Young Thug: Slime Season 3 ALBUM REVIEW

Young Thug may have started out as that guy you couldn't understand on the track "Lifestyle", but over the past couple of years, he's really made a name for himself. He landed on the last Kanye album, plus he's put out some of the best Trap singles of the past year with tracks like "Best Friend" which is a goofy, but simultaneously hard-edged track that is the perfect amalgamation of Young Thug is.

That track was on Slime Season , which came out in the middle of last year, and I honestly haven't listened to the whole project, or the follow-up. This was due to me being exceptionally busy at the time, but also because I was busy reviewing other albums. However, seeing as this is the final installment in this series of mixtapes, I thought I'd better give it an honest try.

And I'm glad I did, for the most part. This is an incredibly slim release, clocking in at a little under 30 minutes, but it is also a pretty consistent release, which is not something I could have said about Thugga's last few releases, especially the underwhelming Barter 6. 

The tape kicks off with two bangers, "With Them" and "Memo". Both of these tracks showcase how enjoyable a Thugga track can be, with goofy, but quotable lines, and hooks that are bound to get stuck in your head for at least the better part of a few days. The tape then falters a bit on the appropriately 'slimey' "Drippin' ", which just kind of meanders for a bit before Thugga comes through with his most aggressive delivery yet; but these last moments can't make up for an overall under-developed track.

"Slime Shit" is a really solid track, though I think the features were kind of useless, and the track "Digits",  a codine soaked ode to living while you can, and spending a ridiculous amount of money while doing it, is probably my favorite cut from this project.The last two tracks are just okay, "Tattoos" is pretty corny (though not as much as "Worth It") and "Problem" is just so derivative, I didn't find much to latch on to.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this project, and I do hope that Thugga goes ahead and releases a proper full length next, but manages to bring all his best qualities to the table, a lot of which are on display here.

7.1/10

Zayn: Mind of Mine ALBUM REVIEW

Truth be told, boy bands are one of my biggest pet peeves. In fact, this extends not only to the usual suspects like The Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, but also to such lauded acts such as The Beatles in their early days. Sure, they at least had good songs to back up the cringe worthy image, but even then, some of the songs that they performed were pretty brain dead as well.

Rant aside, the reason I bring it up (aside from the obvious one, the fact that Zayn was a prominent member of One Direction) is because there is the inevitable point where the boy band breaks up, and we get a slew of solo albums from every member, and in this case, Zayn is the first to do so. Mostly because his departure did not spell out the immediate break up of the group, but still, the stage is now set for the other members to make their moves into a solo career. So, did Zayn set the bar high? Not really, but I can't say that I hated anything on this album, and that may be the best compliment I can give Mind of Mine.

Now, don't get me wrong, this album isn't great by any means; in fact, very few moments are more than passable, and even fewer are what I would call truly worthwhile. And example of the latter luckily comes very early in the record in the form of "It's You" (no, I'm not spelling the titles out like they are in the tracklist...), this track is incredibly smooth, and kind of reminds me of an early R.Kelly song, though not nearly as overtly sexual, though Zayn tries to spice things up by throwing a random F-bomb on this and a few other tracks on the album.

"Pillowtalk" is also okay, but I can't say it is a favorite of mine, mostly because it suffers from the same problem that a song like Adele's "Hello" does; it is all build up with absolutely zero pay off in the chorus. Other moments I enjoyed were "Rear View" and "Borders" both of which have really steady grooves, and Zayn's vocals are solid as would be expected.

However, despite having this few standout moments, the project as a whole is pretty bland. Zayn sounds good on every track, but the instrumentals are all a bit too smooth throughout and the lyrics are pretty much what you'd expect from a former boy band member. But, like I said at the beginning of the review, I didn't hate a single track on this entire LP, sure, it was boring and forgettable at points, but that has a lot to do with the fact that the album doesn't switch things up enough. I'd say that if he improves his writing chops a bit and tries jumping on some more active instrumentals, it is quite possible that we could have another Justin Timberlake on our hands; and that's exciting, right?

6.0/10

Kendrick Lamar: untitled unmastered, ALBUM REVIEW

If you didn't catch my end of the year list this past year, than let me tell you something; Kendrick's album was hands-down the best album of the year. Despite what the Grammy's might lead you to believe, Taylor Swift did not actually have the best holistic artistic expression of 2015. Regardless, I thought that To Pimp A Butterfly was absolutely amazing from start to finish, so you can imagine my surprise and excitement at learning that we'd be getting another Kendrick project this year.

However, there was one major caveat to that news; the album would be more of an EP, and that EP would be more like a B-sides collection. Those facts aside, I still couldn't wait to listen to untitled unmastered. And if the title wasn't enough of an indication as to what this project is all about, put simply, it is a collection of untitled tracks (some were previously performed on TV / during live performances) all of which were not mixed or mastered to resemble studio quality.

In spite of that fact, I think this project still stands taller than most mainstream rap albums on artistic merit alone, and the fact that these tracks haven't been given a rigorous studio cleansing only goes to show just how talented Kendrick and his contributors are. Just like TPAB, the instrumentation on this project is mostly live, with contributions from guys like Thundercat.

As far as the songs themselves, they all sort of resemble separate shifting parts a one big piece. No single track, save for maybe "6" and "8" resemble a strict verse -chorus -verse structure. But that's not to say that there aren't some incredibly memorable moments on this project.

I especially loved Cee-lo Green's guest spot on "6" and the verses on "5" were tough as nails. I also really enjoyed the flow change-ups on "2" and the closing track has the same funky basslines and rhythms that I loved on TPAB. The only major drawback of this album being that it isn't really conceptual or all that long; two qualities that Kendrick is very well known for. So, at the end of the day this thing is a great listen, but maybe not one that I'll go all the way through on a regular basis.

8.8/10

My Chemical Romance: The Black Parade CLASSIC REVIEW

Despite what most people say, I'd say that the early 2000's wasn't a total waste for rock music; sure, there was a lot of hot garbage released during that portion of the new millennium, but I think that bands like My Chemical Romance are proof that not all was lost. And while I'm aware that openly loving this band comes with the presumption that I am (or was) some kind of bang straightening, eye-liner wearing emo kid; you'll be surprised (and pleased, I'm sure) to know that I am in fact, a pretty boring guy.

Regardless of image however, My Chem put out some of the strongest rock albums in the 2000's. despite only putting out 4 proper studio LPs, I'd argue that their second and third LPs are proof that this band was far more than just another emo band with a big following. The sophomore album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is certainly on the more melodramatic spectrum, but it still contains some incredibly satisfying and worthwhile punk-infused rock songs that are enjoyable from start to finish.

However, it is this album, the band's third, that really shines as the band's opus. Sure, there is a portion of the My Chem fanbase that claims the band's final LP is actually better, I firmly stand by my decision. Simply put, The Black Parade is a big album. And I don't really mean big in the same way that say, a Swans album is; this isn't a very long album, but it is huge in terms of sound and ambition, especially coming from a band that was mostly known for singing about dead lovers and wearing tons of makeup (something they still do here).

The concept revolves around a character named The Patient, and his adventure into the realm of the dead. This concept is pretty loose, but it still culminates in a pretty satisfying way with the excellent "Famous Last Words" a track that was played endlessly back in 2007.

And that's where the album really shines; the songs. Every track on here with maybe the exception of "House of Wolves" are all incredibly catchy and captivating. Obvious standouts are the title track, which is a true classic at this point, nearly 10 years later, but there's also tracks such as "Dead!" and "The Sharpest Lives" that are just so infectious and explode into immensely satisfying and blood-pumping choruses.

Slower moments are also really well done here, especially on the album centerpiece "I Don't Love You" which sort of sounds like a Coldplay song at first, but turns into something unique, and the track "Cancer" is a vivid and oddly beautiful depiction of a person dying of cancer. This track in particular shows how great front-man Gerard is at painting a picture and building an interesting character with lyrics about how hard it is for the character to be departing from his family, and also how he is "soggy from the chemo" leads to a track that if listened to in the right setting can really send chills down your spine.

Aside from the aforementioned "Famous Last Words" which is the perfect end to an album that truly feels like some kind of gothic opera, there's also the strutting "Teenagers" which is essentially the rallying call of outcast teens all over America, and an incredibly lovable one at that.

Yeah, I like this album quite a bit. It's just so detailed and full of fantastic songwriting moments. It also eschews some of the band's more blatantly cheesy and melodramatic writing tendencies, instead opting for a more common writing style; even if they're still smothered in black eyeliner while doing it.

9.2/10

Metallica: Master of Puppets METAL MARCH ALBUM REVIEW

Back when I was but a wee lad, I was a pretty huge Metallica fan. Considering that they were some of the earliest music I recall listening to, outside of nursery rhymes and stuff on the radio in the late 90's, it's no wonder I would be reviewing them yet again for METAL MARCH. Also, it is the 30th anniversary of this LP, so why not add to the endless praise of one of Thrash metal's best albums.

To start, I'd rank this LP just under ...And Justice For All, as my favorite Metallica release, though that has the tendency to change from time to time. And for anyone who has given this album a listen, that's not hard to understand, because Puppets is an album full of nothing but pure classics that have certainly stood the test of time.

Album opener, "Battery" is still one of the most blood-pumping openers to any album, bar none, and the title track still gives me chills, especially when James sings "Just call my name/ cause I'll hear you scream", also the image of obeying a master that is ultimately destroying you (in this case, drugs) is just as potent as the first time I heard it nearly 15 years ago. Another one of my favorites is the haunting "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" which not surprisingly, deals with psychosis and has a stellar rift courtesy of Kirk Hammet.

But it's the instrumental classic "Orion" that really steals the show, featuring amazing bass playing from the late great Cliff Burton, who sadly passed away while touring this album. "Orion" just builds and builds, not loosing hold of the listener for the entire 8 and a half minutes it lasts, and truly a testament to how amazing this band was in their prime.

This album is just so layered and intricate, I could talk about it for hours; I mean, the title track alone has enough shifts in tone and rhythm to put most modern metal acts to absolute shame. But, that's just proof that technology is not a replacement for pure talent; something I think a lot of musicians could learn a thing or two about.

10/10