitment, vulnerability & self-discovery in only a half hour.

Score: 4/5

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Pat McAfee – “The Diary of a Polarizing Figure” review

Pat McAfee is a 39 year old sports analyst, color commentator, former professional wrestler, former professional football punter & kickoff specialist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by way of Indianapolis, Indiana who played in the NFL between 2009-2016 for the Indianapolis Colts. He would later spend the next decade establishing himself as a sports analyst & had a run in the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE until WrestleMania XLII this spring. Including a feud with former AEW TNT Champion, record 3-time ROH World Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion, ROH World Television Champion, the longest reigning NXT Champion, the inaugural NXT North American Champion, NXT Tag Team Champion, PWG World Champion & CZW World Jr. Heavyweight Champion Adam Cole. However, he’s having country star ERNEST helping him out for a full-length studio debut.

“Pitbull & Mugshot” pretty much begins with what you can expect singing over a country trap fusion about his dog Valerie who passed away whereas “Blue Collar Symphony” treads the country rock waters for a tacky ode to the working man, calling for the rest to get out their way. “Good Times” radiates a heavy bro-country vibe singing about wanting to drink whiskey in a smokey room with a guitar & a fiddle just before “Young Me” incorporates some pianos for an audio letter to his younger self.

Meanwhile on “Polarizing Figure”, we have Pat asking himself whether he’s amongst the greats or the opposite mutating elements of trap & country once more leading into “Outlaws” turning the country rock influences back up to declare himself a renegade. “Oops” wraps up the 1st act hitting us with a gross country rap experimentation talking about stirring the pot like he usually is while “Smokin’” discusses his love for weed although he certainly ain’t no Willie Nelson.

“No One Ever Knows” sings about life being good since he woke up today while “Rich as Shit” annoyingly gloats about ESPN giving him a $65M raise. “Big Rain Coming” sings about no longer wasting mornings worrying over the evening while “You’re Alive” ponders if anyone’s actually living these days. “Click Clack” has a piano-driven trap flare to it talking about stealing the show & “Cheers to the South” discusses celebrating life at every opportunity.

As someone who used to watch The Pat McAfee Show on YouTube until ESPN picked up the syndication rights, it wouldn’t be a surprise to me whatsoever if The Diary of a Polarizing Figure winds up becoming 2026’s worst country album. From the bro-country production to the songwriting & grating vocal performances, I sincerely didn’t get a single second of enjoyment outta this & would prefer if Pat McAfee stuck to sports analytics than making music ever again.

Score: 0/5

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