Well, as far as ‘interesting’ music is concerned, I feel this one takes the cake! Like a sonic personification of variety. So many lanes at once being utilised that it’s impossible to pigeonhole, but in my experience, that’s what makes the best kind of album!
This is the brand-new EP by the group ‘From The Forge’, which consists of producer Jester Exodus, guitarist D-Kast, and MC features such as
-Space Kase
-XtraCompIX
-CliF
And man, I REALLY wasn’t expecting to go and find this kind of music. I should have guessed when I spoke with Jester, and he told me there was a guitarist on board that it would be unlike anything I’ve heard, but still, I couldn’t wrap my head around this!
Even though only five tracks and less than 20 minutes each, each song has its own flavour and aspects that make it stand out!
Track 1 -If There Was Ever starts off with these almost techno/sci-fi chord progressions until it transforms into this Nu Metal feel Metal/Hip Hop Fusion (a main theme across the tape). This song consists of groovy electric guitar notes, some hip-hop aspect scratches, and background noises accompanied by some super subtle drums!
Track 2 -Before The Good Shit, which acts as an interlude to the third track, has an instrumental song with these spacy, synth-style chord progressions that go off in this scattered loop! We have some grand horns, eventually entries of electric guitar shape notes (in two different octaves), as well as some more subtle drums!
Track 3 -Good Shit
Which continues right after the last song left off with those rhythmic electric guitar chords and some tribal aspect vocal harmonies! After this intro, it bursts into this bombshell of a track with heavy blow drums and some light maracas in the background!
That evolves into a more heavy Nu Metal experience during the chorus aspect!
Track 4(which to me is the most metal sounding of the lot) has a lot thanks to that intro with those absolutely savagely heavy guitar strings sounding something straight outta ‘Drone Metal’, which quickly transforms into an infectiously groovy hard rock influence track with groovy guitar strings and tapping hip hop beat elements that sound like shaking across skeletal drums!
Track 5 – The Crooked Line ends on a bit more of a lighter/ambient note with those atmospheric guitar strings at the start, not the song that evolves into these booming electric notes that, combined with those dire hip hop elements and drums, you get one of the more key ‘Nu Metal’ tracks then we’ve heard it! It’s like they wanted to embrace the proper fusion of both for the finale track!
Across this EP, it’s obvious (to at least me) the influences behind the sounds and vocal performances. I could name:
– Motörhead
– Tool
– Limp Bizkit
– Sunn O))) (or Drone Metal in general)
– Korn
– Linkin Park
– Rage Against the Machine
So many key aspects of the classic Hip Hop/Metal combinations that paved the way for this project, and it’s pulled off quite tastefully! It’s infectious, groovy, memorable, and hard hitting as hell!
You’ve got predominantly Space as the main MC representing this project, and he does a fantastic job at making that production and those influences come to life and spark!
He has a nice, heavy style with sharp lyricism and a raw, in-your-face attitude that fits this EP and its vibe to a tee. Of course, you can’t discount the other 2 -Xtra and CliF as they killed it also, and it’s good to see high-level chemistry work its way through this 5-track song project that pushes the boundaries for what music is supposed to sound like in 2026.
Overall, a great showing by everyone involved. If you want a strong hit of nostalgia or want to push your music boundaries, then these guys are for you! Check it out below!
https://open.spotify.com/album/1jzmtWPCOmcfhJbbRYAWME?si=ViLbADOrRbmdCXlKzv-JNA
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 