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Suburban Noize seems to be a cesspool of underground artists and other musical groups. With yet another team of tyrannical MC’s added to the labels lineup, Vancouver’s very own corpse collecting, street soldiers Swollen Members, drop their debut to the record label; ‘Armed To The Teeth’ like a fresh hundred dollar bill, ready to be picked up. Though this newest release is their debut to Suburban Noize Records this is in no way their first crack at the rap game. Ever since way back when in ’96 Mad Child, Prevail, and DJ Rob the Viking exploded onto the Canadian underground scene and quickly spread like an infection through an open wound, pouring over the boarders soon found themselves a fan base on the West Coast.

Having earned themselves numerous awards, selling over a million records worldwide with no record deal, and working/being involved with the artists they have worked with Swollen have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with lyrically or otherwise. Fusing what they have already accomplished with that spirit of a fresh start and a new album on a new label, after the narcotic/legal collapse of their own Battle Axe Records Swollen Members have stepped back into where they must feel most comfortable, the studio. Recording a bold, boisterous statement on a disc, ‘Armed To The Teeth’ should be set to blaze a trail to the status of the previous 5 records.

With tracks engulfed with rhythms, melodies, rhymes, and ruckus reflecting the drama that has unfolded for the group over the past few years it’s a clever mix of story telling and bangers for the club. Whether how you get your fix of the Swollen Members it’s an album featuring some of the best lyrical accompaniment on a release; Tech N9ne spinning and twisting tongues on ‘Bollywood Chick’, Talib Kweli lacing his laid back flows on ‘Crossfire’, Everlast and Slaine of LCN hitting the mic with a brick of yay on ‘Dumb’, and Glasses Malone helping bringing the project to a close on ‘Real P.I.’

For the exception of two tracks Rob the Viking handles the production needed to put this together with the precision honed from years of crafting his skill and doing what he does best. The album is pretty dope and one not to be slept on; I mean its music on a disc for your ears not a pillow for your head. With tracks like ‘Dumb’, ‘Bang Bang’, ‘Bollywood Chick’, ‘Concerto’, and ‘Flyest’ it’s something that could be spun more then once, and hopefully the tour that ensues this release extends from the West Coast, Canada, and British Columbia, because judging from their performance at this years Gathering of the Juggalos the groups live performance supercedes their sound on an album.

Websites

SwollenMembers.com
MySpace.com/SwollenMembers
SuburbanNoizeRecords.com

Record Label:

• Suburban Noize Records

Release Date:

• 10/27/2009

Reviewer:

• Whipstick