(hed)p.e.'s heavily anticipated sophomore effort charges out of the gate with all gears blazing, combining malicious vocals with chaotic percussion and virulent riffs flushed with effects and bottom heavy bass. Spiked with intensity, the groups evolution shines through loud and clear here, as they pummel through the albums 12 tracks with a renewed vigor and a stripped down sound that lavishes in coarse tones and throbbing bass hits. Building upon the framework that the years of touring in support of their debut laid out, the band isn't about to show any signs of softness yet, but are more than fully prepared to indulge in lush alien environments as they push themselves into areas that stem more strongly from discernible genres and showcase the confidence and pride they have for the new material. Vocally the album is filled with sharp tongued raps, bone cracking screams and humble croons that meld anger with pain and scour it down to its raw essence, while lyrically, content includes everything from weed and women to moralistic turmoil and crude party raps that are both hilarious and vile at the same time. Guitars thrust forth with ragged growling riffs that are intoxicated with effects and stick with a thinly layered aesthetic that heightens the electrical malice that is the high end, while also adding a treble packed snarl of harsh chords and entrancing harmonics. Bass is slightly percussive and features a full sounding downtuning as looming notes are thumped out with loose hip hop ideals and dead on grooves. Drums pulverize with rapid fire kicks and passionate snare embellishment that shatters the silence with a resiliently tight tuning and an enveloping usage of the kit, involving beats styled in a decidedly hip hop nature. Turntables and programming aren't as dense on this record as they were on the previous release, but their presence is still crafted with keen placement and a vivid creative finesse. The growth shown here is shockingly apparent, and the band have bucked much of their fears and insecurities by already having established a loyal fanbase and dealt with the pressures of a debut release. They aren't so much into writing darker songs filled with metaphors and shadowy imagery anymore and as such this album isn't so much a deep prolific declaration, but rather a statement that the band is here to stay and they don't give a fuck who cares or not. Fortunately though, the tracks included are drenched with catchy hooks and blistering verses that convulse with mischievous energy, while the streamlined song structures gleam with experience and mature musicianmanship. One thing that stands out here, is the experimentation and willingness to try new things, the band dabbles with brooding drum and bass on the track "Pac Bell" and put their own spin on new school styled hip-hop on the head bobbing number, "Feel Good" which features brilliant guest performances from Serj Tankian of System Of A Down and Morgan Lander of Kittie, and if the self assurance and open mindedness shown in those two cuts wasn't enough, they also flawlessly breeze into the mid tempo'd track "The Meadow" which comes complete with acoustic guitars and an uplifting positivity that juggles the tasks of being soulful and hypnotic while still maintaining a traditional (hed) edge. From start to finish though, the most consistent element that defines the sound of the band and this record in particular is the almost violent, raw sounding interaction between the instruments, it's not production based and is by no means caused by lack of talent, but is instead a result of the way the band writes songs with a gritty punk rock like mentality and ambitious ideas. Some people may be quick to write off this album as being weak, claiming that it's too thin and the lyrics lack any real substance, and admittedly, there are a few moments when the verbal contributions to this album becomes somewhat repetitive and shallow. But after closer inspection its undeniable that the focused song writing and unfiltered abrasive words are immensely catchy and make this album a most have for anyone even remotely fond of heavy music that combines rap and rock. (hed)p.e. are widely hailed as the innovators of the "rapcore" genre and one of the handful of acts who can actually get it right and this release does nothing but reinforce those statements as they essentially re-write the whole genre, infecting it with back breaking beats and authentic fiery bursts of aggression that prove there's still a vast amount of ground to be covered in music that pairs hip-hop and metal. There's not much really else that can be said other than get your ass to the store, and get broke while getting some (hed).
(5 / 5)