Bukshot – “Antagonist” review

Louisville, Kentucky emcee & Mobstyle Music founder Bukshot subtly dropping his 10th studio LP. From his lengthy solo discography to the groups & duos that’s formed with some of the biggest names that the underground has to offer, there’s no question that dude’s been putting it down for the culture for a grip at this point. Double Dragon had reunited a couple months ago for their sophomore effort Big Trouble with Double Dragon heavily inspired by the movie Big Trouble in Little China & is finally releasing Antagonist exactly 6 months to the day as Boondox’ most recent EP Black Winter.

After the “Villadictorian” intro, the first song “Bad Guy” produced by none other than MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 opens with a trap beat talking about being a villain whereas “I Was There” featuring Ill Bill goes for boom bap vibe to discuss never being afraid of the outcome & buckin’ at opps at every opportunity. “No More Fight” keeps it in the basement instrumentally finding his mind drifting further as time goes on leading into “Martyrs” bringing a doomsday atmosphere talking about handling business.

“All I See is Red” featuring Str8jaket likens themselves to the inaugural IWGPヘビー級王座, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion, 2-time WWE Hall of Famer & Real American Beer founder Hulk Hogan alongside fellow WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff in light of their new promotion Real American Freestyle (RAF) Wrestling holding it’s first show in a couple months just before “Darkest Night” dastardly talks about wanting to see the sun rise.

Jamie Madrox joins Buk on the cavernous trap single “Tear It Off” to talk about being in a standoff & burning the whole place down because their enemies don’t wanna stand tall while “My Woods, My Rules” after the “Hanzel & Gredel” skit morbidly portrays himself as a serial killer riding in a cabin in the forests. “Turbulence” featuring the Lune Squad & Str8jaket unites the quartet over some hellish background vocals talking about being living nightmares while “Chess” checkmates every last one of these heretics.

“Heel Song” after the titular skit references former 3-time CWA Tag Team Champion, WCW World Heavyweight Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 10-time WWE tag team champion, 2-time WCW World Television Champion, 2-time IWGPタッグ王座 & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Scott Steiner while “Clocks” featuring Jarren Benton & Stevie Stone asks why everyone’s so foul. “Walk in My Shoes” promises to raise Hell whether he wins or loses while “Proceed with Caution” talks about doing God’s work.

Rittz appears for “Deserted” feeling like they don’t deserve to be left behind yet it’s worth it because they both live beautiful lives while “Bottom Feeders” talks about upgrading his hustle. “Dramacyde” completely dismantles all these so called influencers that we come across all over social media while “Rule My World” featuring Apathy talks about concocting ways of conquering the globe.

“Lovely” faces the concept of self-remorse head-on while “Get It Done” featuring Joey Cool explains that it doesn’t matter how you do your job as long as everything’s completed somehow someway. “Merciless” admits that he’s been in a weird mental place as of late showing absolutely no mercy & after the “Magnum Opus” skit, “Are You Still Down?” talks about people being there for you 1 day & gone the next.

Meanwhile on “Slaughterous” featuring Timbo, we have the father-son duo getting together to unload a full clip at everyone who be spewing bullshit regarding them while “It Ain’t the Same” talks about holding on to memories of a person who isn’t here with him anymore. “Pressure” suggests to shake yesterday off like a bad habit since we’re living for today while “Enough” talks about our families needing us now more than ever.

“Man Down” featuring Chris Webby & Slaine advises to stand your ground instead of running since people will stab you in the back if you’re not watching it while “Wide Awake” talks about being unable to sleep as a result of the thoughts racing through his head. “Loyalty” colorfully explains what allegiance means to him while “Free” featuring Matt Phoenix talks about never letting anyone else steal your shine.

After the “Say Bye to the Bad Guy” interlude, the penultimate track “Summer Vibes” featuring Str8jaket & Wrekonize nears the end of Antagonist with a ballad that thematically revolves around them getting fucked up during the warmest time of the year while “Nuisance” by The Horde featuring 9 Millz by grittily talking about refusing to fuck with any & all dimwits.

For a triple disc offering Antagonist has gotta be the the most I’ve enjoyed a Bukshot solo project in a while. Maybe even surpassing Weirdo as my new favorite of his. 7’s production on this one balances boom bap & trap as opposed to his recent output with Buk focusing more on the latter subgenre with the Mobstyle founder showing a villainous side to himself.

Score: 4.5/5

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Lo Key – “Portraits of Horror” review

Philadelphia horrorcore emcee Lo Key unleashing his 15th EP. You may know him for his involvement in a handful of groups within the underground like Mission: Infect or more recently Cabal & Neon Sermon or even his own solo discography of LPs that he calls the 12 Oracles. So far the only 4 we’ve gotten from him are Shadowland, The Book of Time, The Blood of Izu, The Eyes of Parasuva. But to help him paint Portraits of Horror, we have Lo Key enlisting former Strange Music in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 to produce the whole thing.

After the intro, the first song “The Box” opens the EP with some pianos & hi-hats with heavy guitars during the hook proclaiming that you could never kill him whereas “Burn the Witch” takes the eerie trap route looking to do exactly that as it is a necessity for him. “You’re My Everything” morbidly answers if he’s ever had to deal with stalkers just before “Parasitic” frighteningly admits he gave it his best & it wasn’t enough. “Remote Control” wraps everything up with a ghoulish trap beat looking to lead everyone to Shadowland.

25 years in the game & here we have Lo Key returning to form by taking it back to his horrorcore roots in comparison to his last few solo efforts going for different sounds. 7’s production is incredibly consistent & not only can the Mission: Infect leader still spit the wicked shit raw all these years later, but he shows his versatility as a vocal performer along the way too. Most notably during the hooks.

Score: 4.5/5

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Cabal – “The Pit” review

This is the sophomore full-length album from horrorcore supergroup Cabal. Consisting of Bukshotas well as Lo Key & Mr. Grey, the trio have all worked with one another individually up until a couple summers ago when MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 got behind the boards throughout the duration of their debut The Watchers. This would send shockwaves within the underground wicked shit scene & would really be the beginning of Mobstyle Music’s takeover, so for them to return 3 years later to take us into The Pitwas something I was looking toward to.

After the titular intro, the first song “Eidolon” is a dementedly uncanny trap opener about the trio waiting in the darkness whereas the piano-driven “1 Dark Night” recalls the events of a fatefully dark evening that occurred long ago. “Diamond” goes for a more uncanny atmosphere boasting that they went from horrorcore artists to being Gods within the subgenre prior to the sonically uneasy “Obey” advising to succumb to them.

“We Come in Peace” goes for a cavernous trap vibe explaining that they come with the message to be taken to the leader of this world they’ve stumbled upon & after the “Chamber” interlude, “All Rise” morbidly calls for everyone to demand their gratitude to the trio. “Philistine” delves deeper into the most misunderstood people in the ancient world over a ghostly trap beat just before the atmospherically ghoulish “Nightmar3” talks about declaring themselves as nightmares personified.

However, “Coming with Me” looks to take every last person with them showing no mercy & a beat that makes you feel like you’re listening to a horror movie on wax leading into “The Signal” pulling from trap once more talking about being world eaters. After the “Swallow” interlude, “Fire from Beyond” hooks up an apocalyptic loop & hi-hats promising that everyone will fall while “Forest Lights” draws inspiration from boom bap talks about the end creeping towards them.

“The Curse” bleakly details the curses that chase them explaining they don’t see a reason why to fight for their souls back anymore, but then the final song “Wizard of Saws” preludes the “Skulls” outro & finishes Cabal’s sophomore effort in the form of 1 last horror-inducing trap cut pointing out how their hearts be as cold as the winter season justifying that the trio’s reign of having the wicked shit in a headlock is only growing stronger.

The Watchers quickly became a modern day horrorcore classic when it was unleashed to the world a couple years ago so it was announced on the Berzerkers’ eponymous debut EP last summer, I was excited for all 3 of them to take it to the next level & that’s sure enough what they do here. 7’s masterfully dark production is being taken to a new level as is the chemistry between the members of Cabal themselves & the hardcore, gritty lyricism.

Score: 4.5/5

Bukshot – “When Hell Freezes” review

This is the 18th EP from Louisville, Kentucky emcee & Mobstyle Music founder Bukshot. From his lengthy solo discography to the group & duos that’s formed with some of the biggest names that the underground has to offer, there’s no question that dude’s been putting it down for the culture for a grip at this point. He just dropped the ferocious Never Safe last spring prior to his appearances at Astronomicon around that same time & is now seeing fit to put When Hell Freezes up on DSPs in light of Friday the 13th.

After the “Kafkaesque” intro, the title track truly opens up the EP with a cinematically haunting instrumental courtesy of MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 airing out those who want him out of the game prior to the almighty Alla Xul Elu & Lo Key tagging along for the apocalyptic trap banger “Rise Up” talking about running this shit from underneath. Stevie Stone fresh off making an entrance theme for former NXT North American Champion Solo Sikoa of the WWE’s most dominant faction The Bloodline comes into the picture for the cavernous “We Was” looks back to the days on the block while the song “Chant” with the Super Famous Fun Time Guys sees the trio over some kicks & snares talking about having these ways of crushing their dreams. The penultimate track “Death Dance” with the Lune Squad has a more morbid trap flare to it confessing they see their skeletons dancing & the Godsynth-produced “Beat ‘Em Up” ends with The Underground Avengers reuniting alongside Zitro for a fight anthem.

Mobstyle have been rightfully experiencing a rise in popularity within the underground wicked shit scene within the last 3 years & if this is how Buk’s gonna ring in 2023, then it only increases my anticipation for what Mobstyle has coming down the pipe such as Cabal’s sophomore album The Bottomless Pit & of course The Horde’s eponymous debut. The production’s knocking, nearly every feature comes correct & Buk sounds as ruthless as before.

Score: 4/5

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The Berzerkers – Self-Titled review

The Berzerkers are a newly formed underground duo consisting Louisville, Kentucky veteran Bukshot & Gilroy, California’s very own Mr. Grey. First time they worked with each other was a decade ago when Buk hopped on “Ruthless” off of Grey’s solo debut Remain Raw alongside the latter’s former Gorilla Voltage cohort ClockworC as well as Insane Loc. They’re also 2/3 of the trio Cabal with Lo Key, whose well received full-length debut The Watchers just celebrated it’s 1-year anniversary recently & The Berzerkers are properly introducing themselves in the form of a debut EP.

After the “Solomon Says” intro, “Death Circus” is a cavernous opener daring listeners to step inside whereas “Oxygen Thieves” morbidly talks about those not deserving to breathe the same air as them. “Dark Path” has a more futuristic sound to it confessing that the road they’re traveling is deep underground while the track “Bottomless” by Cabal is a deranged prelude to the trio’s sophomore effort The Bottomless Pit coming next summer. The penultimate song “Red Team” returns to a more daunting route talking about how no one can fuck with them & prior to the “Upon Activation” outro, “Bullet Catcher” ends the EP with a petrifying trap banger getting murderous lyrically.

My expectations for this were very high considering how much I enjoyed Operation: Delirium & even though you can’t go wrong with either one, I’d have to say The Berzerkers a tad bit more. Buk & Grey ping off each other very well lyrically with MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 going for a more rawer sound in comparison to the range of sounds he displayed on Grey’s latest EP.

Score: 4.5/5

Cabal – “The Watchers” review

Cabal is a newly formed supergroup consisting of Bukshot, Lo Key & Mr. Grey. Up to this point each of the members have worked with one another, but we haven’t heard them all together at once. Bukshot just dropped Double Dragon’s self-titled debut with Kung Fu Vampire back in February & just about a month ago, Lo Key put out a his Metanoia EP paying homage to nu metal. I also loved Gorilla Voltage’s 2 albums through Majik Ninja Entertainment (especially Gods & Claws), so I’m very excited to see what they trio are gonna pull off on this debut album of theirs. Especially since they got MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 behind the boards for the whole thing.

After the “Monolith of Xaos” intro, the first song “Horn of Hades” is a heinous look at the trio having crazy thoughts as of late whereas “Shadow People” goes into a trap direction talking about being stuck in a familiar place referencing BJW認定デスマッチヘビー級王座 & WWE Hall of Famer Abdullah the Butcher. The title track works in some haunting synth melodies saying they don’t like what they see & after the “Dark Assembly” skit, the trio come back to in action to proclaim themselves as “Death Merchants”. Meanwhile on “The Spawning”, we get a dastardly depiction of Cabal being Hellspawn just before taking listeners through their inner turmoils on the petrifying “Madness in Me”.

I think “Devil Inside” has the best hook on the entire album as the trio speak on something in them wandering the darkness spiritually & after the “Offering of Souls” skit, the song “Don’t Go in the Basement” works in some organ & synth melodies to paint a picture of Hell. The penultimate track “Maelstrom” with the Super Famous Fun Guys & the Venomous 5 finds the 10 emcees aggressively proclaiming themselves as the wickedest creatures, but then “Phanchasm” ends the album by talking about learning things you should never learn.

If you loved Double Dragon’s self-titled debut that dropped at the beginning of 2021, then you might enjoy The Watchers just as much it not more. All 3 of the members have great chemistry with one another & 7 just knocks it out of the park in terms of the overall sound of it.

Score: 4.5/5