I have no idea what to think of these guys, granted the sound is relatively original, combining punk and hip-hop, but at the same time, they don't stand out despite that. My exposure to HED p.e. has been very limited, basically just there inclusion on a couple of soundtracks that I have. So, this is essentially my first introduction to this act out of Orange County, California.
My initial reaction was not all that positive. I was on a road trip and I popped this in and listened through it a couple of times, and what I discovered was a half baked mash of hip hop beats, punk stylings, and lyrics that are sometimes shouted and sometimes rapped.
I was not terribly impressed, the music was rough and felt incomplete, the lyrics are full of vulgarities and such that it seems that they are only there for shock value. Basically, the songs came across as being rather shallow and hateful. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but doesn't help portray a serious act.
The more I listened, the more I found the music to be rather catchy. I soon found myself getting into the groove set down for me, but I still could not connect with them lyrically. The closest thing I can think of to compare them to would be an underdeveloped Dope. Whereas Dope has developed into a very good band, these guys seem to be stuck at one level, one which does not allow for much variation.
I can't whole heartedly recommend this album, but it will probably whet the appetite of the more hardcore fans of nu-metal. A few standout tracks would be "Represent," "War," and "RaiseHell."
Bottomline. These staunch proponents of raunch and roll have delivered a fairly entertaining album, if you can get by the shallow lyrics and not entirely original nature of the music. It is moderately entertaining.
Not Recommended, or for fans only.
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