Cypress Hill>>Black Sunday (II)

ARTIST: Cypress Hill
ALBUM: Black Sunday (II)
DATE: 1993
LABEL: Ruffhouse
GENRES: Hip-Hop
SCORE:
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Sample "3 'lil Putos"
Sample "What Goes Around Comes Around"
Sample "Cock the Hammer"

Candiria>>The Process of Self Development

ARTIST: Candiria
ALBUM: The Process of Self Development
DATE: 1999
LABEL: MIA
GENRES: Metal, Hip-Hop, Jazz
SCORE: 86.9
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Sample "Pull"
Sample "Method of Expression"
Sample "Temple of Sickness"


This, Candiria's third album proper, continues and nearly perfects their changling-style musical aptitude. At its principal a metal album, Process of Self-Development injects distinct elements of Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Ambient that play off each other in a stark and intense display of tonal contrast. Their later albums would prove that the genres are not entirely immiscible, but here the effort forces the listener to focus on the unique sounds showcased separately. I enjoy the amalgamation on this album best, its successors tend to approach the experimentation by saturating these sounds together and later almost completely dissolving them away, leaving a more polished Metalcore driven sound.

Listen to Pull, the first song that got me hooked on the band; it opens with soaring trumpet notes and an accelerating bass/drum beat that will settle down and give way to a stuttering, grinding guitar riff. Singer Carley Coma blurts choppy barks like a man possessed, before resorting to maniacal screams. His visual, albiet unintelligable lyrics decry the trend of megalo-media and its apparent, negative effect on the populi.

Method of Expression is a Hip-Hop track featuring at least five MC's, likely some of Coma's Brooklyn cohorts. Performed (or at least sampled) with the band's live instrumentation, it features dreamy synthesizer licks over a progressive drum beat. The lyrics are interesting and clever, touching on topics ranging from urban philosophy, to superficial conquests and day-to-day life, though completely refraining from mainstream Rap topical influences.

Temple of Sickness brings the sound back to rolling metal riffs and Coma's dry barks. His vocal style acts like a distinct instrument, imparting a complex meter, and layers of tonal variety. I imagine they might be processed to integrate with the other instruments so well, incorperating tremelo and delay effects (etc.), a technique I am in support of, if this is the result.

The rest of the album dances around all of these concepts with incredible variety that never gets trite or appears novel. It is after all, primarily a Metal album, so if you have trouble getting over the gutteral screams of the lead singer, or the abrasive guitar and drum sounds, it might not be for you. Conversely, if you're expecting purebred Heavy Metal that moves along with the speed and intensity of Cannibal Corpse or Slayer, you may find the frequent experimentation frustrating. In any case, let me know if you like it, hate it, bought it, or just want to ask more about it. Leave comment.