(4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)
Loading...Tech N9ne comes at us again well before 2013 closes with the next step in his musical evolution, a rock project with the illustrious producer Ross Robinson. For those who need to be brought up to speed on his production credits you can blame this man squarely for these artist titled albums: Korn, Slipknot, Soulfly, & Cold. Talk about ’nuff said. With his help this album review is sure to serve as yet another diary entry for the war Tech has been waging on the idea of mainstream music for longer than we occupied the middle east. Tech is no stranger to rock laced joints but this will be his first solid attempt at an album of nothing but. My expectations going into it, only having heard the single ‘Public School’, are a powerful blend of Tech’s vicious lyrical style complimented by mosh-pit inspiring hardcore beats. Before all other genres I would eventually get into, Metal came first, so I won’t be forgiving. Let’s see how Tecca Nina can handle the well jaded masses as he scratches this Nu-Metal itch. Play… Track 1
The Ghost (Therapy) – Intro Skit (N/A)
The EP cranks into gear releasing a brief clip of a session with his new-found therapist, Ross Robinson, who found it wise to coax ‘The Ghost’ out of Tech.
The only question now: will this therapeutic exorcism deliver peace of mind to Tech or Hell on Earth for all of his deniers?
Public School ft. Krizz Kaliko (5/5)
Despite this EP being billed as a grand teaming of minds between Nina and Robinson, kicking down the door and strutting in is metal mastery of purely Strange construction. No doubt transplanting the essence of Robinson’s studio to thrive in KC,MO. We hear violin strings sing distantly leading into a well crafted build up that sounds not too dissimilar from anything many-a-metalhead would find in their collection. Tech’s opening Growl lends so well to the impending riff that even the most skeptical headbanger will nod along. And that riff, oh that primal surge of hardcore breakdown goodness, gets reigned in masterfully by Seven to run side by side with Tech’s unfailing flow. Krizz Kaliko’s voice breaks through the metal tear over a megaphone assisting in the disparagement of and call to arms against a lacking education system. If you wanna touch the little black hearts of angsty long haired youth everywhere, take 4 minutes to jam on the mantra “Fuck School”. Not to say an angsty long haired 25 year old would like it any less, the evidence in the score. Five outta five headbangs.
Head Now ft. Bernz & Wreckonize of ¡Mayday! (4/5)
Now begins the firm grip Ross Robinson takes on the album, calling in the help of Wes Borland and established hardcore drummer Sammy Siegler. The track opens up to a steely blues lick from Wes steadily marching into half time kicks & snares that Mr. Yates lays his signature flow over to express his disdain for those who suck him dry, both literally and figuratively, chanting “We Don’t Need No Head Now” with the two track closers Bernz & Wreckonize. These two along with their band have cemented their spot on the label and are comfortable with it as indicated by their tight lyricism and use of the word “Biancas”. That blues touch is exactly what Tech needed to show he knows where the passion in all forms of rock come from, despite the subject matter not quite matching the spirit of that old blues passion. 4 out of 5 tins of knob polish.
Hiccup (5/5)
Tech launches into his first solo vocal effort of the EP amongst a cacophony of crashing cymbals, scratching vinyl, and double time guitar action. This ride through a slam dance worthy joint is once again piloted by the savage expertise emanating from Siegler’s drums and Borland’s guitar and bass. Tech grabs the beat by the horns to warn those concerned about how easy it is to falter, submitting pedophiles and the Ohio kidnapper as proof with a shout out to the liberator in that case, Charles Ramsey. Not to mention Tech’s voice on the hook serves well to provide something smooth to surf on in a sea of jagged metal sounds. In an interview Tech mentioned the idea a track called ‘Hiccup’ coming to him in a dream and as tired as I am of hearing people say that I’m glad he brought it to Ross who helped him materialize another speaker buster. 5 out of 5 busted lips in the pit.
Therapy Skit 2 (N/A)
In this clip Tech speaks with Robinson about his hopes for the project and his concern with pigeonholing himself further as purely horrorcore with another Halloween release. Don’t worry big guy, when ninjas talk about you they don’t stick ‘horrorcore’ between ‘Living’ & ‘Legend’.
Shame On Me ft. Caroline Dupuy Heerwagen (5/5)
The blues spirit I found lacking in the lyricism on ‘Head Now’ comes to life here with the heartbroken blues picking in the background, and of course in the voice of Caroline Heerwagen. Tech spins a yarn about catching his girlfriend conspire to cheat and his thought process through what seems to him to be an unfortunate trend. Caroline’s vocals depict the girlfriend over the phone; her pleas for contact with another man almost sound desperate which adds another level of depth to the whole mess the song depicts. Together they build a package of severe emotional damage tied with a sense of nihilistic retrospection that anyone can relate to, which most of the time in the music business is the name of the game. Whether he made it for us or for himself, we all get it. 5 out of 5 mystery rubbers in the trash can.
Jacob Wells Message Skit (N/A)
This is an encouraging voicemail from a friend of Tech’s, something fans of his are no stranger to.
When Demons Come ft. Tyler Lyon (3/5)
This track burns slow and somber with steady acoustic finger-picking and a mid to low slung choir calling out from darkened cathedral halls. Tech spits several bars pinched between his own and Lyon’s echoed singing. Lyon has been making a name for himself in the Strange Music arena and his vocals on this track add to his already impressive portfolio as a very capable total package musician. Tech’s vocals are emphatic where they need to be but they don’t always genuinely match the mood he’s setting with the lyrics. Cracking into that subject matter, this song deals with handling a hard falter after being put on a pedestal and Tech being lost in that darkness. The zuggalo in me makes me wanna hear Syn take Tech’s vocals and add just a few more bars of rap. I could take this track now or pick it up again on a forgotten projects compilation later but it probably won’t be among the most memorable on this album. I have to give it 3 out of 5 sessions with an actual therapist.
Therapy Skit 3
A clip of Tech describing the spirit of his next track, a voracious wolf being what he wants to channel. What’s that wolf hungry for? Pussy, apparently.
I.L.L. (4/5)
Track number 10 in true Tech fashion is a strip club banger, another anthem decrying his love for all things that smile vertically. The instrumental is textbook Nu-metal, the guitar part roars and screams in the background, acting as a power source for all four minutes (which I was expecting more of out of this album).The drum parts remind me of a less complex version of Igor Cavalera’s tribal style, not surprising since Robinson produced (and from what I understand is about to produce again) for Sepultura. The track is straight forward in nature though, the hook being simply “I like Ladies”. There’s something to be said about how this song follows two tracks depicting his difficulty with women-folk. Like watching an elderly Alzheimers patient re-discover his peanut allergy, but honestly who can blame him? Nutter Butters are delicious. 4 outta 5 Peanut Butter and Nookie Sammiches.
Stop the Sailor (3/5)
Another slow burner to close the album with an ethereal feel to begin with, low droning tones underlie echoing guitar screams reminiscent of some late 80’s power ballads. Tech flows low and steady on the idea of being able to let go of someone that you know you’re not doing right and fighting with your own selfish desire to keep that person around. I felt every last bit of it, his vocals were more than functional when they were both clean and rough. The track ends with one final growl leading into some more of that searing distorted, almost psychedelic, guitar and one last clip of Tech talking candidly about wanting to reach out to all the rockers and metal heads with the project as he is one of us, something in my opinion he well accomplished. This track individually though is another unfortunately that I don’t find myself coming back to a lot when I re-visit the album. Despite being relateable and well executed, it just doesn’t leave that deep of an impression on my memory. Gotta give it 3 out of 5 arbitrary Strange Music watermarks.
Coming off the last track and bringing the whole project into perspective, I’d have to say what he was aiming for he hit. I was hoping for a few more hard bites and a little less heartbreak but, stylistically speaking, for all the rises and falls over the course of the album it was well balanced and covered a lot of territory in the Nu-Metal genre, my own expectations admittedly were selfish. If it weren’t for Tech having such a diverse musical background and a man of eclectic taste already this project idea might have been a bust, and historically speaking it usually is (see Chris Gaines). Tech’s star continues to shine though and this success should only further encourage him to experiment with how far he can go, including some confirmed interest in EDM and an as of yet unconfirmed rumor of his prospective pairing with a certain person by the name of Trent Reznor. Only time will tell, but the good news is there’s never much of that time between his releases.
Favorite Tracks:
- Hiccup
- Shame On Me
Length:
- 27 Minutes 16 Seconds
Record Label:
- Strange Music
Release Date:
- 11/05/2013
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