Kardinal Offishall – “Firestarter 2: everyday, sometimes…” review

Kardinal Offishall is a 50 year old rapper, songwriter, producer, DJ & record executive from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who made his debut in late ‘97 with Eye & I. The sophomore effort Firestarter: Quest for Fire albeit major label debut under MCA Records would make him the ambassador of the Canadian hip hop scene even if Fire & Glory, Not 4 Sale, the Nottz-produced A.M.T.R.I.M. (Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself) mixtape & Kardi Gras: The Clash were all welcomed to mixed reception. Over a decade later & he’s returned for his 6th studio LP.

“Heavy’s the Head” triumphantly opens up talking about the weight of the crown he’s wearing whereas “40 Acres & a Ferrari” featuring Black Thought & Stove God Cook$ finds the trio discussing it not being too late for them to receive those 2 things over a boom bap instrumental. “All Nighter” featuring Konshens & T-Pain goes for a pop rap vibe talking about staying up for an evening with their partners but once “Kiss Me When I” admits he hates it when his lover leaves, “Top 3” featuring Buju Banton & Idris Elba ends the 1st leg with a boastful reggae anthem.

Nesta appears for the remix to “My Brother’s Keeper” to kick off the 2nd half continuing showing more love towards Jamaican culture while “When You’re in Love” once again confronts themes of romance over a more subdued beat. “Bombay Sunsets” featuring Idris Elba returns to the boom bap so they can bring it hardcore & after “When There’s Smoke” aggressively talks about the consequences of any beef poppin’ off, the title track ends Firestarter 2: everyday, sometimes… telling us the way he’s been feeling since the previous full-length.

Admittedly: I wasn’t so sure whether or not Firestarter 2: everyday, sometimes… would live up to the expectations set out by the predecessor considering almost everything he’s done since has left audiences divided. And contrasting the previous installment capturing Kardinal Offishall at the height of his career, this sequel provides a glimpse of where he’s at a quarter of a century later as the ambassador of Canadian hip hop maintaining his signature dancehall style outside of some boom bap & pop rap detours. I can respect that.

Score: 3.5/5

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Adult DVD – Self-Titled review

Adult DVD are a dance-punk band from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom consisting of bassist George Manson, drummer Jonathan Newell, guitarist Danny Blackburn, backup synthesist Jake Williams, co-founding synthesist Greg Lonsdale & frontman Harry Hanson. Forming in the middle of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when Harry & Greg were sending music to each other on the internet, they would eventually drop their debut extended play Fountain of Youth in 2023 & the follow-up Next Day Shipping arrived a year later. Signing to Fat Possum Records back in January, they’re ready for an eponymous full-length studio debut.

“Do As I Please” begins with this dance punk intro singing about nonconformity whereas “Coffin Dodger” keeps the dance punk revival vibes in tact so Harry can describe avoiding death. “Cold Caller” goes for a synth-punk direction suggesting that one can really get what they want just before Adult DVD treads the dance punk waters once more singing about waking up one day feeling serious & becoming what they call a “Minimal Criminal”.

The new rave-inspired 4th & final single “Jesus Christ Supercar” sings about feeling like the son of God under the influence of drugs while the 2nd single “Cowboy on Aisle 3” gets humorous with the songwriting to end the 1st leg of the band’s self-titled offering, embracing the dance punk aesthetics once more. “The Steaks are High” maintains the dance punk revivalism so Harry can observe the increasing pricing of beef while “World’s Best Boss” sings about only shaking this guy’s hand because he’s in charge of his job.

“All I Need” reaches the backend of Adult DVD’s inaugural LP with some of the most carefree dance punk throughout the entire half hour while “Ghillie Suit” would make one think of the late Prodigy frontman Keith Flint right when it instantly plays & I have no doubts that would’ve made him proud. “Real Tree Lee” introduced these guys as part of the Fat Possum roster with a lead single reminiscent of Fontaines D.C. mocking a secluded right-winger & the 3rd single “Rolling Face” ends in the form of this synth-punk outro singing about there once being comfort in sound & pleasure in the peace when time passed.

Citing The Prodigy amongst their biggest inspirations alongside LCD Soundsystem, this debut album elevates the potential we initially saw in Adult DVD when they initially formed & make a broader introduction to the dance punk revival, synth-punk, big beat, electroclash & new rave ideas of their early EPs introducing a handful of different characters with massive egos for the purpose of thinking people would consider them assholes if they wrote from their own perspectives.

Score: 4/5

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Protomartyr – “Hotel Usona” review

Protomartyr is an art/post-punk band from Detroit, Michigan consisting of guitarist Greg Ahee, drummer Alex Leonard, bassist Scott Davidson & frontman Joe Casey. Releasing their debut No Passion All Technique in 2012, the sophomore effort & Under Color of Official Right & The Agent Intellect under Sub Pop Records would turn more heads & Relatives in Descent has become their most celebrated material yet. Coming off both Ultimate Success Today & Formal Growth in the Desert though, the teasers for their 7th studio LP had me more excited than either of it’s predecessors.

“The Old Hotel” kicks things off with this post-punk intro likening the US to a hotel that’s been neglected for a long period of time whereas the lead single “Sounds We Cannot Hear” blends post-punk, noise rock & art rock to sing about tinnitus. “Converts” makes brutal critiques towards JD Vance & Peter Thiel respectively but once the 3rd & final single “Exalted Eagles” fuses art rock & post-punk to condemn the rise of fascism, “The Knife Dream” could go down amongst Protomartyr’s most haunting tracks.

Meanwhile on “Feed the Sewer”, we have Joe & company fusing noise rock as well as post-punk & post-hardcore for a warning regarding the dangers of AI just before “Lavender – Gospel” breaks down the AI database system used against Palestinians in accelerating the Gaza genocide. “3rd Country” winds down the last few moments of Hotel Usonadetailing the heartbreaking reality of families being separated via deportation & “Checking Out” sends off the album singing about America making him & many others disillusioned.

12 months from now will already be an entire decade since Relatives in Descent revealed Protomartyr’s artistic evolution beyond the Under Color of Official Right & The Agent Intellect eras, but Hotel Usona has now dethroned it to become the most powerful musical statement in their 2 decades of existence. The post-punk, art rock, goth rock, noise rock & post-rock production doesn’t lose it’s richness at any point during the 45 minutes & they conceptually make a disturbingly realistic comparison between the state of this country for almost 2 years & an abandoned hotel rotting from within.

Score: 4.5/5

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Kiefer Shackleford – “Memory Bomb” review

Kiefer Shackleford is a 34 year old pianist & producer from Los Angeles, California who properly introduced himself nearly a decade earlier off his full-length studio debut Kickin’ It Alone & the sophomore effort Happysad respectively. When There’s Love Around as well as It’s Ok, B U & Something Real would all follow to similar reception but coming off FATHERS’ eponymous debut a couple months ago, Kiefer’s signing to the great jazz label of all-time Blue Note Records for his 6th studio LP.

“Daydreaming” by Cisco Swank & Relyae opens up with both of them lusciously singing about a romantic fantasy with CARRTOONS playing bass & Luke Titus handling drums whereas “Nowhere Fast” by Rae Khalil takes a funkier approach refusing to give up her heart that she’s keeping safe. “Overture” hits us with the first actual compositional piece playing keys with Nate Smith on the drums & Shibo on bass giving heavy instrumental hip hop vibes for a few minutes until “NewLevels NewDevils” by Erick the Architect & Tony Stone goes full-blown jazz rap.

Relyae takes the microphone once again during “Get to the Moon” except Amber Navran’s accompanying her for this glamorous R&B duet letting CARRTOONS play bass once more leading into the title track enlisting tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, guitarist Flanafi & bassist Shibo to make the core of Memory Bomb amongst it’s most exquisite moments. “Entr’acte” feels like more of an 89 second interlude to end the 1st half that could play in the middle of an [adult swim] bumper while “BusyForYa” by Planet Giza sings about not having time for this individual.

“Won’t Be Long” by Amber Navran & Phil Beaudreau with Shibo playing the synthesizers & bass depicting a couple assuring each other that none of them are ungrateful for the lessons learned preceding a breakup while “Don’t Fail Me Now” pulls inspiration from instrumental hip hop again, letting CARRTOONS program the drums behind these synths. “Can’t Let a Good Thing Go” by Gareth Donkin sings about refusing to move past something in life going correctly & after the exuberant “As She Was”, the closing track “I Let My Hair Grow” ends Memory Bomb handling all the instruments by himself.

Known for honing his own style that he refers to as “Over the Breaks”, the FATHERS album made me even more interested in what Kiefer Shackleford was artistically capable of doing from an individual standpoint & would say Memory Bomb joins DOMi & JD Beck’s recent sophomore effort WHO ASKED? in being one of Blue Note’s more average releases on 2026. His distinctive blend of jazz improvisation & hip hop production more richly textured than his earlier output regardless of the guest vocalists being a mixed bag.

Score: 3/5

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Tinashe – “Popstar” review

Here we have the 5th studio LP from Lexington, Kentucky singer/songwriter, dancer & actress Tinashe. Breaking out over a decade ago off her first 3 mixtapes In Case We Die as well as Reverie & more specifically Black Water, her RCA Records-backed debut Aquarius was as well received as the latter although her debut EP Amethyst was moderately received & the 4th tape Nightride was seen as an improvement. She would later depart RCA following the sophomore effort Joyride going independent on both Songs for You & 333respectively to better reception again, coming off BB/Ang3l & Quantum Baby to sign with Atlantic Records for Popstar.

“Sunglasses” produced by Arca kicks things off singing about seeing straightforward tunnel vision whereas “Too Easy” blends ghettotech, pop rap & techno bass boasting that she makes this shit look simple. “Melatonin” could have a chance at becoming the best single of 2026 masterfully combining ghetto house, ghettotech, acid techno, electroclash, tech house & hip house singing about those sleeping on her prior to “Empty Stadium” sampling “Rebound” by Audrey Nuna describing the rush she gets when rehearsing.

We have Tinashe taking a more somber approach during “Flashbacks” apologizing to her partner for talking shit whenever she gets turned on while the 44 second “Overdramatic” feels underdeveloped because I really enjoy DJ Camper’s jazzy trap beat & the brief verse. “I’d Rather Be Alone” mixes elements of trap & alternative R&B depicting the unwillingness of continuing an unhappy relationship while “Crash Out” experiments with ratchet & hyphy retaining the PBR&B & pop rap textures losing her shit.

“Pillow Fight” begins the 2nd half showing a more playful side to herself singing about falling in love with someone instantly while “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore” goes EDM to make some commentary regarding that specific scene that’s others have made equally well. “25/8” atmospherically finds herself going beyond the limits daily while & after the “The Show Must Go On” intermission, the title track brings us to the core advising against dating a Popstar.

The song “Brainrot” makes a bold comparison between her numbness towards insincere affection & the Internet culture phase popularized by Gen Z & Alpha that I found to be genuinely funny while “Cloud 9” warmly sings about being in paradise with basslines that keep hitting you in the chest. “Heavy Weight” spends the remaining minutes of the album stripping it back for an acoustic outro confessing she’s been carrying this baggage for some time.

Returning to a major label for the first time in almost a decade, Atlantic makes it up to everyone for the mediocre responses to Miley Cyrus’ own debut for the imprint Bass Persuades last weekend with what I’m sure many will consider Tinashe’s finest artistic statement for years to come. The alternative R&B, electronic dance music, post-dubstep, pop rap, alt-pop & UK bass production embodies her own definition of what makes a Popstar & she sounds more confident than she has previously.

Score: 4.5/5

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Madopelli – “The Unkindness” review

Yes, this is the brand new LP & 5th overall from California City horrorcore duo Madopelli. Consisting of M.A.D & Ant Dog, the pair have also gone on to drop a couple of mixtapes & EPs ever since forming in 2016. Their sophomore effort albeit Lyrikal Snuff Productionz debut No Bluffin’ proved itself to be Madopelli’s most refined work to date both lyrically & sonically to the point where they were instantly accepted within the Gorehop realm. The follow-up Stories from the Sanctum later resulted in both members making their LSP debut as solo artists with Sadistic Symphony & M.A.D (Me Against Death), coming off Suffer Not Dishonor to discuss The Unkindness.

After the titular intro, “Repeat It with Me” begins with an aggressive intro representing the squad leading into “Remember That” sends a message to the people acting like they don’t know. “Where We Dwell” featuring Ganjre the Great finds the trio describing this darkness creeping within themselves & after “Wicked Soundz” talks about giving 0 fucks, “Better Dayz” sends positivity towards anyone listening who’s going through something advising to keep their heads up.

“Ghost in Ceiling” gets the 2nd half going asking if everything will be alright in the end because M.A.D & Ant are each at a low point mentally just before “My Way Out” continues from there talking about how they feel like simultaneously dying & climbing further away until they’re undiscoverable. “Whut!” makes it clear that neither one of them have time for nonsense & the final song “Void” preceding the outro angrily concludes The Unkindness people’s hearts growing dark.

It’ll already be a couple years since Madopelli dropped Suffer Not Dishonor within the next few months & in preparation for Team Snuff getting ready for a wave of new music in time for Halloween roughly 4 weeks from now including Scum’s 17th album Nobody Spared in a couple weeks & the sophomore effort from albeit LSP debut from their newest signing the King of Horriblecore sometime afterwards, both of them observe The Unkindness that the world has slowly devolved into with the darkest of the 4 full-lengths they’ve made.

Score: 3.5/5

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Salt – “Salty n Lit” review

Salt is a 60 year old MC from Brooklyn, New York who became amongst the First Ladies of Rap Salt-n-Pepa alongside Pepa & DJ Spinderella back in the mid-80s. Outside of them dropping 5 full-lengths together in a little over a decade with last one being in 1997, they’ve also been embroiled in a copyright dispute with Universal Music Group since 2022 & were recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last fall. However, neither of them until this point have gone solo & Salt’s taking it upon herself to be the first to do so.

After the “Long Game” intro, the opening track “Chosen” gets things poppin’ instrumentally bringing a Bay Area vibe to the table talking about her greatness whereas “Real One” embraces a funkier vibe flexing that she’s still nice with it after all this time away recording. “Diamonds in the Light” flips one of my favorite Jadakiss tracks “Still Feel Me” to discuss maintaining your inner peace leading into “No Crumbs” chops up a soul sample so she can talk about having unfinished business

“Kings & Queens” after a Chuck D interlude wraps up the 1st half with a 2nd single honoring hip hop culture’s historic origins in the east coast while “4 the Love” featuring Dee-1 soulfully kicks off the 2nd leg showing some love to the Nas joint “1 Mic”. We have Salt experimenting with R&B & trap on “Overcomers” asking where the ladies at for a summertime bop despite it being fall now & after the “Insecure” interlude, “Ride or Die” blends pop rap & trap for a decent romance anthem.

The spacious boom bap “My Team” reps her squad interpolating “My Chick Bad” by Ludacris & Nicki Minaj during the hook while “Poison Water” brings an aquatic trap flare to the table asking why this deadly form of rain’s been pouring down upon her. “Like Christ” feels less of an “interlude” & more of an undeveloped plea to become similar to Jesus just before the funky “All My Life” outro sends off Salty n Lit looking back at her career.

Similarly to Mike D of the Beastie Boys’ own solo debut Thank You last month, Salt gives the world a personal statement based on her life experience & who she has become for anyone who appreciates what Salt-n-Pepa have down for the culture without the need of a major label. There’s a heavy gospel influence to the production which can be inconsistent at points & more notably the guests, but it’d be interesting to hear if she makes anything going forward with bigger names joining her on the mic & behind the boards.

Score: 3/5

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Anthrax – “Cursum Perficio” review

Anthrax is a thrash metal band from Queens, New York consisting of rhythm guitarist Scott Ian, drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello, lead guitarist Jon Donais & frontman Joey Belladonna. Making their full-length debut in 1984 with Fistful of Metal under Megaforce Records, the Island Records-backed sophomore effort Spread the Disease & Among the Living would both cement themselves as one of thrash’s Big 4 pioneers. State of Euphoria & Persistence of Time were both solid too although I can’t say the same for their Elektra Records debut Sound of White Noise or Stomp 442 & Volume 8: The Threat is Real. We’ve Come for You All was a tight return to form for them but coming off the superior Worship Music & For All Kings through Megaforce in tandem with Nuclear Blast Records, they’re reuniting for their 12th studio LP.

After the “Persistence of Memory” intro, “The Long Goodbye” opens up with an ode to Charlie’s father battling Alzheimer’s whereas “It’s For the Kids”combines thrash & groove metal so Joey can sing about always sticking to the plan without having to make any improvisations. “Everybody’s Got a Plan”swaps out the thrash elements in favor of a traditional heavy metal sound with a groove metal twist quoting WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson while “The Edge of Perfection” masterfully blends heavy metal, groove metal, thrash metal, progressive metal, blackgaze, black metal.

“NYC 93” enjoyably throws it back to the Sound of White Noise Days days which is widely accepted as the best of the 3 offerings to come outta the John Bush-era as someone who personally wasn’t a fan of that point in the band’s career while the title track sings about reaching the end of a journey. “T.O.M.B.” poses the question of what could go wrong after stealing silver from the eyes of a dead man & after the thrashy “Watch It Go” sings about bartering evil as necessary by any means, “My Victory” concludes Cursum Perficiopondering if one can win the hearts & minds with or without them.

There were some concerns whether or not Anthrax was gonna hang it up after Cursum Perficio until Charlie Benante confirmed that wasn’t the case but nevertheless, I can confidently place this decade-long comeback above Worship to hold the bragging rights of being the finest material they’ve made this century. They threw out a bunch of old tunes they’ve already had since at least 2023 & made some new ones inspired by thrash metal, groove metal, heavy metal, progressive metal, blackgaze & black metal documenting their entire journey to stardom.

Score: 4/5

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Jake Xerxes Fussell – “The Old Beloved Path” review

Jake Xerxes Fussell is a 44 year old singer/songwriter from Columbus, Georgia who made his eponymous full-length debut over a decade. He would go onto follow it up with What in the Natural as well as Out of Sight and Good & Green Again preceding him signing to Fat Possum Records. His debut for the label When I Called arrived only a couple years & coming off the soundtrack to Rebuilding last fall, he’s making a secular comeback for his 6th studio LP.

“#1” has producer Ben Whiteley playing bass & organ as well as Wayne Horvitz on harmonica for a compositional intro whereas “Rock Island Line” embraces an Americana vibe covering an old traditional folk standard. “Every Time I Go to Town” acoustically sings about what occurs whenever he revisits his neck of the woods but after “Rosin Some” declaring today to be the day to chew on some resinous pine tree material, “Boney” hits us with another rendition of a traditional work song.

We have Jake pairing Ben & Dominic Billett for synthesizer duties so he can cover the British folk standard “Early, Early in the Spring” to further commence the 2nd half of The Old Beloved Path while “Boll Weevil” gives us his own take on a track Lead Belly recorded nearly a century ago including parts where Isa Burke’s playing a fiddle & mandolin. “Sandy Land” covers a traditional folk song dating back to the 19th century & “Of All the Beast-est in the World” sends it all off with this acoustic 114 second closer singing about how he’d rather be a painter.

Creatively stemming from Jake Xerxes Fussell’s perception of traditional music becoming increasingly intense as he gets older, The Old Beloved Path achieves the goal Ben Whiteley had set out in the studio documenting a handful of musicians providing live instrumentation for a half hour’s worth of folk music reimagined that further. If anyone else has heard the Minyo Crusaders’ 3rd album From Japan with Love earlier this summer, you’re probably gonna like this as much since it additionally captures his growth as an artist rather than sounding vaguely similar to those who came before him.

Score: 3.5/5

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AzChike – “No Rest for the Wicked” review

AzChike is a 31 year old rapper from Los Angeles, California who dropped his first couple extended plays Cult Up & Chike the Greatest almost a decade earlier preceding the My World mixtape & his full-length studio debut Rich & Ratchet under Atlantic Records. G Oh D, Chike Different, I.S.W.I.L.L. (It Sound What It Look Like), Chizzle Chizzle & Spooky Summer were all decent too but his 7th studio LP albeit Warner Records debut looks earn more respect following a couple teasers that were highly praised.

“Mercy” begins with Chike talking about not needing dirt to bury anyone & not popping out unless summoned because he’s west coast royalty whereas “Lamb Truck Keys” produced by Pharrell tells his partner to give it to him & to put her hands up if she wants a Lamborghini over a cumbia sample. “Sky Rockets” goes for a boom bap vibe thanks to Terrace Martin finding love through the smoke & fire while “God’s Favorite” talks about being too up.

Bongo gets behind the boards for the romantic “Need Your Love” yearning for his partner’s affection just before “Look Like My Mama” featuring Tyler, The Creator finds the pair trading bars with each other over a hyphy/ratchet instrumental from the latter. After the “Are You Tired Yet?” interlude, “Wonder” kicks off the 2nd half flowing over a Sounwave beat talking about all the things he thinks of whenever going to sleep while “Negative” hits us with a GNX outtake he kept for himself.

“Packed Up” embraces a trap vibe thanks to Hit-Boy talking ’bout his watch as long as time’s ticking while “Uncomfortable Conversations” maintaining his patience to get some shit off his chest. “The World is Ours” instrumentally reminds me of the Bastard era talking about throwing bands & after “Rock Bottom” talks about struggling to get his mind right, “Hateful + Ungrateful” ends No Rest for the Wicked spitting a lengthy verse regarding him feeling unappreciative.

ScHoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar & more recently E-40 have all given AzChike the stamp of approval when they got him to make appearances for their latest full-lengths Blue Lips as well as GNX & Turning My Money Over respectively within the past 2 & a half years, but No Rest for the Wicked really elevates himself with the most consistent statement of his entire career. The nervous, trap & hyphy production has made some huge upgrades compared to Chike’s earlier output so he can paint vivid street imagery with only a few guests.

Score: 3.5/5

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