8 Degrees jump right in to the fray with bass driven strong structures and aggressive vocals accentuated sullen interludes. Full of activity and still satisfyingly aggravated this band meshes a animated rapcore sound with convulsing low end and rapid fire flows. Comparable a bit to Salmon's classic album "Paco... Drop The Chicken", twitching basslines are infused with relentless verbal jabs, yet the band also infuses heavier elements and prog rock like moans. Vocally the verbal contributions are quite swift with deft flows and rhymes that interlock tightly, weaving a sturdy lyrical netting that is set in place for the Tool-esque wails and pissed off screams to fly freely over. Fiery with sullen choruses and breakdowns, the listener is constantly exposed to contrasting elements and as such the lyrical patterns come off quite well. Guitars sear with vicious riffs and solid technique, some string scratching and other experimental methods are used, but not in excess. Moderately tuned and dynamic they are deep rooted within the songs progression, and even though the guitar parts played can become a bit self indulgent, they tend to reel themselves back in at the right moment to give the chorus or breakdown an extra punch. Bass is heavily funk influenced and struts out jagged notes with a start and stop style that chugs along throughout the CD's various tracks. Slightly downtuned and spastic in nature, there are some skilled rhythms and patterns laid down that boost the steam of the tracks tenfold with a generally upbeat stance that solidifies the bass as integral component in the bands music. Drums are hectic and restrained with a moderately tuned snare that keeps the groove crisp. While most of the beats played tend to partner closely with the bass, a lot of cymbal work is thrown in along with some unexpected ethnic percussion that thickens the flavor and keeps things from becoming bland. Turntables are sparsely utilized as well as a handful of subwoofer workouts take flight in the form of 808 like basshits, both of which manage to keep things moving with a hip hop flair. Progressive with sly lyrical prowess and fevered with pummeling percussion and fleet basslines, the bands music is quite an empowering journey, yet the overall lack of polish can at times keep things scattered, undermining what could be a more concentrated method of attack and although this could be a very negative downfall, what the band mildly lacks in cohesiveness is more than made up for with the surging energy they exude. 8 Degrees have a strong grip on the handle of what they have set out to do, fast paced rapcore with dark interludes hasn't been attempted in a context like the one on display here before and their ability at achieving an enjoyable sound is quite uncanny, but a bit more firming up is still necessary to take them to the next level above and beyond the other bands attempting similar styles.
(4 / 5)