Lamb of God – “Into Oblivion” review

Lamb of God is a groove metal band from Richmond, Virginia comprised of bassist John Campbell, lead guitarist Mark Morton, rhythm guitarist Willie Adler, drummer Art Cruz & frontman Randy Blythe. Introducing themselves a quarter of a century ago off their full-length debut Burn the Priest & the sophomore effort New American Gospel, As the Palaces Burn would catch the attention of Epic Records & their major label debut Ashes of the Wake remains my personal favorite in their discography even now. Sacrament, Wrath, Resolution, VII: Sturm und Drang, self titled & Omens were all solid in their own rights although I personally prefer some more than others. They’ve been teasing a new era since this past October right around the time a video of theirs appeared on season 11 of the MTV hit-series Beavis & Butt-head marking their debut for Comedy Central & it’s finally here with their 11th album.

The title track & 3rd single incorporates some metalcore influences into their signature groove metal sound singing about being the face of tyranny in the age of conspiracy whereas the 2nd single “Parasocial Christ” sprinkles some hints of thrash metal throughout for a statement criticizing the current age of social media. The lead single “Sepsis” combines thrash & groove metal with sludge metal for a throwback to their Burn the Priest days except Randy’s noticeably angrier now that he’s older while “The Killing Floor” feels reminiscent to the As the Palace Burns era following the name change.

“El Vacío” reaches the halfway point embracing more somber guitar tones singing about a monster sleeping in their home state while “St. Catherine’s Wheel” kicking off the 2nd leg. After the 4th & final single “Blunt Force Blues” blends groove metal & metalcore for a reflection of the various skills they’ve accrued over the course of their career, “Bully” taps back into the band’s typical angst some have come to know them for while “1,000 Years” sings about unleashing the dogs of war to fill his crimson glass. “Devise / Destroy” spends the last 4 minutes riding off Into Oblivion by taking a more antagonistic approach to delivering the social commentary Randy wants to get off his chest.

Self-titled & Omens were both alright to me personally, but the teasers we got in preparation for Into Oblivion gave me the impression that it would be their best since VII: Sturm und Drang after I had graduated high school over a decade ago & I can definitely say with confidence that it joins the likes of that as well as Sacrament & As the Palace Burn in comprising the other 4 albums I would have join Ashes of the Wake to comprise my top 5 favorite full-lengths throughout the Lamb of God canon. The groove metal veterans take secondary inspiration from metalcore, thrash metal & sludge metal to issue a warning regarding people accepting what would’ve horrified them 2 decades ago.

Score: 4/5

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Nezzy – “The Infamous N.E.Z.” review

Brand new LP & the 4th overall from Sandusky, Ohio emcee/producer Nezzy. Emerging within the underground in 2022 off his first 2 EPs Subject to Change & Pyramids, he went on to follow this up by releasing the full-length debut Hippie Thug in the spring of 2023 & subsequently his 3rd EP New World Disorder a couple months later. Hall of Infamy & his previous album Worm Food from last summer have both elevated him in terms of popularity containing some of the greatest tracks of his career, dropping The Infamous N.E.Z. almost 9 months succeeding it’s predecessor.

“The Infamous” produced by C-Lance gives his flowers to one of the greatest hip hop duos of all-time Mobb Deep fresh off their final album Infinite this past fall whereas the self-produced “Mysterioso Pizzicato” maintains a gritty boom bap vibe instrumentally talking about cremating any rapper who thinks they’re hot. “Cuckoo!” wasn’t my favorite single of the 3 although I do appreciate the old school east coast hip hop just before “Raiders of the Lost Art” featuring Ja’king the Divine teams up over a Stu Bangas beat talking about hip hop being more than fame & riches.

We get a cool tribute to the classic video game “Def Jam Vendetta” although I prefer Fight for New York like most people & Icon was complete garbage, but then “Gein’s Theme” ruggedly talks about how there won’t ever be another MC of his caliber. “Vat of Acid” gets the 2nd half going admitting that he’s been a bastard from the very beginning while the lead single “Kaboom Bap” talks about being the man with the plan.

“Riddle Me This” rounds out 3rd with this eerie boom bap beat suggesting to keep your head on a swivel & stay vigilant while “Most Writeous” featuring Copywrite finds the 2 promising over some horns issuing a promise of snatching microphones from anyone who’s spitting wack rhymes. “N.E.Z.” lastly sends it all off saluting The Notorious B.I.G. & the late Prodigy on top of promising to go crazy musically until the day he can’t anymore.

Nezzy has been constantly turning heads by evolving his whole style known for combining hardcore vulgar references filled with deeply introspective conscious rap full of uncompromising rhyme schemes & thought-provoking choice of words ever since opening for opening for Psychopathic Records alumni Anybody Killa & DJ Clay at the co-headlined Welcome Home Party couple years ago, to which The Infamous N.E.Z. feels like a refinement of Worm Food in terms of lyricism & production.

Score: 4/5

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Lice – “Miami Lice: Season 4” review

This is the surprise 4th extended play from New York abstract hip hop superduo Lice. Consisting of Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman, both highly revered wordsmiths in their own fields would make their eponymous debut together in the fall of 2015 under Stones Throw Records & followed it up with the sequel Still Buggin’ a year later through Rhymesayers Entertainment. Next summer will be a whole decade since they’ve dropped their last EP Triple Fat Lice, making a comeback by presenting season 4 of Miami Lice.

“Who Sent You?” begins with both of them spitting abstract verses over a bass guitar from Aesop Rock himself whereas “Uh-Oh” takes the boom bap route instrumental working in some sampling talking about the muzzle being warm for those claiming they don’t want trouble with them. “Moving Day” hooks the kicks & snares back up so both of them can get abstractly hardcore for a couple minutes leading into “Burnt Mauve” cavernously trading the mic back-&-forth with each other

To get the other half of the EP going, “The 1” embraces a funkier boom bap vibe talking about the kind of artists they‘ve become known for while “Homework” replaces the funk elements with electronic music suggesting for everyone to do their research on them if they don’t know who they’re fucking with by now. “The Burgers” puts a more conscious spin on the abstract penmanship that’ve defined their whole style while “Evolution” sends it all off on an experimentally drumless note talking about having days that’re both good & bad

I’ve already been anticipating Elucid’s upcoming 5th album albeit Rhymesayers debut I Guess U Had to Be There produced by Sebb Bash this weekend, but Miami Lice reunites Homeboy Sandman & Aesop Rock after 9 whole years of focusing towards their own solo endeavors for the EP that I’ve always wanted them to make ever since their formation. Aesop solely handling the production on this one was a smart move considering how experimental I Heard It’s a Mess There Too was this past Halloween, soundtracking their abstract synergies meticulously.

Score: 4.5/5

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Nettspend – “Early Life Crisis” review

This is the full-length studio debut from Richmond, Virginia rapper & songwriter Nettspend. Blowing up in 2023 off his debut EP Kickdoor, he would also team up with Hooligan Lou for the poorly received collab EP 3rd Knock preceding him signing to Grade A Productions & Interscope Records a few months afterwards. His debut mixtape Badass Fucking Kid was welcomed to divisive feedback although I personally enjoyed it more than Kickdoor or Nettgenes’ eponymous debut EP. I also can’t forget to mention the beef he had with fakemink, squashing it in the middle of delaying Early Life Crisis last weekend.

“you ready?” produced by CXO begins with this rage-inducing lowend intro getting the audience prepared for what’s to time whereas “ce” named after his childhood friend Connor talks about not wanting to pull up because of the Gucci he’s dripped in. “pain talk” featuring OsamaSon finds the pair over a gyro instrumental flexing that their Black Range Rover shoots flames leading into “crack” talking about taking his time with this woman prior to calling her back.

Moving on from there, “still standing” keeps the hypertrap vibes going boasting that he hasn’t been knocked off his axis because of the bands he’s making just before “who tf is u?” talks about using his stick to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. “trap house 2016” discusses burning the trap house down to ashes whenever the cops come out & the Glock being too big for his lap while “masked up” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again links up for a decent rage-inducing gangsta rap track.

“stab” talks about feeling paranoid due to the way he’s living & his way of thinking being altered by the drugs & money that come with the fame while “halftime” references his past feud with fakemink that was recently put to rest whilst describing what he does during the late night hours. “meet me in richmond” kicks off the 2nd half talking about how nobody else is doing shit the way he is while “no sleep” expresses a desire to keep speaking to this woman he’s attracted to.

As for “<3”, we have Nettspend talking about feeling like his state’s version of the grim reaper after trying to love while “paris hilton” addresses the photo of him with the polarizing socialite that was taken a few months earlier. “sick” wants to know what this bitch will do if she ain’t having shit & putting his competition in flu season while “cross ‘em out” talks about being a Badass Fucking Kid instead of a pacifist, copping new guns with switches.

“shades” samples “23” by Juicy J, Miley Cyrus & Wiz Khalifa so he can describe being in the club high off Percocets wearing sunglasses while “plan b” talks about being a rebel with the right clientele. “make it bleed” breaks down living tax-free & modeling for Miu Miu while “hey, hello” confronts a hoe that he’s been communicating with regarding her being jealous of his other girl. “lil bieber” sends off the LP by talking about his desire to take no more Ls & the bridges he burns lighting the way he cruises.

Would I consider Early Life Crisis to be an equally groundbreaking rage album as Psykotic or Rest in Bass? No, but Badass Fucking Kid’s mixed reception got & the beef with fakemink had people quick to say that Nettspend was beginning to fall off or that his 15 minutes of fame are up when there are some considerable upgrades made here compared to that previous tape. The production for this style of trap makes some great usage of samples & the biggest change would be the more personal approach that was taken in terms of songwriting.

Score: 3.5/5

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La Reezy – “Leader of da Uth” review

This is the 6th EP from New Orleans, Louisiana based emcee/producer La Reezy. Introducing himself in 2023 off the full-length studio debut Reeborn, he would go on to follow it up with the debut EP We All Need Help as well as both Welcome to La Reezyana & Pardon Me, I’m Different preceding the self-produced Lareezyana Shakedown this past September. The latter I would personally tell you is the greatest thing he’s made so far. Coming off Free99$ however, the Leader of da Uth isn’t looking to slow down.

“Potna” comes off the rip with a boisterous dirty south instrumental talking about him getting ready to flip in this bitch while “Respect da Yungin’” once again throws it back to late 90s era No Limit & Cash Money Records demanding some due regards put on his name. “Da Coldest Prophet” leans towards a more soulful vibe talking about striving for greatness & after the “You Got It” skit, the final song “Man of da Hour” finishes his proclamation as Leader of da Uth by speaking of being the holy one.

Whether it’s the co-signs from Tyler, The Creator & J. Cole or spitting a verse during that Rap’s New Class cypher On the Radar recently put out, La Reezy has been continuously making case after case as to why he’s one of New Orleans’ most interesting artists on the rise & Leader of da Uth will most likely make up for anyone who found themselves on the fence with Free99$. The production here is stronger than the latter, fluctuating between the dirty south vibes from almost 3 decades prior & sampling chops to keep dropping the playful yet mature subject matter he’s been known for.

Score: 4/5

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Doggystyleeee – “Calm Before Riches” review

Here is the 8th EP from San Bernardino, California emcee Doggystyleeee reemerging for his 6th EP. Coming up 7 years ago off his full-length debut Into Somethin’, he would go on to put out his last 7 EPs as well as 5 mixtapes & a couple more albums garnering interest to the point where WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg almost signed him to Death Row Records not too long after purchasing the label from MNRK Music Group to revive it. Blame It on My Crippin’ & Split Personality produced by AC3Beats as well as & Music with Substance were all welcomed to divisive reception although I enjoyed them personally, reaching the Calm Before Riches.

“Gangsta” samples quite possibly Tha Dogg Pound’s greatest song “Let’s Play House” coming to the realization that his girl ain’t ever been with a g before whereas “Play Yo Part” sends some subtle advise over a cloudy Mobb beat. “Over You” goes for a g-funk vibe instrumentally talking about his refusal to waste any time on a desperate ass bitch while “Let’s Play House” puts a soulful spin on the 90s west coast sound so he can talk about driving hoes crazy.

The song “Majestics” luxuriously kicks off Calm Before Riches’ celebrating SoCal altogether while “Don’t Make Me Trip” warns not to push him over the edge because he stays about that gangsta shit in addition to getting money & staying out the way being the only 2 concerns of his. “Different Flavors” lastly sends off the EP with 1 last Mobb instrumental assuring he could be considered a kingpin the way he slangin’ & getting it out the mud.

Caught in tha Moment a few months earlier was catered more to the ladies because of a desire Doggystyleeee had to increase his female audience & I completely respect it despite not enjoying it as much as the other handful of EPs that came out last year, but he preludes The Reawakening by taking it back to basics for Calm Before Riches. I like the fact he selected only a few producers on board instead of a singular beatsmith to recapture that 90s west coast hip hop aura & tell stories of the gangsta life.

Score: 4/5

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Dutch Interior – “It’s Glass” review

Long Beach, California indie rock band Dutch Interior comprised of guitarist/vocalist Jack Nugent, guitarist/vocalist Conner Reeves, keyboardist/vocalist Shane Barton, drummer Hayden Barton, bassist/vocalist Davis Stewart & guitarist/vocalist Noah Kurtz celebrating a whole year of Moneyball with their 2nd EP. Their introductory extended play Kindergarten in 2021 would prelude their widely praised debut album Blinded by Fame, later making their Fat Possum Records debut with Moneyball around this time 365 days prior. As they get ready for a new era, they’re offering a brief extension of their most recent LP in the form of It’s Glass.

“Ground Scores” begins with alt-country & slowcore-tinged 2nd single singing about finding beauty within the chaos whereas the 3rd & final single “Go Fuck Yourself” incorporates these pianos to explain all the things they don’t like regarding their hometown. “Say Anything” kicks off the 2nd half going for a lo-fi direction so Davis can tell his partner that he knows what it’s worth but once the lead single “Play the Song” by their love of repetition & memory, the acoustic “I Have No Clue” ends by singing about a woman Conner doesn’t even know on top of some acoustics.

In a way, It’s Glass feels like a short extension of Moneyball considering that Dutch Interior are taking the very same ideas they had for their Fat Possum debut over a year ago & evolving them in ways that sound intimately bigger than when they demonstrated their tendency to connect the dots. It can be a bit shapeless compared to its predecessor at times but nevertheless, these guys make it clear that the only constant of their career is the band’s consistent artistic evolution.

Score: 3.5/5

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Trae tha Truth – “Farewell” review

Brand new extended play from Houston, Texas veteran Trae tha Truth. A member of the Screwed Up Click collective, he would go on to join the Guerilla Maab & ABN with over a dozen solo efforts under his belt. Restless being widely considered to be the crown jewel of his discography. Stuck in Motion & Crowd Control were both received mixed-to-negatively within the past couple years, coming off the tribute to his daughter Angel last summer by hinting at retirement with Farewell.

“Amaze Ya” hops over a sample-based trap instrumental to talk about not needing a cast because he’s the motion picture itself whereas the title track explains that sometimes we have to leave when we don’t want to. “4:16am” strips the drums so he can talk about his presence being heavy while “My N****z” flips a guitar to shout out all of his homies. “Heartbreak” soulfully talks about nobody picking him up when he falls & “All for You” woozily finishes by speaking of going crazy in the jungle.

Part of me doesn’t believe that Trae tha Truth will actually retire from making music considering the ever-growing list of artists who make that claim only for them to continue dropping afterwards, including Z-Ro. Either way: I wish him all the best in whatever he does beyond this point & would consider Farewell to be a solid batch of material to end on if that were to be the case even if it had to be pushed back a couple weeks, flowing all over these beats without a single guest needed.

Score: 3.5/5

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waterbaby – “Memory Be a Blade” review

Kendra Egerbladh a.k.a. waterbaby is a 28 year old singer/songwriter from Stockholm, Sweden whom the Seattle, Washington indie label Sub Pop Records signed in the summer of 2023. Her debut extended play Foam followed right away later & left a great deal of listeners divided, although I could see the artistic potential she had fusing alt-pop as well as bedroom pop & alternative R&B. She has since released half of her 2nd EP as singles between last May & the previous month, looking to outdo herself nearly 33 months afterwards.

We get some pianos all over the intro “Sink” singing about the steady waters asking her to either leave or believe whereas the title track blends chamber pop, bedroom pop & bossa nova expresses her desire to be seen as someone worthy. “Clay” featuring her brother ttoh combines art pop, chamber pop, chamber folk, folktronica & bedroom pop to look back at a past break-up while “Beck n Call” also featuring ttoh fuses sophisti-pop, bedroom pop, jazz pop, pop rap & neo-soul so they can talk about their hearts being on lock.

“Minnie” starts the 2nd half of Memory Be a Blade by incorporating some strings singing about not wanting to disappoint all the people she made into believers just before “Minnie Too” goes for a jazzier vibe yearning to get away. The art rock, chamber pop, indie folk, neo-psychedelia, folk rock & post-Britpop lead single “Amiss” asks all sorts of questions regarding love while “Srs Ice” finishes the EP suggesting that she should build an attic inside of her own mind over some horns.

Even I would say Foam was a pretty average alt-pop/bedroom pop EP when it dropped a few summers ago, but the teasers building up towards Memory Be a Blade had me hoping waterbaby would display some artistic growth & I hope she capitalizes that whenever her debut album comes. The production’s noticeably darker take on the styles of chamber pop, bedroom pop, bossa nova, art pop, chamber folk, folktronica, sophisti-pop, jazz pop, pop rap, neo-soul, indie folk, neo-psychedelia, folk rock & post-Britpop improving her songwriting by using a previous breakup as a base to make the lyrics hit deeper.

Score: 3.5/5

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DJ Paul – “Goat of All Goats” review

This is the 9th solo LP from Memphis, Tennessee rapper, producer, DJ, entrepreneur & record executive DJ Paul. The co-founder of the Three 6 Mafia alongside Juicy J, he would eventually carve a path of his own in the early 2000s with Underground Vol. 16: For da Summa followed by Scale-A-Ton & A Person of Interest. Then came Master of Evil under Psychopathic Records on Devil’s Night 2015, which is my personal favorite of his a decade later. Year of the 6 & Year of the 6, Pt. 2 through Slumerican Records were both enjoyable too although the Power, Pleasure & Painful Things EP was overloaded with skits. 6 years later, the Goat of all Goats is back 3 weeks after Arianna Grace became the new TNA Knockouts World Champion.

After the “Goat Welcomes You” intro, the self-produced opener “Straight Out the Jets” talking about having extra homies looking after his other extra of friends in every city whereas “I Beat the Odds” speaks of overcoming every obstacle in his life. “Throw Some Money” featuring the Seed of 6 & Too $hort finds the quartet teaming up for a playful strip club anthem while “Find Out” featuring Freddie Gibbs talks about shooting faces off anyone who dares to fuck with them.

“Stupid Ass Bitch” featuring the late Lord Infamous & Snow Tha Product continues Memphis vibes so all 3 of them dismantle all of these dumb hoes leading into “12 at Night” talking about his rims being so black, that one would presume it’s the evening already. “Bad Motherfucker” featuring the Seed of 6 reunites the trio so they can discuss having motion in the streets while “I’m From the M” represents his hometown to the fullest, talking about the fact that it’s hard ever safe around those parts.

Lyfe Jennings joins Paul on “Free My Dog” calling for each of their friends who’re currently behind bars to come back home while “She Gone Up” featuring Duke Deuce & the Seed of 6 decently talks about hoes throwing it back for a couple of thugs. “Fading” featuring Lord Infamous comes at the throats of all these pussies & the line at the end of the latter’s verse accepting his death might send chills down your spine, but then “Popped Out of a Slingshot” featuring RiFF RAFF reaches the halfway point getting boastful over a trap instrumental.

“Wellness Check” kicks off the 3rd quarter to checkup on his haters who’re constantly dying for attention while “From the Bottom of the Bottom” feels a lot like an interlude considering how heavy “Robbers” by the late Koopsta Knicca is being sampled. “3 the Hardest Way” featuring Yelawolf & Young Buck co-produced by TWhy flips “Knock tha Black Off Yo Ass” for a southern hardcore hip hop banger while “Uhaulin” shifts it’s appeal back to the clubs so all the women listening can shake ass & hit the poles.

Akon & Krayzie Bone both appear for “We Made It”talking about the amount of people who didn’t think either of them would have their own individually established legacies while “Came from Nothing”featuring Krayzie Bone & the Seed of 6 describes going from rags to riches. “Drugs in Me on Cielo Drive” featuring Lil Wyte talks about both of them being under the influence of recreational drugs hence why they’re moving slow while “Munyun” featuring Jucee Froot observes the amount of individuals who claim to have bread when they don’t.

“Every City Got Gangstas” featuring Lil Wyte reunites both Hypnotize Camp Posse members 1 more time pondering if one’s running the streets or their mouths while the final song “OMG!” by Yelawolf & Young Buck preceding a spoken word outro finishes the album with Paul taking a backseat vocally, let both of his guests spit a cutthroat verse of their own sampling “Murder (Killin’ Spree)” by Tommy Wright III talking about each of them being born to raise Hell & not giving up on anything.

Power, Pleasure & Painful Things still has some of DJ Paul’s greatest material in recent memory despite all of the excessive intermissions & Goat of all Goats reintroduces himself by making a statement regarding his longevity & the lasting impact the rest of the Three 6 Mafia has had on hip hop culture 3 decades since Mystic Stylez became the Memphis scene’s groundbreaking masterpiece. He’s still got it behind the boards & on the mic, furthermore amassing a list of local newcomers & his most notable collaborators who mostly stick the landing.

Score: 3.5/5

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