Alla Xul Elu – “Gods of Evil Rise” review

It’s finally here! The 6th studio LP from Ohio horrorcore trio Alla Xul Elu. Consisting of Billy Obeyas well as Joey Black & Lee Carver, they broke out a decade ago as a duo by releasing their first 2 albums Head of Horns & Sci-Co that same year. This was followed up with their 4/20-themed debut EP Necronomichron in 2017 & adding Carver into the fold shortly after, but it wasn’t until Twiztid signed them to Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2018 when the Xul Boys’ music got increasingly better. Their MNE debut The Almighty is unquestionably the greatest horrorcore album of the 2010s, their 2019 sophomore EP Church of Xul took a much darker approach, Mauxuleum made it in the top 10 of my Best Releases of 2020 list despite them ditching their signature boom bap sound for a more industrial, trap metal direction & Necronomichron 2: Dead by Bong was a superior sequel to their 4/20 EP. The Magic Xul Bus was a dope prelude to a body of work that’s been a long time & Mike E. Clark has finally teamed up with them to watch the Gods of Evil Rise.

After the intro, the first song “Paint the Town Red” is this rap rock intro talking about leaving 36 muhfuckas dead in their city whereas the 2nd & final single “Horns Over Halos” references 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin and NXT commentator, 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE United States Champion, 14-time WWE tag team champion, 2-time WWE Hardcore Champion, RoW Tag Team Champion & TNA World Tag Team Champion Booker T.

“The Cleansing” infernally talks about the sky being cracked in half with absolutely nothing we can do about it whatsoever prior to the lead single “‘Till We Meat” wickedly gets in their storytelling bag discussing the names of the people they’ve killed looking at the Tinder app. “Light Up My Life” describes the feeling of being trapped in one’s own skin as a prisoner & hiding in another’s playing the songs they liked while “Let It Burn” calls out the hypocrisies of the churches.

As for “Suicide Drive”, we have Xul menacingly talking about commuting vehicular suicide since the death mobile needs a ride & they can be caught at a high speed just before “God Damaged” turns up the rap rock influences suggesting this being unavoidable & enjoy it sitting back. “Make Believe” talks about the possibility of the trio never making it to heaven & I can relate to that theme personally when I’m at my lowest, but then “Spill Your Guts” feels more like a skit.

“Herd the Horde” fuses g-funk, horrorcore & boom bap together asking what you’re praying for & to sign your life away while “The Saints” talks about the only guideline in the shadow of death being all life remaining forbidden along with raising the murder rates. “From the Heart” makes a dedication to the lost & lonely ones assuring they’re not alone whatsoever surviving amongst their better judgments & “Wave Goodbye” serves as this humorous skit used as an outro.

Being in the works for several years at this point & many thought it wouldn’t ever see the day, it lived up to my expectations reaching the bar The Almighty had set 7 years ago with another generational horrorcore classic & their final MNE release to focus on continually building LLE as it’s own thing. Mike E. Clark’s production top to bottom is still as creative when working with Psychopathic Records founders Insane Clown Posse & Top Dog Records founder Kid Rock’s, bringing Xul’s well-crafted horrorcore lyrics to life soundtracking it.

Score: 4.5/5

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Alla Xul Elu – “The Magic Xul Bus” review

This is the 3rd EP from Ohio horrorcore trio Alla Xul Elu. Consisting of Billy Obey as well as Joey Black & Lee Carver, they broke out in 2015 as a duo by releasing their first 2 albums Head of Horns & Sci-Co that same year. This was followed up with their 4/20-themed debut EP Necronomichron in 2017 & adding Carver into the fold shortly after, but it wasn’t until Twiztid signed them to Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2018 when the Xul Boys’ music got increasingly better. Their MNE debut The Almighty is unquestionably the greatest horrorcore album of the 2010s, their 2019 sophomore EP Church of Xul took a much darker approach, Mauxuleum made it in the top 10 of my Best Releases of 2020 list despite them ditching their signature boom bap sound for a more industrial, trap metal direction & Necronomichron 2: Dead by Bong was a superior sequel to their 4/20 EP. Ahead of Camp Xul 4 weekend however, they’re getting the party started opening the doors to The Magic Xul Bus couple months after Astronomicon.

The title track is a grimy boom bap opener to start the EP with all 3 members trading the mic back-&-forth with one another taking the Xuligans on a journey on The Magic Xul Bus itself whereas “Smoke Stop” works in more kicks & snares on top of an ominous loop so they can talk about getting stoned. “Fucked Up” goes for an electronic trap direction instrumentally admitting they’ve been getting too wild at the party that is until “Buried Alive” ends the EP with pianos, kicks & snares getting on the wicked shit.

It’s been rumored for a while now that the upcoming Xul album Gods of Evil Rise produced by Mike E. Clark will be the trio’s final MNE release & hopefully we get an official update on it from A.X.E. themselves during their event at the very end of the week but either way, The Magic Xul Bus is sure to satisfy the Xuligans who’ve been waiting a tad over 3 years to put out new material excluding the Lost Lakes Estates collab effort with their protégés the Super Famous Fun Time Guys about 9 months ago. In only 12 minutes, they return to their horrorcore/boom bap stylings occasionally expanding their sound beyond trap.

Score: 4/5

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Majik Ninja Entertainment – “Songs of Samhain 4: The Liminal Space” review

Majik Ninja Entertainment is an underground hip hop label from Detroit, Michigan founded by Twiztid & their manager George Vlahakis in 2014 after departing from Psychopathic Records only 2 years before. However, they quickly built an empire or their own from bringing a few other PSY alumni along for the ride to help introduce G-Mo Skee & Alla Xul Elu to a much wider audience. The label’s first comp showing off their roster Year of the Swordhas to be my personal favorite of the 4 thus far with all respect to Songs of Samhain as well as the Attack of the Ninjas compilation & Songs of Samhain 2: Haunted Record Player. But as that time of the year comes around again, MNE’s following up on Songs of Samhain 3: Cult of Night by taking a trip through The Liminal Space.

After the “Liminal Space” intro, the first song “I’m the Night” by Twiztid is a rap rock opener produced by Fritz the Cat making the comparisons of Jamie Madrox & Monoxide to darkness whereas “All My Friends Are Dead” by Blaze Ya Dead Homie jumps over some pianos & hi-hats from Grady Finch talking about his homies no longer being here with him. “Deluded Dead” by Jamie gives off an industrial rock vibe musically discussing the mislead deceased, but then the self-produced “6 Feet Deep” by the artist formerly known as Young Wicked himself James Garcia of the Axe Murder Boyz ominously looks to bury motherfuckers.

“Highest High & Lowest Low” by Bonez Dubb, Boondox & Insane E finds the trio over a dark trap beat explaining that things have changed as they look to plateau leading into “Last House on Dead Street” is the prelude to an album that Blaze has been working on for the past 15 years when he was still on Psychopathic from the morbid instrumental to the gruesome performances. “If I Return” by Jamie & Zodiac MPrint heinously declares what would happen if they eventually make a return accompanied by a grueling beat just before “Merciful Fate” by the Eastside Ninjas goes for a ghoulish atmosphere talking about voices invading their minds.

The song “Strangehold” by Alla Xul Elu & the House of Krazees puts the 2 generational horrorcore trios together for the first time ever cavernously spitting the wicked shit beautifully while the chaotic penultimate track “Collide” by Triple Threat talking about everything inside being a mess. “Wounded & Suffering” by Grady Finch & WackGxd ends the compilation with a decent ballad rooted in Oh! The Horror’s signature sound.

Cult of Night showed some considerable improvement over Haunted Record Player & the original Songs of Samhain so with Fright Fest coming up in a few days, the journey through The Liminal Space is once that juggalos will enjoy for future Halloween seasons. The performances are a tad more consistent as everyone displays their own artistic characteristics in their respective fashions.

Score: 3.5/5

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Alla Xul Elu & Super Famous Fun Time Guys – “Lost Lake Estates” review

This is a brand new collaborative LP between Ohio horrorcore groups Alla Xul Elu & the Super Famous Fun Time Guys. One of them is a trio consisting of Billy Obey as well as Joey Black & Lee Carver with the other being a duo composed of Mr. 8 Legz & Whipstick, but have been taking over the wicked shit scene for the past 5 years after their chemistry has been reminiscent of the Insane Clown Posse & Twiztid before both parties fell out with one another. But after signing to S.O.N. to Long Live Evil over the summer, Xul & the Fun Time Gang are taking us through Lost Lake Estates.

After the “Inmates Run The…” intro, the first song “Rhyme Asylum” is a ghoulish boom bap opener talking about having the speakers at full blast in the padded rooms encouraging to kick it with Satan himself whereas works in a cavernous loop admitting that no amount of medicine can medicate them whatsoever. “Anthem” keeps it rolling with a grimy dedication to LLE itself leading into “Kill ‘Em with Kindness” keeps it dusty talking about what you gotta do if you’re gonna end up killing them.

“Midian” weaves more kicks & snares into the fold leaving them dead inside fiendin’ for bodies like former 3-time WWE world champion & 2-time WWE tag team champion Bray Wyatt who recently passed away just before “No Body” is a somber boom bap ballad about all 5 of these guys being nobodies referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young. “Pour Another” moves forward by whipping up a fun tune dedicated to all the drinkers out there, but then “King of Quit” ends the first half of the album with pianos as well as kicks & snares talking about being pieces of shit.

Meanwhile to start the 2nd leg, “FUNeral” makes it clear that the quintet puts thе “fun” in funeral over a jazzy boom bap beat reminiscent to that of the 90s while the psychedelic “Song of the Dead” lives up to it’s name with it’s morbid subject matter. “Why You Mad?” instrumentally reminds me of RZA’s basement-like production style 3 decades ago asking why people be salty towards them referencing the current TNA Digital Media Champion Tommy Dreamer who was also a former 2-time アイアンマンヘビーメタル級王座, 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, 3-time ECW World Tag Team Champion & 14-time WWE Hardcore Champion while the dreary “Hang in There” talks about there being nothing left to say.

After the “REC Room” skit, the song “SciCo Screwjob” cautions that shit’s similar to a deathmatch with former 4-time GCW World Champion, GCW Tag Team Champion, the inaugural 4-time CZW World Heavyweight Champion, 2-time CZW Iron Man Champion, 2-time CZW Ultraviolent Underground Champion, 5-time CZW World Tag Team Champion & BJW認定タッグ王座 Nick Gage mixing industrial hip hop & boom bap puking in faces like former 3-time AJPW三冠ヘビー級王座, 5-time AJPW世界タッグ王座, 4-time IWGPヘビー級王座, 6-time IWGPタッグ王座, NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, GHCヘビー級王座, GHCタッグ王座, WCW World Television Champion, WCW World Tag Team Champion & WWE Hall of Famer ザ・グレート・ムタ while “Underground” hooks up some kicks, snares & keys using the the term for music outside the general commercial canon as a metaphor of becoming one with the Earth. The 8-minute title track rounds it all out with a boom bap beat with blaring horns taking y’all with them on a trip to the titular location.

It was only a matter of time until these dudes came together with their own Dark Lotus-style collaborative effort because the way everyone pings off one another is certainly reminiscent to that of the 5 petals ICP & Triple Threat. The production is primarily based in the traditional boom bap sound with some industrial/jazz rap undertones with everyone skillfully spitting the wicked shit.

Score: 4.5/5

Majik Ninja Entertainment – “Songs of Samhain 2: Haunted Record Player” review

Majik Ninja Entertainment is a Detroit based independent record label founded by Twiztid & their manager George Vlahakis in 2014, only 2 years after the demented duo’s departure from Psychopathic Records. However, they quickly built an empire or their own from bringing a few other PSY alumni along for the ride to help introduce G-Mo Skee & Alla Xul Elu to a much wider audience. The label’s first showcase comp Year of the Sword is easily the best one they’ve put out so far given the strength of the roster at the time, but that’s not to say Songs of Samhain wasn’t a respectable Halloween-themed EP. They just dropped an exclusive label comp at this year’s Attack of the Ninjas couple months ago & now with Halloween approaching this weekend, the crew is back together for a sequel to Songs of Samhain.

After the “I Shall Arrive” intro, the first song “Needle on the Record” by Twiztid is a demented boom bap opener about the haunted record player possessing their souls when they turn it on whereas “Go Out” by Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Boondox, Gibby Stites & Jamie Madrox takes a turn into rap rock territory spitting that hardcore shit. “Haunted Thoughts” by the House of Krazees heinously spills out the fucked up shit in their minds just before Blaze, Boondox & Jamie reunite for the slow yet victorious ballad “Sing It”.

Meanwhile on “Heavier Every Time”, we have the Venomous 5 reforming over an unsettling trap beat about how the world will never understand them leading right into the “Nursery Rhyme from a Different Time” interlude. The song “Paint the Town Red” sees HOK keeping it in trap turf getting murderous while the penultimate track “Halloween Treat” by Twiztid & Oh! The Horror is a rap rock cut displaying some goth romance poetry. The album ends with “Quarantine”, where V5 plead to be saved from the disease of living over some pianos & dusty drums.

Compared to the first Songs of Samhain & even the Attack of the Ninjas album, Songs of Samhain 2: Haunted Record Player to me is the best label comp MNE has put out since Year of the Sword. It sounds darker & I really admire that it’s a bit more conceptual than the predecessor did.

Score: 3.5/5

Majik Ninja Entertainment – “Attack of the Ninjas: The Album” review

This is a brand new showcase compilation from Detroit underground label Majik Ninja Entertainment. Founded in 2014 by Twiztid & their manager George Vlahakis only 2 years following the demented duo’s departure from Psychopathic Records, they quickly built an empire or their own from bringing a few other PSY alumni along for the ride to help introduce G-Mo Skee & Alla Xul Elu to a much wider audience. The label’s first showcase comp Year of the Sword is easily the best one they’ve put out so far given the strength of the roster at the time, but that’s not to say Songs of Samhain wasn’t a respectable Halloween-themed EP. But to celebrate the 5th annual Attack of the Ninjas, everyone on MNE right now & the 2 acts on their Welcome to the Underground sub-label are uniting as one alongside a couple outside collaborators for an exclusive compilation given away at the event.

The opener “Are You Scared?” by Oh! The Horror & Twiztid is a pop punk/rap crossover telling their haters to say their prayers whereas “Each & Every” by Bukshot, Jamie Madrox & Lex the Hex Master finds the trio jumping on top of a west coast instrumental from Fritz the Cat saying they’re broken & don’t feel fine. Buk & Jamie stick around as they enlist Boondox & Mr. Grey to spit the wicked shit on “Horror” down to the Godsynth & Stir Crazy production, but then Gibby Stites & Blaze Ya Dead Homie come in for the atmospheric “Come Up” saying ain’t nobody doing what they’re doing.

“Let ‘Em Burn” by Anybody Killa, the Axe Murder Boyz, Bukshot, Crucifix & Monoxide come together on top of a trap instrumental from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 to get in their arsonist bag just before the futuristic “Space Between Us” sees Zodiac MPrint reuniting to talk about a toxic relationship. “Kill” by Insane E, Jamie Madrox, Oh! The Horror & Redd goes into a rubbery direction with the help of Grady Finch saying no one’s on their level while “Chin Check” by Bukshot, Gibby Stites, Joey Black, Lee Carver & The R.O.C. encourages the listener to mosh despite the out-of-place forlorn production.

The track “We Are the Underground” by Boondox, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Gibby Stites & Oh! The Horror needs no further explanation lyrically diving into a trap/metal fusion whereas the final song “Boohoo” by Gibby Stites, Lex the Hex Master & The R.O.C. ends the comp with a boom bap-tinged shot at their detractors even though the hook is a bit tedious. The actual closer though is just a remix to “Maelstrom” off of Cabal’s most recent debut album The Watchers featuring the Super Famous Fun Time Guys & the Venomous 5.

I don’t expect all that much whenever a label puts out a project showcasing their artists & although I enjoyed the last 2 that MNE has put out, I’m a bit torn on this one. Some of the collabs on here come off to me as natural, but then there are others that seem hamfisted & in no way shape or form am I trying to be disrespectful to anyone because I’ve given a good share of positive feedback on the label’s output throughout the years like with /ˌrevəˈlāSH⁽ᵊ⁾n/ & Krimson Crow.

Score: 3/5

Alla Xul Elu – “Necronomichron 2: Dead by Bong” review

Alla Xul Elu is an Ohio-based horrorcore trio consisting of Billy Obey, Joey Black & Lee Carver. Originally breaking out in 2015 as a duo, Billy & Joe started out by releasing their first 2 albums Head of Horns & Sci-Co that same year. This was followed up with their 4/20-themed debut EP Necronomichron in 2017 & adding Carver into the fold shortly after. But it wasn’t until Twiztid signed them to Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2018 when the Xul Boys’ music got increasingly better. Their MNE debut The Almighty is unquestionably the greatest horrorcore album of the 2010s, their 2019 sophomore EP Church of Xul took a much darker approach & the trio’s previous album Mauxuleum made it in the top 10 of my Best Releases of 2020 list despite them ditching their signature boom bap sound for a more industrial, trap metal direction. But to celebrate the 4 year anniversary of the original Necronomichron, it’s only right for A.X.E. to celebrate by dropping their 5th full-length album as a sequel.

After the “Taking a Trip” intro, the first song “An Ominous Shack” has an unhinged boom bap beat from BAD MiND (who produced all but 3 tracks on the whole album) as the trio detail a fucked up vacation & then “Down in the Dark” goes into a more industrial direction with lyrics about making plans with Mary Jane. The song “Deja Vu” is a grimy sequel to the title track of the first Necronomichron while “Fire It Up” dives into that trap metal sound provided by the Zombie Aristocrats & of course the lyrics are about lighting up the weed.

“Smoke” is a chaotic anthem about not wanting their high to be blown & then “Dead by Bong” feels more like an interlude as the lyrics are very repetitive despite the electronic-influenced production. The song “Alternate Dimension” is a dusty sequel to “Another Dimension” with a stellar Blaze Ya Dead Homie verse while “Within the Trees” is a gruesome horrorcore cut detailing forest monsters.

After the “Necronomicream” skit, the track “Munchiez” is a sinister depiction about how they handle being hungry when stoned while “Pass Away” contains some ominous organ harmonies as they talk about staying High & avoiding daylight. The album finishes off with “Kandarian Dabber”, where the A.X.E. deliver a wicked anthem to dabbin’.

Necronomichron is one of my favorite projects that Xul has ever put out, but this is a rare instance where I prefer the sequel over the predecessor. It’s great to hear the trio returning to the very sound that they become known for & the marijuana-themed lyrics have evolved tremendously, teasing a potential trilogy chapter at some point down the road.

Score: 4.5/5

Alla Xul Elu – “Mauxuleum” review

This is the 4th full-length studio LP from Ohio horrorcore trio Alla Xul Elu. Starting off as a duo, Billy Obey & Joey Black started making noise in the underground by releasing their first 2 albums Head of Horns & Sci-Co in 2015. Couple years later, Lee Carver joined & they dropped their debut EP Necronomichron that same year. However it wasn’t until 2018 that the Xul made their biggest break when Twiztid signing them to their label Majik Ninja Entertainment, dropping their 3rd album The Almighty shortly after & then their 2nd EP Church of Xul last spring to universal acclaim. Fast forward to now, Xul is enlisting Slasher Dave to help take listeners a trip into the Mauxuleum.

After the “E.N.D.”, the title track that kicks the album talks about the Mauxuleum being worse than Hell over a ghostly beat whereas the next song “Blood Moon & Back” is an unexpectedly dark love tune that goes over better than you’d expect. The track “Rituals of Rot” talks about becoming undead over a spine-tingling beat while the song “Donna, the Dead” talks about the titular Donda taking her own life over a groggy instrumental.

The song “L.I.F.E. (Let It Fucking End)” talks about how going on living is a joke over an industrial beat while the track “Deathbed” talking about their desire to rest in peace for eternity over an abrasively eerie instrumental. The song “Nails” talks about failing when they try over a bass-heavy instrumental while the track “Rigor Erectus” talks about necrophilia over a dusty boom bap beat.

“Deadline” talks about purgatory over an horror movie-esque instrumental with some heavy guitars during the hook while the track “Random Axe of Violence” portrays themselves as serial killers over an intoxicating beat. The song “Mask Made Me Do It” talks about their Forever Faces over a Frankenstein-like beat fusing boom bap, metal & even trap whereas “The Harvester” that finishes the album off talks about how there’s no escaping from the titular character’s clutch over a bleak instrumental with a guitar wailing in the background.

These guys have become the greatest horrorcore act in recent memory & they really outdid themselves on this new album over here. Not only do the lyrics continue to delve deeper into more disturbing territory, but Slasher Dave really hones it & cooks up some of the best production of his entire career diverting from the traditional boom bap sound Alla Xul Elu had become known for in favor of experimenting with industrial hip hop.

Score: 4.5/5

Majik Ninja Entertainment – “Songs of Samhain” review

This is the new surprise EP from Detroit hip hop label Majik Ninja Entertainment. Founded by Twiztid in 2014, they’ve proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the underground with an all-star lineup of artists & a consistent work ethic. They dropped a fantastic showcase compilation in 2017 called Year of the Sword but almost 3 years later, the label’s coming together once more on Songs of Samhain.

After the “We Only Have So Much Time” intro, the first song “Wash” by the House of Krazees talk about murder over a somewhat quirky beat while the track “9lb. Hammer” by Twiztid is a full-blown rap rock moshpit starter. The song ” Murder Carnage” by Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Boondox & Lex the Hex Master sees the 3 getting violent over a rubbery beat from Godsynth & Stir Crazy but after the “Nursery Rhyme from Another Time” interlude, the track “Die on Samhain” by Alla Xul Elu & the Axe Murder Boyz portrays themselves as serial killers over a nocturnal instrumental.

The track “Death Talk” by the House of Krazees talks about being lunatics over a rock-tinged beat while the song “Haddonfield 2 Crystal Lake” by Twiztid compares themselves to Michael Myers & Jason Voorhees over a somewhat funky beat. The EP finishes with “In My Head”, where Twiztid contemplate about whether or not they’re insane over a spooky instrumental.

Overall, this is a short but sweet surprise effort from one of my favorite hip hop labels in recent memory. All the artists stand out in their own unique way & given everyone’s history in the horrorcore subgenre, they all come together with a consistent batch of songs just in time for the Halloween season.

Score: 3.5/5

Alla Xul Elu – “Church of Xul” review

Alla Xul Elu is an Ohio based horrorcore trio consisting of Billy Obey, Joey Black & Lee Carver. They started off as a duo, releasing their first 2 albums Head of Horns & Sci-Co in 2015. 2 years later, Lee joined & they dropped their debut EP Necronomichron that same year. However, it wasn’t until last year that the Xul made their biggest break to date with Twiztid signing them to their label Majik Ninja Entertainment. Their latest album/MNE debut The Almighty that dropped last fall is a modern horrorcore masterpiece in my eyes & now to accompany Twiztid’s brand new album Generation Nightmare, the 3 are back with their 2nd EP following their appearance at the 2nd annual Astronomicon.

After the “Welcome” intro, the first song “In the Church of Xul” slowly yet sinisterly tells us what goes in their world whereas “We Are One” advises you to believe over a nocturnally atmospheric boom bap fusion. “Preay” gets more murderous lyrically over a nocturnal instrumental while “To the Tome of the Black Tongue” hauntingly talks about possession. “The Goddamned” nears the conclusion by continuing the murderous themes & “Xuligans” finishes with a tribute to their fanbase with an old school boom bap approach to the beat.

Despite being an EP, this is just as fantastic as The Almighty & would prefer this over Generation Nightmare since it exemplifies why Alla Xul Elu has become the most exciting horrorcore act in the past year. It sounds a lot darker than that previous album & I love how they hold it on their own to prove that they’re really are bringing a breath of fresh air in such an underrated subgenre of hip hop.

Score: 4.5/5