(GOLLINWOG)

There will never be an experience quite like a new ‘Billy Woods’ album. For decades, he’s pioneered the storytelling/dark poetry aspect of the underground and has been your rappers’ favourite rapper for longer than some of you have been alive to read this. Yet with every new drop, he still maintains the same level of excitement as if he just came out, so with that. Let’s get into it!

So, this is his new studio album featuring 18 new tracks and a roster such as:

-Steel Tipped Dove

-Conductor Williams

-Kenny Segal

-Bruiserwolf

-SadhuGold

-Preservation

-The Alchemist

-Despot

-El-P

-ELUCID

-DJ Haram

-Shabaka Hutchings

-Al Divino

-Saint Abdullah

-Yolanda Watson

-Jeff Markey

-Messiah Musik 

-Ant

-Cavalier 

-Willie Green

-Human Error Club

And if this list doesn’t get you hyped, that just means you aren’t familiar with the underground because this is one of the most star-studded underground rosters you can ask for! Filled with regular collaborators and some fresh ones, each name on here brings something special to the table that elevates this record to a different spectacle entirely!

It doesn’t take long at all for Billy to incorporate his trademark dark, twisted, and morbid style and sonic imagery that only he can truly capture. There are so many songs on here that literally gave me goosebumps. The production on here is beyond ‘eerie’, it’s downright sadistic. We’re talking methodically paced deep/low strings and demented choir chords. A jazz track utilised to sound like a panic/thrilling moment in an 80’s action movie when the main character is about to die or get tortured.

An opening ambient-themed track with nothing but creepy noise filled with demented children nursery rhymes sounds and deep bass. I mean, there’s a track called ‘Waterproof Mascara’ which is literally a woman sobbing and crying as the main loop!! I couldn’t believe it when I heard it; this track has to be one of the most sadistic Woods on a track. He sounds like a kidnapper rapping alongside his hostage! The way he can utilise this level of morbid production is second to none.

The list of producers absolutely nails the vicious and dangerous atmosphere needed for a Billy Woods album, and you couldn’t ask for better instrumentals if you tried; these guys did it PERFECT!

As I mentioned before, Billy sounds as ruthless as ever. It seems he only gets more creatively sick with age, and I mean that in the best way possible. With every new drop, he has a new way or perspective to present to the audience, and this one is more barbarous than most.

It features his famous slow-paced, in-depth delivery and lethal flow. His lyricism has always been god-tier, and on this album, it’s only accurate to call it ‘devil-tier’ because the way he conceptualised mini horror stories and terrible situations is truly chilling.

His cold tone is always something to witness. He’s never one to fluctuate his emotions, and his stone demeanour is in full effect today as he presents himself alongside these horrifically brilliant production efforts and raps alongside with ease.

Across this album, the features also handle themselves with similar intensity. These people have been alongside him for years and catch his vibe and aura accurately, whereas I mentioned in the intro, they know how to capture the best and most immaculately disturbed version of him in the studio.

What’s also interesting is the movie, tv snippets used throughout the album of what sounds like horror movie clip. In other examples of artists this kind of decision could be seen as corny or cartoonish but the way he uses them is nothing funny about it, somehow he turns these things into extra fear fuel for the listener and it had me on the edge of my seat!

I’ll be honest with you all, this album got to me so much that I had to listen with all my lights on! The idea of listening to this in the dark was absolutely terrifying. This is truly a masterpiece in the depraved and I can’t imagine anyone ever doing it as masterful as Billy and his associates!

https://open.spotify.com/album/6YjoANrjcsf17p1OmWESfo?si=3RC57sHEQYmlDL36Ak8hSw