” review

Twiztid is a hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan consisting of Jamie Madrox & Monoxide, both of whom got their start alongside The R.O.C. as part of the trio House of Krazees throughout the early/mid 90’s. After their initial disbandment in 1997, the Insane Clown Posse almost immediately took Twiztid under their wings by signing them to Psychopathic Records & sporadically wrestled during the first few years after Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) was formed. But at the end of 2012, the demented duo decided to branch out on their own & started up their own record label Majik Ninja Entertainment just a couple years after. They’ve released a few outings on their own since, with the latest being Mad Season back in April of this year. The founders of Astronomicon have decided to go back-to-back & drop their 14th full-length album almost a week after former 2-time ΩCW Tag Team Champion, 3-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, 2-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion & WCW Hardcore Champion Shane Helms returned to WWE.

The album starts off with “Hallelujah”, where Twiztid talks about the game being fake referencing WWE Hall of Famer as well as former 6-time WWE world champion & WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage over a bass-heavy trap beat from Young Wicked. The next song “Blueprint” talks about going back to their old ways over an ominous instrumental from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 while the track “We Just Wanna Be Heard” literally speaks for itself over an apocalyptic beat. The song “Get Through the Day” talks about wanting their pain to be taken away over a ScatteredBrains instrumental with a flute in the background & a heavy guitar during the hook while the track “Come Alive” with Kid Bookie sees the 3 talking about living every day like they don’t see the sunlight over a trap beat with blobby bass.

The song “Clear” takes aim at those biting them over an instrumental with a pots & pans loop while the song “Hold Up” with Young Wicked finds the trio talking about pushing it ‘til the wheels fall off over a tropical trap beat. The song “Separate” would have to be my favorite on the entire album as it talks about escapism over an instrumental that continues to build up while the track “Twinz” gets on their shit-talking tip over a boom bap beat with some chimes.

The song “Laughable” with Lex the Hex Master sees the 3 talking about how “one of us has to go & no it won’t be me” over an instrumental with some angelic background vocals while the penultimate track “Change Me” talks about striving to become the person you want to be over an acoustic instrumental. The closer “Never Be Nothing” talks about being misunderstood over a trap beat with some somber piano chords.

Not only is this better than Mad Season, but I’ll also say that this is Twiztid’s best album post-Psychopathic. It all flows together so well as they distance themselves from their horrorcore roots in favor of showing listeners they still have it lyrically this deep into their career & the production only enhances the emotion behind each joint.

Score: 4/5

Redd – “Symphony of Sympathy” review

Redd is a 26 year old rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his association with local underground powerhouse Majik Ninja Entertainment. Given that, it was only right for Twiztid to sign Redd to their new sub-label Welcome to the Underground & give a hand in pushing his full-length debut.

After the melodic piano-inflicted intro, the next song “Followers” with Twiztid finds the trio talking about those who only care about how big they are on social media over a tropical beat whereas the track “Vulnerable” talks about being just that over a bare acoustic instrumental. The song “Smile” ponders what it takes to be happy over a cloudy beat while the track “2 Signs” with Blaze Ya Dead Homie & KYNE sees the 3 awkwardly going full blown country rap.

The song “Good Morning, Goodbye” with Illy Maine finds the 2 talking about cheddar chasing over a upbeat-trap instrumental while the track “Real Talk” with The R.O.C. sees the 2 boasting over a mellow beat from Mvc Mowl. The song “Love” is a melodramatic story about being drawn into this woman he first started talking to on Facebook while the track “Hello Stranger” talks about going it through it all over another country-flavored instrumental.

The song “Banana Clip” with Polo Frost sees the 2 talking about groupies over some claps while the track “Gameboy Color” with Gibby Stites finds the duo making multiple video game references about over a suiting instrumental. The song “Summit” talks about climbing to the peak over a woodwind infused trap beat while the penultimate track “Sleep on Me” talks about being underappreciated in the rap game over a nocturnal instrumental. The album finishes off with “Bounce”, which is a club banger backed by an beat kin to D4L’s “Laffy Taffy”.

I was curious to see where Redd would take things on this album (especially with one of the freshest underground labels in recent years backing it) & honestly, Symphony of Sympathy is pretty solid. The features are either hit or miss with me personally, but I really appreciate how versatile it is throughout.

Score: 3.5/5

Blaze Ya Dead Homie – “Cadaver” review

Blaze Ya Dead Homie is a 44 year old MC from Mt. Clemens, Michigan who came up as a part of the duo 2 Krazy Devils. After their demise, Twiztid brought him onto the Insane Clown Posse’s radar in 1998 & signed him to Psychopathic Records. Eventually, his eponymous debut EP in 2000 & his full-length debut 1 Less G n da Hood the following year would both go on to become some of the greatest releases on the label. He would go on to release 3 more albums on Psychopathic before leaving in 2013 to form his own label Grundy Entertainment & join Majik Ninja Entertainment the year after that. Last we heard from Blaze was in 2016 when he dropped The Casket Factory but on the day of 1 Less G’s 19 year anniversary, the Astronomicon mainstay is back with his 7th full-length album.

“I’m a G” talks about being himself over a nocturnal beat from Godsynth & after the “Unplug” skit, the next song “Tore Down” with Monoxide sees the 2 partying over a lively instrumental from Fritz the Cat. The track “They Say” featuring Jelly Roll talks about being a killer on the low over a Young Wicked beat that has a creepy atmosphere to it while the song “Be My Guest” takes you through a mausoleum over an instrumental that almost had a bit of a West Coast feel.

The song “Summer Breeze” gets introspective over a uptempo beat & after the “PSA from Ya Dead Homie” skit, the track “Back Window” talks about staying the same over a boom bap beat with some keys. The song “Get It Lit” with Jamie Madrox sees the 2 taking about getting fucked up over a weary instrumental while the track “Watery Grave” talks about sending his haters to Hell over a chilling beat.

“I’m Dead” talks about being a renegade over a spacious instrumental with some sick guitar-playing during the hook while the track “Dead Man Boogie” is a Drive-By reunion talking about popping slugs over a vibrant beat with some strings. The song “Let It Out” talks about not wanting poison in his soul over an electronic instrumental while the penultimate song “God Don’t Like Ugly” with Boondox & Lex the Hex Master finds the 3 talking about hateful people over a rap metal beat. Then after the “Cursed” skit, the closer “The Light” talks about being trapped in darkness over an abrasive instrumental.

The Dead Man has never dropped anything that I disliked, so I was very excited going into this new album over here. And at the end, I’m impressed with what I’ve heard & just shows how consistent he’s been throughout his career revisiting everything that makes him who he is. He takes it back, but he’s simultaneously moving forward & bringing a more personal side to himself into the spotlight.

Score: 3.5/5

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

Lex the Hex Master – “Haunted Mansion” review

This is the 3rd EP from Queensbridge emcee Lex the Hex Master, an artist who I’ve been keeping up with since late 2015 when he became one of the first artists to sign with Majik Ninja Entertainment. His latest EP Party Castle that dropped just a few months ago was the 1st in a 4-part series & even though it was more trap-flavored than anything he’s done before, it was a great way to kick the series off. But as fall approaches, Lex is already delivering the 2nd installment.

After the 9-second intro, the title track sets the tone for whole project as Lex talks about getting lit over a C.G. instrumental sampling Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” whereas the next song “Be Gone” takes aim at those who’re hating on MNE over a trap beat from Poetics with some melancholic piano-chords. “The Life” sees Lex showboating over an energetic beat while the track “Take It Off” is a wild strip club banger.

The song “S.A.L. (Sorry Ass Loser)” to me seems like a darker, modern version of 7L & Esoteric’s “Herb” while the penultimate track “Insane” with Blaze Ya Dead Homie & Boondox finds the trio talking about staying that way until the very end over an instrumental that has somewhat of a crunk feel to it. The EP finishes with “Bruja”, where Lex talks about a witch over a tribal beat from Charlie Beans.

This whole ongoing EP series are quickly becoming some of my favorite projects that Lex has ever put out point blank period & I’ll even say this is Party Castle on steroids. The club bangers on here in comparison to it’s predecessor are more refined from the hooks, production choices, lyricism & performances. At this rate, the next 2 installments are bound to be even better.

Score: 4/5

Oh! The Horror – “Halloween 365” review

Oh! The Horror is a trio from Sacramento, California consisting of frontman Jonathon Hillhouse, rhythm guitarist Jeremy Terror & lead guitarist/producer Grady Finch. They released an EP just over a year ago called The Devil Made Me Do It & were able to gain even more exposure just a few weeks ago by becoming the very 1st act under Majik Ninja Entertainment’s new sub-label Welcome to the Underground. Of course with this new record deal, the trio had to celebrate by dropping their full-length debut.

The opener “Kill ‘Em All” get murderous over an icy instrumental backed by some heavy guitars whereas the next track “Boom!” tries to incorporate elements of EDM as they talk about how they’re not hard to find. The song “Origins” tells a story about them agreeing to a deal with Satan over a prominently rubbery trap beat while the track “Scream Queen” talks about taking dude’s bitches over a straight up nu metal throwback. The song “Leave Me Alone” talks about wanting to be set free over an beat fusing an amalgamation of different styles of while the track “Pain” with KidCrusher sees the 2 talking about fading in the darkness & the instrumentation on here is some of the best on the entire album.

The song “Idontcare” talks about not giving a fuck over a minimal beat with a dope retro video game sample occasionally popping in & out while the song “Boomstick!” talks about guns over a trap metal fusion. The track “Bodies” talks about having corpses in their basement over some hellish guitars while the track “Scream” starts bragging over a demented instrumental. The penultimate song “Zombie” talks about getting a blowjob over another trap metal beat & then the album finishes with the title track, where the trio talk about how they’re always gonna be freaks over an uncanny beat.

Pretty good album if you ask me. I was expecting a bit more out of the features & even though the whole rap metal shtick might come off as lame to some people, Oh! The Horror is definitely a more unique face in that style & I can definitely see them growing down the line.

Score: 3.5/5

Lex the Hex Master – “Party Castle” review

Lex the Hex Master is an MC from Queens, New York who broke out in 2015 with his independent debut album Born in Hell. The demented Detroit hip hop duo Twiztid would him to their label Majik Ninja Entertainment shortly after & he has put out a plethora of releases since. This includes The Black Season, Contact, the Mr. Ugly duology, Beyond Redemption & Shadow King. However despite showcasing a bunch of lesser-known MCs on the Strictly 4 My N.I.N.J.A.S. mixtape this past fall, Lex pretty much payed on the down-low for most of last year. But to kick off a new era, he’s delivering the 1st installment in a series of 4 EPs.

After the intro, the first song “Last Night” talks about being under the influence over a woozy beat & then “The Count” gets on the shit-talking tip over a forlorn trap beat. The song “Hypnotized” vents about wanting his name to be remembered over a grimy instrumental from Poetics while the track “Back Up” talks about. The penultimate song “Chill Mode” gets on the more cool side of things down to the Godsynth instrumental & then the closer “Sleep at Night” is a remix of “Stay Woke” by HB the Grizzly that I actually like more than the original.

If anyone’s looking for some East Coast hip hop that’s lyrical & something you can vibe out to, I highly recommend checking this out & am looking forward to hearing how the other 3 installments of the Party Castle series turn out. The beats are a lot more trap-flavored than his previous efforts & Lex manages to remind fans why he’s one of the most menacing MCs that MNE has to offer.

Score: 4/5

Axe Murder Boyz – “Fatality” review

The Axe Murder Boyz are a duo from Denver, Colorado consisting of brothers Young Wicked & Bonez Dubb. The 2 have been making music together since the late 90s, but didn’t make their breakthrough until the mid-2000s when the Insane Clown Posse signed them to Psychopathic Records. They went on to release 3 albums & an EP with them before signing to Twiztid‘s label Majik Ninja Entertainment on New Year’s Eve 2016. Last we heard from the siblings was in 2018 with their 8th album Muerte & as we get close to the halfway point of this year, they’re back with their 6th EP following their Astronomicon debut.

After the intro, we get right into the title track. Where Young Wicked & Bonez Dubb talk about killing their competition over a bassy trap beat from Young Wicked himself. The song “Cantfxckwittus” with Jamie Madrox sees the 3 talking about how MNE’s running the underground over a morbid instrumental while the track “Nothin’ 4 Free” talks about how nothing in hip hop is ever granted to you over a flute-inflicted trap beat.

The song “Murda Shit” gets on the horrorcore tip over over a trap beat with some creepy bells while the penultimate track “Runnitup” is a celebratory banger about their hustle. The EP finishes off with “We Up”, where the siblings talk about their success over a punchy beat with haunting piano loop.

AMB’s been one of my favorites out of Colorado for a while now & this EP just goes to show it. Young Wicked’s production continues to elevate over time as does the chemistry with his brother Bonez Dubb. If they have a new album together in the chamber & this is just a taste of what’s to come, then I’m really looking forward to see what they do on there.

Score: 4/5

Twiztid – “Mad Season” review

This is the surprise 13th full-length album from Detroit hip hop duo & Astronomicon founders Twiztid. Originally starting off as members of the House of Krazees with The R.O.C. before disbanding in 1997, Jamie Madrox & Monoxide were taken eventually under the wings of the Insane Clown Posse & signed to Psychopathic Records shortly after. They ended up staying with them for 15 years & sporadically wrestled during the first few years after Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) was formed, leaving at the end of 2012 to form their own label Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2014. They’ve released 3 full-length albums on their own since & with the 1 year anniversary of their previous one Generation Nightmare coming this weekend, Jamie & Mono decided to hit us with Mad Season out of the blue.

The opener “Off W/ They Heads” finds the demented duo talking about the occult over a nocturnal trap beat from Young Wicked whereas the next song “Do This 1 More Time” talks about being mentally unstable over a bombastic instrumental. The track “Everything’s Cursed” stays on the horrorcore tip over a rubbery, supernatural beat while song “That’s What They Be Telling Me” airs out the things being heard to them over a groggy trap beat from Godsynth.

The track “F Feelings“ tells their opponents to do their worst over a suspenseful instrumental then the song right after is the latest installment of the “Wasted” series of party anthems that Twiztid does & it’s just as decent as the previous 3. The track “Follow Me” with Hyro the Hero sees the trio talking about feeling electrified over some unsettling bells backed by a set of snares & then there’s the “Hungry Like the Wolf” cover, which Jamie & Jimmy Urine both do a great job at surprisingly.

The song “Never Change” finds Monoxide declaring himself a rebel & Jamie addressing the duo’s falling out with ICP over an haunting piano-trap beat from ScatteredBrains while “Fuck Wit Us” is a Triple Threat cut about smoking weed over an instrumental with an uncanny feel to it. The song “My Bible” with Stevie Stone & Young Wicked sees the 4 talking about bringing smoke over a prominent organ loop while the penultimate track “Slo-Mo” talks about being under the influence over a woozy boom bap beat. The album finishes with “4Get U”, where Twiztid hooks up with Ekoh & Young Wicked to fall about being done dirty in the industry over these icy keyboards.

As solid as Generation Nightmare was, this new album is even better in my personal opinion. I really like how the demented duo sound angrier & return to a more hip hop-based sound on here in contrast to the previous effort attempting to appeal to that Warped Tour crowd.

Score: 3.5/5