Mission: Infect – “arM:Igeddon” review

Mission: Infect are an underground collective consisting of Lo Key, Badluck, Dubbs, DurtE, Grewsum, Madd Maxxx, Malaria, Mumm Ra, St. Sinna, Tha Wikid One & 0. They’ve released 6 full-lengths together in the span of nearly 2 decades including the Chemical Threats tetralogy, XterM:Ination & Asphyxiation with quite a few other members finding success on their own as solo artists in the wicked shit scene. However after 7 years of silence as a unit, the crew are getting back together for their first EP.

“Pathogen” featuring Grewsum, Lo Key, Madd Maxxx & Tha Wikid One is this hardcore trap opener putting their gas masks on whereas “Guns Up” featuring Badluck, Grewsum & Lo Key kinda draws from electronic dance music instrumentally talking about rallying up the soldiers. All 3 emcees stick around for “Old Man Flow” working in kicks & snares to drop battle bars just before “Load ‘Em Up” featuring DurtE, Lo Key, Madd Maxxx & Tha Wikid One finds the quartet over a dark trap beat talking about taking ‘em down.

Badluck, Grewsum & Lo Key get back together for “Get Ya Mask On” returns to the boom bap going door-to-door to get their blast on leading into “Fire Back” featuring Dubbs, Lo Key & Malaria keeps it raw talking about rightfully being veterans decapitating heads again. “Welcome Home” featuring Badluck, Grewsum, Malaria, Mumm Ra, St. Sinna & 0 concludes the EP with everyone over kicks, snares & electronic-toned synths acknowledging that the underground missed them as a unit.

This is the 2nd longest gap between releases for Mission: Infect since Chemical Threats 3 & 4 both came out 8 years after Asphyxiation since everyone’s been focusing on further establishing themselves as solo artists. That said: arM:Igeddon still proves the collective hasn’t gone anywhere after all this time. The production is varied in sound whether it be horrorcore, trap, boom bap, hardcore hip hop or electronica/electronic dance music & everyone sounds happy to be reunited.

Score: 4/5

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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

Neon Sermon – “001” review

Neon Sermon are a horrorcore trio consisting of BatiBatt, Krux 1 & Lo Key. The latter of whom is most notable for being the leader of the Mission: Infect collective with Bati being his wife & Krux as his latest protege, joining the crew last year. They only have a couple songs under their belt together prior to bringing Bati into the picture couple months back for the lead single coinciding with the news of the trio’s formation & are following it up by dropping their debut EP enlisting former Strange Music in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 behind the boards for the entire thing.

After the “Signal Received” intro, the first song “Doomsday Device” is a boom bap/EDM fusion to start off the EP talking about a weapon of mass destruction that has malfunctioned whereas “Beamed Up” dives deeper into electronic territory looking for smoke. “GODZILLA” works in a trap beat to admit they they feel like the King of the Monsters with some speedy flows as well as a freshly chopped & screwed Eminem sample for the hook, but then “Level Up” takes a more abrasive route to declare sermon now being in session.

The song “B.I.A.T.D.A.T.L.M.O.M.F.K. (Bitch I Am The Devil And They Let Me Out My Fuckin’ Kettle)” returns to an EDM-influenced sound comparing themselves to Satan & that they’ve been let loose while the penultimate track “The Sickness” detours into boom bap territory talking about how no one’s ready for this. “You Now Belong to Us” on the other hand sends 001 off with an electronic/trap hybrid asking to step into their spaceship with a melodic hook that I consider to be the best throughout the whole thing.

Lo Key has been known for dabbling with completely different sounds with the most recent example being his nu metal-influenced 13th EP Metanoia last spring or even the last solo album The Eyes of Parasuva taking on a more alt-rock vibe & that’s exactly what he did here with his fellow Neon Sermon brethren. 7 embraces a heavy EDM influence over the course of a good bulk of his instrumentals with KruX turning the chemistry between him & his mentor up to 11.

Score: 4/5

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