(4 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading...New England’s own Freeze dropped the original Red Snow way back in 2007 and though he’s had several releases since, including a variety of side projects, he’s comes back with an amazing follow up with Red Snow 2. The mercy Counts Records artist brings along a few of his friends for what is an amazingly solid outing, but before I ramble (as I’m known to do) let’s get into the track by track breakdown.
Unlike most, Freeze doesn’t start things off with an intro, but instead opts to kick things off with a banging track. “Return to Red Snow,” is actually focuses on how nothing can stop Freeze and his journey in this music business. He delivers a solid flow that flows perfectly with the beat and offers a great introduction to the album to come. Though the track itself isn’t the shortest track on the album by any means, it certainly seems to fly by, but the do say time flys when your having fun. 4/5
“Classroom,” is certainly a fitting name for this track. Lyrically Freeze offers an in depth look at how his career came to be and how things have certainly changed mentally for him over the years. The hook sticks with the teaching mentality or should I say the continuation of his learning as he keeps growing musically. He also gives upcoming artists a verse on how rough it can and how horrible it can be to let your dreams go. 4/5
Following this we see Freeze giving us a glimpse of how it feels to find that those you used to ride with can turn their back on you. This aside, “Nobody,” is a powerful song about how even when it seems like you are in this alone that perseverance can keep you going strong. This is track that proves starting from nothing with no one believing in you doesn’t mean you can’t improve and take the world by storm. The hook is perfect in the sense that when nobody cares and there’s no one to blame you can take control of your situation. 4.5/5
“Live Wire,” starts off with a slow ominous beat, but kicks into gear as soon as Freeze’s verse drops. The beat itself seems muddled and while the flow is on point things feel slightly off on this track. It certainly doesn’t feel like the rest of the album and while I can appreciate switching things up it just doesn’t hit like the rest of the record. It seems like the the best sounding parts are actually when the beat drops off, either way Freeze delivers a rough and raw couple of verses. The hook is almost too basic after the previous tracks though. 3/5
As we make our way into the following track we can almost immediately feel something different is about to come. “Psycho,” gives us our first taste of Freeze’s ability to bring a pure horror core track and he brings fellow Mercy Counts Records artist Xplzit along for the ride. While the hook is simplistic it actually works really well on this track and his verse is just as hard hitting as we’ve come to expect. Xplzit is also a nice addition to this track and she manages to offer a great flow that pairs well with both the beat and Freeze’s own verses. Honestly, she offers one of the best pieces of advice when she says, “being hated is worth it if it’s for something you believe in.” I was hesitant to hear this departure of content, but it ends up being one of my favorite tracks on the entire album and shows why these two work so well together. Perhaps, that’s why they have more then one side project together. 4.5/5
“Spin Around,” gives Freeze a chance to jump right back into the solo region and show that he can more then handle things himself. While this may be one of the shortest tracks on the album, he once comes with another set of beautiful flows and shows off his ability to deliver a fast paced flow. 4/5
Next we see Xplzit return to the fold and also get to hear Donnie Menace team up with Freeze for the track, “Bottom to the Top.” The first thing you’ll notice is the more rock inspired beat that laces along the background of this track with almost grungy guitar riffs. Lyrically Freeze once again delivers a solid verse and it’s nice to see that Donnie Menace holds his own on this track as well. Of course Xplzit is on point and while the beat is a bit different it doesn’t detract from the solid lyrical performances each artist puts forth. 3.5/5
“Everybody Freeze,” offers a very unique almost electronic beat, especially during the course. Honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of this hook as it is almost overly simplified, but who doesn’t love a Macho Man reference now and then. Freeze pushes things in to high gear again with his flow and even manages to squeeze in a Kurt Cobain reference as well. This track is also a great showcase of Freeze’s fast rapping skills that he really shines with. 3.5/5
An overly electronic beat is jarring at first, but Freeze still finds a nice rhythm to keep things going at a good pace. This time around he brings Jon Modi along for this one and he delivers a decent verse, but I can say it’s the best performance on the album. The hook is almost nonexistent, but it sort of fits with the beat. Though I did mention the electronic heavy beat, it does have some solid drum pounding hits and ends with a nice melodic piano to end things. 3.5/5
“Darkside,” clocks in at just over 4 minutes, which makes it the longest track on the entire album. Madecipha may not be a fellow Mercy Counts Records artist but it is obvious why him and Freeze came together (With Xplzit too) to form the group UFO. Freeze and Madecipha seem to bounce of each other rather well and both deliver solid verses. The hook is also perfectly fitting and pairs well with the theme of everyone having a dark side. Overall, this is a great track that once again seems to fly by quickly. 4.5/5
Following this Freeze gives us a hype track that has a great melodic beat. “Too Wild,” certainly feels and sounds like a party track. Prominently the lyrics deal with that party atmosphere and it’s a nice change of pace late in the album. The hook is solid and really brings everything a nice cohesive feeling. 4/5
Honestly, seeing the title, “God’s an American,” had me a bit concerned on what we could possibly be in store for here. Those concerns are quickly dashed, because Freeze can flow with the best and proves it here. In context the lyrics and hook give the title justice as it shows how terrible things have become in our country. Like Freeze you have to hope (if you believe in that sort of thing) that God’s an american because the world has gone to a awful place. It also has a positive message that pushes you to never give up no matter how bleak the future can look. 4.5/5
“Shut Em Down,” gives Freeze another chance to flow about why he isn’t taking any shit and is willing to put any naysayers in their place. The title says it all and though the hook isn’t anything impressive it hardly takes away from the speedy and hard hitting verses that Freeze has become known for. 4/5
Closing things out we get another head bobbing track in, “No Silence.” Lyrically Freeze once again delivers a solid performance, but what’s surprising is the chorus. We get a different side of Freeze as he switches things up and proves that his flow isn’t his only talent and he gives a solid singing hook. I always love to see artists showcase their range and this track definitely does this. After this one you’re simply left wondering what’s next for Freeze and how much he can continue to grow as an artist.
OVERALL:
In the end this is a great release from an artist who has been doing this for quite some time and continues to evolve. It’s clear that Freeze has a great style and flow, but with the closing track he also proves he can sing with the best of them. The album itself has a great variety and features some amazing collabs, most notably with his fellow UFO group members. Whether you’ve heard of his music before or not, this is absolutely worth the $9.99 entry price. 4/5
FAVORITE TRACKS:
- No Silence
- Nobody
- Psycho (Feat. Xplzit)
Record Label:
- Mercy Counts Records
Release Date:
- 05/20/2016
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