.rod laver

Item: essence of the game
Author: D_Lister

essence of the game

(1999)

Reviewed by D_Lister

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Screaming Giant RecordsDead Zine1999

hardcore hip hop nu metal rapcore

Well hats off to Screaming Giant Records, who for so long have brought us mainly punk music, for having made strides to bring some heavier music to their label.

And that's about where the positive stuff stops for this review. Have you ever heard the House of Pain/Helmet track off of the Judgment Night soundtrack? This band has.

Vocals are pretty much what you expect from rapcore, slow purposeful rap style. This guy can handle the style pretty well, better for example than Spoken, and Cronic, but it's so slow. I'd like to hear this dude perform more like Busta Rhymes really fast...with the low end sound of his voice if it got fast it'd be good, but as it is, I'm bored.

Musically it's pretty much what you expect from rapcore, basic hardcore, very bass driven but nothing special. The only thing is they try to do some guitar tweaks here and there that are catchy the first time through but you realize that they kind of repeat from song to song, and get bored soon.

With that said, let me add that track 7 Franconia Rd. is the exception to my statements about the music and track 8 Feel Your Blood is the exception to my statements about the vocals. 7 just kills with the intensity and heavy feel of the music, and 8 has super speedy vocals and it's really good. Both are really good.

Track 10 is a "rapped word" not really spoken, but done in rhyme. Hmmm.

Track 11 takes the music back to the style of the first 6 and the album closes on track 12. I really really enjoyed 2 tracks of this CD, but that's really about it.

Rapcore fans check it out, it may be up your alley, but if you're looking for another POD or Project 86 steer clear.

4.5/10