Rigz – “Heal In” review

This is the 4th full-length album from Rochester emcee Rigz. Getting his start as a member of Da Cloth, he eventually broke out solo in 2017 off his debut EP Calculated & then the debut mixtape I Got Samples. This was followed up with a sequel tape & then his 2nd EP A Piece of the Action until his popularity began to grow in 2019 off his Chup-produced 3rd mixtape Roach Gutta Slums & then the Big Ghost Ltd. produced collab effort with fellow Cloth member Mooch called The Only Way Out. Then he brought in Futurewave to produce his full-length debut Substance Abuse & the DJ Muggs-produced Gold, but is now returning in the form of Heal In after laying low since.

After the “Full Plate” intro, the first song “Somewhere” kicks off the album with Rigz over a synth-laced instrumental from Chup talking about how he’d rather die than be stuck in projects trying to survive prior to Bishop the Great & Shonyea tagging along for the raw “Pick Ya Poizon” to let y’all know that there ain’t no avoiding them. “Nobody” has a more lavish approach courtesy of Vanderslice admitting the loneliness that he’s felt, but then Rob Gates comes into the picture for the tense “Instacart” to compare their staged blicks to the titular grocery delivery/pickup service.

M.A.V. joins Rigz over a more sample-based beat on “Guide Me” to get 1 thing straight & after the “Revolving Credit” skit, “It’s Fuck Me But Love You” with Asun Eastwood finds the pair over a chilling loop talking about how they fell into themselves as opposed to falling out with others. “Parrying” with Jai Black blends some pianos, kicks & snares so they can flare shit just before the drumless “Masterpiece” talks about the stains his jeans sustained in the midst of making a work of art.

Meanwhile on the Mooch-assisted “Fundamentals”, we have both Rochester lyricists accompanied by a string-tinged boom bap instrumental to get in their gangsta bag whereas “Henny Shards” brings back the keys talking about the broken glass that he’s ran over. The track “Brand Ya Pain” with M.A.V. has a more jazzier tone as they deliver that soul music while the penultimate song “Exhibit R” reminding us of his roots in the dope game before music. The title track however closes out the album with introspective look at the stresses he’s faced within the last year.

Gold was amongst my favorite albums of last year & if anyone has been wondering what Rigz has been up to since then, you’re gonna have to check out Heal In because it’s a great comeback. Couple lackluster feature performances here & there, but most of them manage to come correct as the subject matter is more personal than dude’s previous efforts & combining that with the signatory raw production we all came to know & love Da Cloth for remains in tact.

Score: 4/5

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Rich Amiri – “Evolution” review

Rich Amiri is an 18 year old recording artist from Boston, Massachusetts who’s been turning heads since the fall of 2021 off the strength of his debut EP Ethereal. The 4ersona member would go on to follow it up with 6 more EPs before signing to Internet Money Records not too long ago. So considering a new label deal, it’s only right for Amiri to shake things up harder than normal in the form of a 12-track/25 minute full-length debut.

“Mention” is a spacey trap opener produced by Taz Taylor, Nick Mira & Rio Leyva referring to himself as a top dog & telling this chick he genuinely loves her whereas “Don’t Feel Ya” works in some synths & hi-hats from Vendr talking about drawing a million as well as being the one taking risks whippin’ bricks. “Best Friend” keeps things in atmospheric trap territory detailing a hoe trying hard to get close to him just before the wavy “Friend of Mine” talks about hitting the lottery.

Moving onto “Salty”, we have a bassy yet hazy banger showing off his sticks until Lil Tecca tags along for the vibrant pop rap cut “Poppin’” that eventually became the album’s 3rd single to talk about the famous lifestyle that both of them are living these days. “Ballin’” finds him telling his girl that he wants to have fun with her tonight on top of a minimal yet rubbery beat, but then “Don’t Exist” comes through with a vulnerable letter to his ex.

“Ace” blends some pianos & hi-hats to brush off any & all nonsense that people try to send his way while the song “Casket” is a catchier jam about living lavish & running up the bag. The penultimate track albeit “Dirty Money” opens up on the benefits of his newfound success over a pluggy instrumental & to round things out, “Can’t Die” finishes the album with him over a rage beat Cxdy made talking about cutting off old friends & copping new bands.

TyFontaine was my favorite Internet Money signee up until he left the label quite some time ago, but Amiri most certainly continues to fulfill that roll with Evolution here. The production is as strong as it was on For the Better last summer & dude really does display how much he’s grown within the last couple years with some of his catchiest songwriting yet.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Horde – “The End is Nigh” review

The Horde is a southern horrorcore superduo consisting of Boondox & Bukshot. One hailing from Covington, Georgia signing to the Insane Clown Posse’s notorious Psychopathic Records in the mid-late 2000s & the other puttin’ it down for Louisville, Kentucky since ‘97 by founding the independent hip hop label Mobstyle Music. The pair started worked with each other for over a decade now continuing to do so after the scarecrow left PSY to form his very own Crimson Krow Entertainment following his 4th album Abaddon eventually signing to Majik Ninja Entertainment couple years later whether it be their first 2 mixtapes Hell’s Kitchen & Paradigm Shift as well as their debut EP Overdrive or even their work with Claas as The Underground Avengers. So considering their long history together, it was only right for them to enlist MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 behind the boards to deliver a full-length debut.

After the “From the Fog” intro, the first song “Black Lands” is an eerie trap opener about planning like mad men whereas the “Grimace” remix maintains the same beat & same lyrics from The Horde with a new verse from Jamie Madrox of the demented duo Twiztid that’s as hard as everything about the O.G. version of the track. “Night Falls” works in some pianos, kicks & snares to detail what wickedly deeds go down in the evening just before Lo Key tags along for the shrilling “Body Bags” to put motherfuckers in the grave & rockin’ like the juggalos they are.

Meanwhile on “Red Mirage”, we have Boondox & Bukshot aggressively speaking on hearing a voice that comes from within that’ll be blamed on the music calling out the pathetic people pointing fingers at art for the stupid shit others do leading into “The List” returns to the boom bap reminding those who want them to fade away that it ain’t happening anytime soon referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE Champion, 11-time WWE tag team champion, the inaugural WWE Hardcore Champion, CWA World Tag Team Champion & TNA World Champion Mick Foley ahead of “Rancid” bringing back the trap influencs asking what you gonna do when the darkness comes.

Kung Fu Vampire & Xshy361x alongside Buk’s Cabal cohorts Lo Key & Mr. Grey all assist The Horde for the gruesomely wicked posse cut “Blood of the Heartless” from the trap instrumental to all 6 killer verses despite KFV’s being my personal favorite of the bunch if I had to pick 1 while the cold blooded “Wrecking Ball” touching on their appetite for destruction. “Testaments” is a confrontation boom bap ballad getting into battle mode with Monoxide reminding me why he’s been my favorite of the demented duo since he started elevating his pen-game on Heartbroken & Homicidal with all respect to Jamie of course while the song “Butchery” has a more explosive trap groove welcoming y’all to the shop where death comes free.

The original version of “Grimace” makes it’s way to the backend of the album by serving as the penultimate track as both Buk & the Killer Scarecrow talking about being on the verse of catching a case & act up for a while alongside the way they both smile until the title track closes out the album with the titular duo properly introducing themselves for those who don’t know with Jamie doing his thing on the hook.

I’ve always felt that Boondox was amongst the most underrated acts that Psychopathic Records has ever put out as further solidified by his latest EP So Much Blood throwing it back to the PunkinHed era & not only has Bukshot been putting in work for the underground wicked shit scene for 26 years, but he & Turncoat Dirty have always helped bring the best out of one another & that’s what they did on The End is Nigh. 7’s production is incredibly dark as both southern veterans fuck shit up lyrically.

Score: 4.5/5

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Estee Nack – “B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties)” review

This is the 6th full-length album from Boston emcee Estee Nack. Coming up as a member of the Tragic Allies, he also branched out on his own my junior year of high school of his Purpose-produced solo debut 14 Forms: The Book of Estee Nack & has since built a lengthy yet impressive discography for himself. Other highlights include the Sadhugold-produced Surfinongold.wav alongside it’s sequel The Order of the Golden Fleece, the Giallo Point-produced Papitas, his collab efforts with al.divinowith the #MiniMansionDust series. But as Estee makes up for his Griselda Records debut Nacksaw Jim Duggan being delayed, he’s enlisting V Don to fully produce B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties).

“Opening Statements” is a grand drumless opener with Estee talking about going from riding a train to a truck & those trying to reach for his charm whereas “Penny Pinchin’” goes right into sinister boom bap attacking the type of motherfucker to play games with you. “Paperchasing” takes a more soulful route with some bass guitar to go after the bread, but then The Hidden Character tags along for the rugged “Gatpackin’” talking about guns of course.

As for “Devils Can’t Fool God”, we have Mr. Rose over a bare string instrumental to address those who still be trying to get on his good side even after the fact that a bunch of weak shit about them was confirmed leading into Primo Profit tagging along for “The Uncanny” accompanied by a blaring yet raw ass beat advising to check your own posture. “Who to Trust” has a bluesy, drumless approach to it with the Nackman talking about being unsure as to who he can genuinely trust leading into “Sang Tsung” is a attaches these synthesizers to some more kicks & snares to talk about those who ain’t got cake to blow waiting ‘til you’re famous.

The song “Vivir triumfar y morir Pt. 2” comes through with a bare orchestral loop to deliver a sequel to a joint off Joan Manuel Serrap expand on the themes of living, succeeding & eventually death while the penultimate track “Rules & Regulations” has one of the stronger feature performances from Rigz from Da Cloth as they hop on a beat with a rich boom bap quality to it talking about how it be where they come from. The closer “Exodus” has another great guest verse from Eto this time with both them sending off the album with a hypnotically psychedelic instrumental addressing being from the streets & trying to make it with their feet pressed against the sand.

Although it’s certainly disappointing that Nacksaw Jim Duggan got pushed back, that’s just how it goes sometimes. As for the album before the album right here, it’s quickly becoming amongst my favorites in Estee’s discography & reassures me that his Griselda debut will be on par if not superior to what B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties) brought to the table. He’s always been my favorite Tragic Allies member & I’m truthfully 50/50 on the 4 features, but V Don continues to further reveal himself as an in-demand producer in the underground with his production here being the most consistent we’ve heard the Nackman spit over in a while.

Score: 4.5/5

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100 gecs – “10,000 gecs” review

This is the sophomore effort & major label debut from St. Louis, Missouri hyperpop duo 100 gecs. Consisting of singer/songwriters & producers Dylan Brady & Laura Les, they got together in 2015 after meeting at a high school rodeo & dropped an eponymous extended play the following year to moderate reception. Their debut 1,000 gecs polarized the musical spectrum with some calling it unlistenable & others like me who appreciate it for playfully demonstrating their creativity. Dog Show Records has since signed a new distribution deal with Atlantic Records & are turning it up from 1,000 & to 10,000 gecs.

“Dumbest Girl Alive” gets things going fusing hyperpop, alternative rock, digicore, nu metal, industrial hip hop & trap talking about Laura’s experiences of transitioning whereas “757” comes through with a decent cover of “1.7” by Quentin Lovejoy. The final single “Hollywood Baby” blends alternative rock, power pop, hyperpop & pop punk singing about them going insane due to most of the LP being written during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic leading into “Frog on the Floor” averagely covering Isaa Corva & 16inMono’s track of the same name.

Dance-punk, dance-punk revival, zolo, ska punk, new wave, geek rock & comedy rock all collide for “Doritos & Fritos” singing about eating burritos with Danny DeVito while “Billy Knows Jamie” covers “Alex Knows Stevie” by Quintin Lovejoy & puts a nu metal spin on it. “The Most Wanted Person in the United States” after the “$1M” interlude samples “Insane in the Brain” by Cypress Hill talking about being killers while “I Got a My Tooth Removed” pokes fun at the dental work Laura needed a year earlier. “mememe” ends with a fusion of hyperpop, power pop, ska punk, bitpop, pop punk, geek rock, alternative rock, new tone & neon pop punk singing about people not knowing shit regarding them.

Atlantic has a long history of doing their artists dirty from Apathy to Lupe Fiasco & more recently Lil Uzi Vert, but I was relieved to come away from 10,000 gecs enjoying as much as 100 gecs’ previous album. Their production’s a bit more accessible than 1000 gecs’ prominently leaning towards the alternative rock side of things although we do get hints of the hyperpop sound they popularized, ska punk, power pop, pop punk, geek rock, new tone, nu metal, bitpop, new tone, neon pop punk, dance-punk, dance-punk revival, zolo, new wave & comedy rock throughout the half hour retaining the humorous songwriting of it’s predecessor.

Score: 4/5

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Genevieve Artadi – “Forever Forever” review

Los Angeles, California musician, singer/songwriter & video producer Genevieve Artadi following up her Brainfeeder Records debut with her 3rd studio album. Known for being the vocalist of the duo KNOWER with producer Louis Cole, she would go on to make her solo debut with Genevieve Lalala in the spring of 2015 a couple months prior to my high school graduation. Flying Lotus would eventually sign her to Brainfeeder distributed by Ninja Tune & the sophomore effort Dizzy Strange Summer would become more positively received, following it up a few years later with Forever Forever.

After the “A Romantic Interlude Will Soon Come Your Way” intro, the first song “Visionary” begins by crossing over elements of art pop, psychedelic pop, progressive pop, jazz pop & jazz fusion for a celebration of love whereas the title track embraces a Stereolab vibe singing about how her mind stays chasing. “I Know”brings in a mini-moog & a guitar telling this person she went so far & changed herself for them leading into “Message to Self” takes inspiration from Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson making an audio voice memo for herself.

“Nice” ends the 1st half of Forever Forever singing about self-assurance over throwing it back to the days of 80s pop music just before “Black Shirts” by KNOWER addresses a person who’s absence is her malfunction blending house & jazz music. “To Tell How I Adore” has it’s moments reminiscent of Gentle Giant promising this person to express the way she cherishes them while “Plate” brings some incredible drumming to the picture singing about making some meaning out of her night.

The song ‘From Avalanche’ uses metaphors to depict the struggles & challenges that come with a relationship to wind down the album’s final moments while “Change Stays” sings about embracing the inevitable. “Watch for the View” however spends the final 3 minutes finding the inner strength to overcome all the challenges of her life, instrumentally feeling like a cross between Stereolab as well as Joni Mitchell & the late Frank Zappa.

Listening to jazz’s greats from the late Duke Ellington to the late Gil Evans & the late Miles Davis in pursuit of a creative spark, Genevieve Artadi returns after expressing who she is outside of her side projects during the COVID-19 lockdowns minimizing the progressive pop influences of her previous full-length to expand her art pop style successfully exploring jazz fusion, nu jazz, jazz pop & psychedelic pop to express the love she has for all the people who’re in her life.

Score: 4/5

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Liberation – “Liberation 2” review

Liberation is a MC/producer duo consisting of Brooklyn veteran Talib Kweli on the mic & Oxnard extraordinaire Madlib behind the boards. The pair first linked up in ‘07 off the strength off an eponymous self-titled debut backed by Stones Throw Records & have collaborated with each other a handful of times since, with the last time being Black Star’s long-awaited sophomore album no fear of time* about 10 months ago at this point. An album much like Gotham’s own self-titled debut the year before proved that Kweli can still make great music even though I’m not afraid to acknowledge the fact that he makes a total prick out of himself on social media these days. Nonetheless, Liberation’s returning in effect for a sequel to their debut that’s been 2 years in the making & I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to it.

After the “Assata’s Code” intro, the first song “Best Year Ever” sets the album up with a jazzy boom bap instrumental & Kweli talking about how things are only gonna get better from hereon out whereas “Air Quotes” has a more empowering quality to the beat as the subject matter delves into the fakeness & toxicity of everyone else in the rap game. “Nat Turner” with Cassper Nyovest blends trap with afrobeats obviously getting on a more conscious tip lyrically, but then “1 for Biz” with Wildchild works in some pianos along with these kicks & snares to pay homage to the late Biz Markie.

Meanwhile on “Loop Digga’s Revenge”, we have Madlib hooking up a soul sample shouting out those who grew up staring at album covers & encouraging to come to a show if you wanna see the greatest in action just before Pink Siifu tags along for the the slick “Ad Vice” talking about how unapologetic both of he & Kweli are with the latter’s daughter Diani on the hook. “Wild Sweet Love” comes through with a drumless get spacious vibe getting romantic leading into the flute/string-tinged “Wild Beauty” instrumental interlude.

The late Mac Miller slides through for “The Right to Love Us” reminding everyone what our women are fighting accompanied by a jazzy beat with some heavy kicks while “After These Messages” with Amani finds him joining his dad on the mic so the father-son pair deliver a meditation on American racism over some keys, strings & horns. Roc Marciano & Westside Gunn tag along for the sequel to the highlight track “Richies” off Hitler Wears Hermes IX down to the same Soul Superiors sample “Trust in Me Baby” as the trio bring it raw on the mic.

The track “Marathon Through Babylon” has a colder tone instrumentally as Talib & Meshell Ndegeocello both ponder why & when did everyone become such sheep as well as comparing their rhymes to that of alkaline & prior to the “Assata’s Reprise” outro, the final song “Something Special” really ends the album by mixing these synthesizers with jazz-funk icon Roy Ayers on the vibraphones by calling this innovation as opposed to imitation.

I with all respect like to compare Kweli to Kanye in the sense that both of them are established veterans with an insane amount of artistic talent who publicly make asses of themselves on the regular & I say that because when you think about that in the grand scheme of things, the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree. That being said: Liberation 2 most certainly lived up to my expectations by continuing Talib’s artistic redemption that the Gotham album began & no fear of time* continued on with. Madlib’s production is potently jazzy & dusty with the whole concept of globally unifying through space & time undeniably needed to be heard.

Score: 4.5/5

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slowthai – “U.G.L.Y. (U Gotta Love Yourself)” review

This is the 3rd album from Northampton, England, United Kingdom recording artist slowthai. Emerging during the backend of the previous decade off a couple EPs & eventually the full-length debut Nothing Great About Britain, his profile continued to grow shortly after due to his feature on BROCKHAMPTON’s 5th album GINGER the same summer as the latter & even the introspective sophomore effort TYRON backed by AWGE Records & Interscope Records, which just celebrated it’s 2-year anniversary last month. So considering that, it was only a matter of time until he finally unleashed U.G.L.Y. (U Gotta Love Yourself).

“Yum” is a chaotic EDM/hip hop crossover with slowthai aggressively admitting that he needs an intervention & been lacking motivation whereas “Selfish” really sets the tone for the whole thing from the artsy post-synth-punk instrumental to the lyrics about thinking for himself. “Sooner” has a more peppier, summery approach to it looking back on being broke & not having a pot to piss in prior to “Feel Good” has a more dance-punk/post-punk revival groove to it talking about feeling so good.

Moving on to “Never Again”, we have slowthai over some pianos & drums going in depth of walking away from his shadow & never thought of seeing it again just before the short yet raw hip hop cut “Fuck It Puppet” finds him confessing to trying to O.D. & pondering why the voices make him act impulsively. “Happy” is a catchy post-punk revival ballad about it being ok to cry, but then the title track dives into shoegaze turf pointing out that the most beautiful people do the ugliest things.

“Falling” is a vulnerable post-punk jam asking if anyone feels like they’re driftin’ away through space” while the song “Wotz Funny” goes into rapcore territory asking what the fuck’s so funny. The penultimate track “Tourniquet” weaves some keys into the fold admitting that he still can’t learn from burning bridges until “25% Club” comes through with an acoustic sendoff to the album singing about having a vacancy that only his significant other is capable of filling.

Between this & Lil Yachty’s latest album Let’s Start Here. that we just got a little over a month ago, slowthai is the 2nd hip hop artist to successfully crossover into a new genre in 2023 as of me writing this. The overall sound is more post-punk with some minor synth-punk, post-punk revival, dance-punk & UK hip hop influences with a profound message throughout of self-love.

Score: 4/5

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Macklemore – “Ben” review

Macklemore is a 39 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Seattle, Washington emerging as a teenager off his debut mixtape Open Your Eyes before following it up 5 years later with the full-length debut The Language of My World. He went on to drop his unplanned sophomore tape before achieving success with Ryan Lewis by releasing an EP & 2 full-length albums together before going on an indefinite hiatus. The Mack went solo once again releasing his sophomore effort Gemini to unfavorable reception & is returning nearly 6 years later with his 3rd album.

“Chant” opens the album with some pianos, organs, funky bass-lines & handclaps from Budo to boast his success with a tepid hook from Tones & I whereas “No Bad Days” is a happy go lucky ballad about things always being good when that’s far from reality because life really ain’t perfect. I’m sorry to be nihilistic here, but it’s true & that’s not to say I’m against music that’ll put me in a good mood. “1984” hilariously rips off The Weeknd’s last 2 albums sonically living like it’s the titular year while “Maniac” is a mediocre indie pop rap jam about needing a break in a relationship.

Moving onto “Day You Die”, we have Macklemore asking what would you do if you knew the exact day you die continuing to fuse lol rap with indie pop as Sarah Barthel delivers one of the better hooks on the album just before “Heroes” being the reason why I’m doing this review as someone was in my inbox hyping this single up to me & I actually can’t fully blame said person because this is one of the better moments on the album with the boom bap production & DJ Premier on the turntables except the raps are just mid.

“Grime” weaves some lucky bass-lines into the fold with the constant references to hip hop’s past makes me think he’s trying to rap like he’s The Game when even Drillmatic: Heart vs. Mind is better than dude’s whole catalog while “I Need” talks about wanting 2 bad bitches & a bag of good weed over a funky trap beat. “Lost” starts off with a summery approach talking about being obsessed with our public image more than stayin’ connected to our spirit until the bluesy “Sun Comes Up” details 3 insomnia nights.

NLE Choppa comes into the picture for the subpar pop rap collab joint “Faithful” despite the message of needing to be repaired about being broken while “Tears” has a funkier groove telling the story of a woman he met when he was 14 at his parent’s house. “Sorry” has a jangly tone to it apologizing to said ex-loved while the crooning “God’s Will” is one of the better songs talking about being built for this. The penultimate track “I Know” has a more spiritual vibe passing the advice from his mother to drive slow & Morray’s hook on “Tail Lights” isn’t bad either admittedly although I’ve heard the verses about being at a fork in the road done better.

Considering how much of an embarrassment Gemini was 6 years ago, I didn’t really expect much going into Ben. Lo & behold: It’s almost as bad if not worse than Macklemore’s previous solo album. I guess it’s cool to see him expanding the pop rap sound he became famous for by pulling from indie pop & trap, but the thing is that the lyricism isn’t really that deep as he wants you to think it is when you dissect them & continues to paint himself into a corner by doing so.

Score: 1.5/5

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Wolf Windblade – “Windblade” review

This is the full-length debut from Queens emcee & professional illustrator Wolf Windblade. Emerging a decade ago off the strength of his debut EP Adofo, it wouldn’t be until this past Christmas Eve where he returned to the music scene & followed it up with his previous EP Mperfect. But in order to introduce to himself to wider audience, Swiss producer John Sarastro is being enlisted to help Wolf achieve that goal by lacing Windblade from start to finish.

“spar play wordplay” is a boom bap opener to set the album up reminding everyone that hip hop is the art of saying what you mean from your heart whereas “Urbanear EGT 2022” follows it up by taking a more drumless approach calling to protect the children. “Windblade’s Tail” tries to ensure the peace he bring balances a curse with the way of the Naga clans being air & iron just before “Hotmouf” jumps on top of a bare bass guitar to talk about being at the point now where he’s fed up with the twisted vision.

As for “Lafayette’s Trail”, things take a more mystical yet soothing approach to the beat welcoming everyone to the world of EAT & dropping timeless tape for the mutant mindless leading into the dark ambient inspired “Scythe” talking about changing the world with maniacal sentences chockfull of syllables. “Chanbara’s Recall” returns to a more drumless vibe albeit with a darker flare to it talking about N.Y. in the 70’s as well as Jersey in the following decade, but then “Wintermission Arcadia” is more of an interlude with it’s strings & spoken word delivery.

“Universal Uptop Headwind Dislocation” comes through with a more experimental sound referring to himself as simply a mantis with visceral semantics & a guillotine hand grip while “Silverfox Titan’s Vertigo Maneuvers” weaves some pianos into the fold to declare himself to be a beast on a beat who fight over meat in the wolfpack”. The song “Jing Cong Valyu” is a spacious boom bap heater telling the tale of a gender-neutral name of Chinese origin steeped in royalty & cultural innovation emerging from the Zhou dynasty while the penultimate track “Da’vid 2021” brings back the bass guitar wishing we had time for meditation. “Wind Dance” though finishes the album on a spiritual note from the woodwinds to the lyrics calling the world a perpetual knockout.

For those’ve you who’re unfamiliar with Wolf Windblade’s first couple EPs that he broke out onto the scene with, then I’m sure this debut album of his will sure to leave a lasting impression on you going into & coming away from it because . The production that John Sarasto cooks up here completely caught me off guard & I mean that in a good way considering the unorthodoxy of sounds that he has to offer with Windblade profoundly paying tribute to the past’s present future tense connectors.

Score: 4/5

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