(label)
27 July 2014 (released)
23 August 2014
New Jersey rap and production team, The Voices of Terror, do exactly what it says on the tin; they’re loud, aggressive and insatiably obsessed with violent imagery. But don’t let that scare you off – they’re actually quite alright.
‘Rock-Rap Dynasty Impressively marries alternative rock and hip-hop. I recently reviewed an album by a “Hood Metal” band named Xombie whose smokestack inclinations leant more towards gritty, unhinged metal than rhythmic rap. ‘Rock-Rap Dynasty’ seems to have the balance between thrash and flow a little more proportional.
The Deptford duo specialise in punchy delivery; the kind reminiscent of traditional, old school, east coast lyricism. Evocative of Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Flavor Flav and those alike, only ripping up a chiptune-filtered heavy metal jam, The Voices of Terror present as emcees, verbosely boasting about their prowess as wordsmiths. Though the duo are both in their early 20s, their appreciation for the spirit of the golden era of hip-hop allows The Voices of Terror to execute this ambitious hybrid album that both honours authentic hip-hop and embraces contemporary, digitally-enhanced music.
This 11-track album manipulates beats and sounds boosted by groovy dynamics to beef up each song. Added reverb and wraithlike backing vocals emphasise the band’s hauntingly dark approach. This being said, I’m a stickler for VSTIs that lack the body of their tangible brothers, and it’s noticeable that many of the instruments used on this album are slightly insentient versions of the real deal. That being said, given the financial constraints that the group are having to overcome, ‘Rock-Rap Dynasty’ utilises what it has at its disposal to its full capacity, relying on some masterful post-production techniques to mask its drawbacks.
‘Rock-Rap Dynasty’ definitely has a discernible theme that is present throughout but that doesn’t mean that it needs to spew similar sounding tracks time and again. Despite diversifying both the metal and rap genre, Mr Walker and Mr…Zero…prove that they’re not quite the experimentalists they moderately portray, choosing to remain within the comfort zone of the arrangements and instruments that they know best.
