Yay Yay said:

Best album since Shangri-La IMO. I can tell when they put in their most effort or not. To me that's all I care about anymore. Whether they sound bored or energized and they brought the energy on this and the high production. BPB had a few good songs for me but they still weren't jokers cards focused. Now they are again so props to them and MEC.

Here is my review of the main album that I posted on my Facebook earlier today;

THE MIGHTY DEATH POP

 

1/. Intro (9 out of 10)

 

One of the most exciting elements of hearing a brand new ICP album is the intro track - these set the atmosphere and tone for what is to come, and this one doesn't disappoint; it opens with a guy trying to be a daredevil to impress his girlfriend by taking a running jump across a gap.  Well, he doesn't make it, and POP! we're introduced to The Mighty Death Pop himself.  The lesson to take away from this album, as the lyrics say, is "This is your life, better respect this!".  There is no slow, agonising demise at his hands - he simply arrives to blow your candle out in an instant.  One second you're here, the next you're not.  Your life extinguished in the blink of an eye.  Definitely gets you excited to hear whats coming!

 

2/. The Mighty Death Pop (8 out of 10)

 

Essentially, the intro's second act - set to the soundscape of Hot Chocolate's 'Every 1's a Winner'.  At first I wasn't sure what to make of this track, but it rapidly grew on me.  The lyrics further caution about how doing stunts and trying to get glory from your friends by being stupid and reckless can cost you your life, which can end in an instant at the hands of The Mighty Death Pop.

 

3/. Night of the Chainsaw (7 out of 10)

 

On first listen, this track immediately jumped out as an instant classic, though it doesn't quite hold up to repeat plays.  Its still a solid song, and sits comfortably among its siblings ('Night of the Axe' on Carnival of Carnage, and 'Night of the .44' on The Wraith: Hell's Pit).  The beat thumps along nicely, and were the production stripped back a little, it would have an old school feel to it.  The song is about a chainsaw-weilding maniac, and is pretty amusing.  Violent J's vocals are interesting too, I don't recall another track where he sounds quite like this.

 

4/. Chris Benoit (10 out of 10)

 

I love this song.  In a big, bad way.  The beat, the lyrics, the vibe it gives, everything about it is flawless to me.  Its a song about that moment where your brain snaps and you lose control of your actions, driving you to commit unspeakable acts.  The beat is laid back and yet has a powerful urgency, and the way that the lyrics flow erratically over it is a stroke of genius.  The way the vocals jump from depressed lows to hyper highs within the same sentence adds another exciting element to an overall brilliant song.  This is also the first single released from the album, and you can see the video for it here;  

 

5/. The Blasta (7 out of 10)

 

A chugging rock riff from Mike E Clark's guitar drives this tale of "the Bully Blasta", a victim of bullying who takes matters into his own hands and begins a bloody rampage of revenge.  As a victim of bullying myself, I love the lyrics and this song is a neat little slice of wish fulfilment.  It begins to drag a little though, and feels 30 seconds too long to me, but thats just my opinion.

 

6/. Kickin Kickin (8 out of 10)

 

At first this sounds very similar to the beat from 'Dead Pumpkins', ICP's 1994 Hallowicked single.  It definitely has an old school vibe to it, and the synth stabs that pepper the music are nice touches.  The song is about being ninjas, literally.  Shaggy 2 Dope shines on this track, his delivery and vocals are like nothing he has done before and its at this point that we start to realise that Shaggy has truly upped his game on this album.

 

As the song ends, we get our first skit - a soldier gets full of bravado and instead of waiting for his orders, lets out a battle cry and charges ahead, all guns blazing.  He blows up a couple of seconds later, with a visit from The Mighty Death Pop.

 

7/. Bazooka Joey (9 out of 10)

 

The chorus in this song disappointed me, but it has since grown on me and its now one of my favourite hooks on the entire album.  This solo Shaggy 2 Dope song tells the tale of a man who finds a bazooka and goes on a rocket launching rampage.  Its a funny story, again giving Shaggy a platform to shine with solid vocals.  The beat has a great sound to it, tubas and other big brass band instruments providing the drive and some restrained but catchy female harmonies in the chorus.

 

8/. Shooting Stars (4 out of 10)

 

For some reason, this song just doesn't stick with me and its forgotten as soon as the track is over - the beat, the vocals, nothing really shines.  Its a song about assassinating a bunch of celebrities and VIPs at an awards ceremony.  Its ground that ICP have visited in the past, and have done better work on similar songs.  Its a short track, but for the first time I get the feeling that this track could have been left off of the album and replaced with one of the songs on the outtakes album (see 'Mike E Clarks Extra Pop Emporium' review further down).  I consider this a weak link in The Mighty Death Pop album.

 

9/. Juggalo Juice (8 out of 10)

 

Finally, ICP have done a song specifically addressing their love of Faygo soda!  Its a fun party song, and its good to hear ICP cutting lose and having fun on a light, bouncy beat.  Violent J's lyric "You don't like Red Pop?  Fuck your face!" is one of the funniest things you'll hear in music this year, too!

 

10/. Hate Her To Death (10 out of 10)

 

This is my favourite track on this album.  Its so good, it is worth buying the album just for this one song.  If you have ever been in love with someone that hasn't felt the same for you then you'll relate to this song, possibly to the point of tears - as was the case with me.  The lyrics, the harmonies, the music, its absolutely flawless.  If you like ICP when they're at their emotionally deepest, then this song will occupy a permanent slot on your daily playlist.  An incredibly moving song, and in my opinion, the scene-stealing star of the entire show.

 

11/. SKREEEM!! feat. Tech N9ne & Hopsin (8 out of 10)

 

After the brilliance that is the previous song, this track has a tough job ahead of it to maintain the excitement.  And it pulls it off!  The beat is exciting, and the screaming littered around in the chorus is a nice touch.  This is notably the only track on the whole album that has guests on it, and both Tech N9ne and Hopsin deliver the goods in their verses.  There is an Adam's Family-esque organ vibe to the music, which adds an interesting element to the song too.

 

The next skit on the album has a bunch of kids at a party huffing chemicals, trying to show how cool they are.  The heartbeat of one of the characters plays beneath the voices, and it gradually increases in speed to the point where POP! the guy's heart gives out and the Mighty Death Pop takes his life.

 

12/. Ghetto Rainbows (9 out of 10)

 

A song that initially appears to be about how crappy the environment of a ghetto can appear even though there is a beautiful rainbow above over it.  But first appearances can be deceptive, as is frequently the case with ICP - essentially the song is about chasing your dreams and never relenting until you have escaped from your oppressive surroundings and have found that treasure at the end of the rainbow.  Legs Diamond's chorus vocals deliver the goods, and while the music sounds soft to the unprepared, it will definitely grow on you and it is one of the most unique ICP songs in recent memory.

 

13/. When I'm Clownin' (5 out of 10)

 

This track sounds lazy to me; the beat is uninspired and just simply plods along with little excitement, and both Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope seem to be going thru the motions with the lyrics.  It will stick with you, unlike the forgettable 'Shooting Stars' earlier in this album, but it won't be for the right reasons.  It's not a bad song, its not a good song, its just there.

 

14/. Dog Catchers (7 out of 10)

 

A brief diss song aimed at Dog the Bounty Hunter.  The beat has a 1920's swing sound to it, and that alone elevates the song to above average status in my estimation.  I don't know anything about Dog the Bountry Hunter so maybe the lyrics are lost on me, and it may be more interesting to fans of the show.

 

15/. Daisies (8 out of 10)

 

During the recording process for The Mighty Death Pop, ICP said they had gone thru Mike E Clark's collection of unused, scrapped beats to find the most varied and interesting sounds for the album.  I suspect this beat was from an unfinished Dark Lotus track, as it has that mysterious, ethnic sound that frequently shines on the supergroup's albums.  I think its a fantastic track, but my one and only criticism is that the vocals are so low in the mix that it is almost impossible to hear the lyrics at certain points.  I have listened to this song more than 20 times now, and I still couldn't tell you what it is about.  It sounds great though, so I still give it high marks and it definitely sounds original.

 

16/. Where's God? (9 out of 10)

 

This song asks one of those important questions that people never want to hear; "Where's God when shit goes down?".  Violent J's line "I still believe / We need him here!" is a poignant stab that tugs at the heartstrings some.  Great music, great chorus, and great delivery from the Clowns.  Legs Diamond once again shines on this track, proving yet again that this album's vocal harmonies are where it stands out in the extensive catalog of ICP's music.

 

17/. Forever (9 out of 10)

 

"Nothing last forever, so make the most of it while you can" is the motto of this song, which brings the album to a close.  Its got a beautiful, light, Southern rock sound mixed with classic soul (in particular, Otis Redding's 'Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay'), and draws the curtains on The Mighty Death Pop's chapter of the Dark Carnival mythos in a very satisfactory manner.  It doesn't have the "Let's go nuts!" party sound like the closing track of 'Bang! Pow! Boom!', this one will probably be best enjoyed on a hillside with your closest friends watching the sunset while reminiscing about your lives together.  And expect to be whistling the tune for weeks to come!

 

18/. Outtakes (unlisted bonus track - 10 out of 10)

 

Opening with a skit that didn't appear on the album (a morbidly hilarious scenario of a pilot on a passenger plane deciding to commit suicide by crashing the plane into the ground while calmly addressing the passengers over the PA system), this track has funny bloopers from the Mighty Death Pop recording sessions, as well as providing the occasional glimpse into how the songs have evolved (an early version of the track 'Chris Benoit' makes an appearance and it sounds wildly different to the finished song).  A wonderful treat at the end of the album!

 

THE MIGHTY DEATH POP (overall rating - 8 out of 10)

 

All in all, this album is a solid entry into the collection of Joker Card albums.  Experimental at times, familiar at others, it balances old and new incredibly well and it delivers more solid tracks than most major releases from other artists.  Don't sleep on this album, you should definitely go out and get it.  There is plenty of life left in Insane Clown Posse, and while time will tell if The Mighty Death Pop is destined to become a classic in their gigantic music catalog, its certainly worth your time and will continue to surprise you.

Thats awesome, thanks for clearing that one up!  Yeah, I love 'Daisies' but I just hadn't gotten around to sitting down and focusing on the lyrics - they just seem a little, I don't know... "muted", if thats the right vernacular.  I love the concept you've just described, so I think that will knock the rating up higher now!

MC_Cryptid said:

@mentalcaseproject - don't worry, I will be getting my reviews of the other 3 albums up soon!  Thanks for taking the time to read my opinions!

I never have the patience to complete those things though when I start ranting I'll go into every little detail lol...pretty much agreed with most of your review though

mentalcaseproject said:

MC_Cryptid said:

@mentalcaseproject - don't worry, I will be getting my reviews of the other 3 albums up soon!  Thanks for taking the time to read my opinions!

I never have the patience to complete those things though when I start ranting I'll go into every little detail lol...pretty much agreed with most of your review though

I love those kinda reviews though honestly. I typically skip over ones that aren't at least track by track, as generic reviews of albums tend to not interest me.

 

Really dug your review Cryptid.

i think the album is pretty amazing considering I haven't liked much of their stuff sinse the Wraith..only thing is I wanted Night Of The Chainsaw to be complete fuckin horrorcore shit

I never understood why people hated The Tempest so much, that was the last ICP record I bumped on a regular basis upon it's release personally. I thought this record was a better return to their "old school" style than people were saying of BPB, but at the same time not many of the tracks really stood out to me. Just seems like a record Juggalo's will like, which is fine, and maybe even a good thing, but most likely not their goal. But hey sometimes records take a bit to seep in on me. Overall I liked Freaky Tales enough to find it worth paying for so whatever.