Ann 2
Alain
JennY
Snowgoons w/ Savage Brothers & Lord Lhus – A Fist In The Thought Album Review
June 27th 2009 04:20
Release date: May 25 2009
Genre: Indie hip-hop, rap
Label: Babygrande Records
1. Who Are You?
Ann's thoughts: The first single of the album, Who Are You? Is the perfect introduction to the Savage Brothers and Lord Lhus as they basically answer to the question “who are you?” in their verses and the chorus. As is usually the case with the Snowgoons, the instrumental is excellent with a great use of the sample. You can't help but want some more after listening to this track. Alain's thoughts: The sample that starts the song is pretty awesome, with the girl's voice and a little guitar in the background. Being a producer, I know that finding the right sample is hard, so two thumbs up already just for the sample. As the rappers prepare to spit, the beat becomes raw and insane in a good way of course with a little “aah” voice in the background and the big bass. Lord Lhus starts spitting and goes hard on the beat. Knowledge of the Savage Brothers gets the second verse. He was good but Lord Lhus's verse was grimmier than his, therefore Lhus fit better with the beat. Qualm finished things up. He wasn't bad but definitely the worst of the three. Who Are You? Is the kind of song that stays on your mind due to its great chorus.
2. Get Down (Listen HERE)
Ann: Get Down is the kind of track that show the Snowgoons' influences. Indeed, the knocking beat is very reminiscent of Jedi Mind Tricks / Army Of The Pharaohs. Unfortunately, the Savage Brothers are nowhere near as those underground heavyweights.Alain: Get Down's beat starts out as something like an army snare roll with some dope trumpets. Then the chorus comes in with the bass and kick added. The verse starts well but the song felt like it wasn't properly mixed. The bass was too loud when compared to the other instruments. The trumpets were very low, if they were a bit louder, the beat would've been a bigger banger. As for the rap, all the rappers struck hard on this one.
3. Platoon Goons (feat. Reef The Lost Cauze) (Listen HERE)
Ann: Platoon Goons features the first guest appearance on the album – frequent Snowgoons collaborator, Reef The Lost Cauze. His presence helped the rapping to go one step up in terms of lyrics and delivery. Overall, this track was better than Get Down. More energy, better instrumental, and better rapping. Alain: Platoon Goons' intro is like a cool little sample. The voiceover in the intro fit well. The beat comes in hard with multiple layers of instruments, voiceover coming here and there. The scratching chorus was well done. The rap on this one was on point, fit perfectly with the beat.
4. Trapped On Earth (feat. Brainstorm) (Listen HERE)
Ann: In this track, the stirring violin gives a dramatic note to the song. The song itself is about feeling trapped in society's hierarchy. It's the best song so far since the instrumental fits with the song's theme. The voiceoivers in the beginning and the end are also a nice touch.Alain: In Trapped On Earth, the sample was insanely well chosen. The track sounded like the announcement of a savior's coming due to the sample. The rappers did their thing on the beat. They all fit so well on the beat, we could feel their emotions. This track is the kind of song you listen to when you feel pain that you want to forget. Trapped On Earth isn't bullshit hip hop.
5. Run Run (Listen HERE)
Ann: Produced by Scorpio61, Run Run has a very different sound from the rest of the tracks. The instrumental is suspenseful as the classical instruments usually sampled by the Snowgoons make way for a keyboard. Here again, the beat goes very well with the song's theme as the rappers talk about armed confrontations in the streets.Alain: Run Run starts with a bunch of people talking about the police. I didn't really feel the beat because it was slow but I do admit that the rappers were going at the right pace. I also didn't like the way the chorus was composed. My main issue with this song is that there too many sounds in the background – police sirens, dogs barking, etc. It was hard to listen to.
6. At War (feat. Sean Price) (Listen HERE)
Ann: The electric guitar in At War feels like a move away from their sound, but it's banging after a couple of seconds. Unfortunately, this track is pretty average. The only thing of note is that Lord Lhus seems to try really hard to sound like Vinnie Paz.Alain: At War's beat was cool, but the voice sample was too high-pitched for the beat. The sample was just a loop. It's the bassline that really made the beat. The rappers did their job on the track. The last verse was insane, the rapper did his wordplay with the voice sample in the background really well.
7. Knuckle Up (Listen HERE)
Ann: The instrumental in the beginning of Knuckle Up sounds like something out of a dance recital/classical music piece but it ended up blending well with the drums and bass.Alain: The beat sounded like an opera piece with all the various types of instruments, then the drums came in. I don't really like those kind of songs because they just have some bass and kicks over some instruments. This track was average, the rap was good but nothing impressive. The chorus had some good voice scratches. The song's title didn't fit at all because with “knuckle,” you'd think the beat would be a BIG FIGHT song. But it was nowhere near that.
8. One Shot
Ann: “Darkness stands and nothing more.” Those were the first words on One Shot. Needless to say that they set the tone for the song as the voiceover kept on rambling and the instrumental – similar to Trapped On Earth – kicked in.Alain: On One Shot, it seemed to me that the beat was made of a bassline. The sample in the background was good but this track sounded too common, nothing different/original. I want to hear something fresh and new. The rap was good but with those kinds of songs, you get tired of listening to it at some point.
9. Pray Hard (feat. Sicknature) (Listen HERE)
Ann: Produced by Sicknature, Pray Hard sounds very similar to Army Of The Pharaohs. It didn't help that Lhus sounded a lot like Vinnie Paz in the first verse. Furthermore, the chorus had a nice to flow it, similar to A.O.T.P's memorable choruses.Alain: Pray Hard's beat was cool, it sounded a little bit like an A.O.T.P track. The sample was in a loop once again but this time it was different, and that's what was good about it. Lhus went well with the song. The chorus loop but i was different,and that's what was good.the first rapper did go well with this song.The chorus was crazy, the wordplay in it was simply insane.
10. South Carolina Struggle (feat. Vibez) (Listen HERE)
Ann: South Carolina Struggle is a song about life in the projects. This track stands out of the lot because there are no chorus, the mic simply gets passed around as the rappers spit over a laid-back beat. The song ends with someone singing.Alain: South Carolina Struggle starts with a voiceover exposing the situation. With the word “struggle” in the title, you know how the beat will be. This was a cool, smooth, chill beat. There wasn't too many sounds on it, but just enough to make a cool beat. No chorus on this song, they really wanted to get their point across using only their lyricism. The singing outro ends the track on a smooth note.
11. Michael Nobody aka Poetic Death
Ann: Michael Nobody is a relatively slow-tempo track where the rappers narrate the life story of some guy named Michael. By itself, the track isn't impressive, but watching the video, you can't help but feel some sadness.Alain: In this track, the beat had a little scary feel to it with a high-pitched choir. Scary but insane as the sample was well-used. Lyrics-wise, they tell the story of a guy named Michael, but each verse is a different one.
12. Planetary Takeover (feat. Planet X) (Listen HERE)
Ann: In a word, Planetary Takeover is a banger. The beat has the kind of raw energy conducive to involuntary headbanging. Its rock sound probably helps in that regard. Alain: Shit, the drums on this track are off the hook, and the background beat fits in perfectly. The rappers' flow is perfect. The beat switches to a little hardcore guitar riff in the second verse, then original beat comes back once the verse is done. The beat keeps switching all throughout the song, and it's perfect. It sounds a little bit like A.O.T.P, so if you like them, you'll love this song.
13. All In Your Mind (feat. Viro The Virus) (Listen HERE)
Ann: Featuring Viro The Virus, All In Your Mind is an exercise in rhyming. The quiet beat (sounds like a Chinese opera) is slow enough for the listeners to properly hear what they're saying.Alain: All In Your Mind has a slow gangster flow to it. The beat is cool, the chorus is crazy – it's a great hook. The song is great and easy to listen to.
14. Capital City Streetz (Listen HERE)
Ann: Capital City Streetz starts (and ends) with a voice sample of Full Metal Jacket's Sergeant Hartman. It's a track about life in the streets. It's probably the weakest track of the album. On the beat we can only hear the drums, the other instruments can be faintly heard in the background.Alain: This track was kind of boring, compared to the rest of the album. It felt like something was missing. The beat was too calm.
15. Snakes (Listen HERE)
Ann: Snakes is another slow-tempo track. This time it's about trust as proclaimed in the chorus: “You can't trust nobody – They're trying to turn you into a slave
Nobody – Never put you trust into a snake
Nobody – Not even someone you think you can trust 'cause 9 times out of 10, they really don't give a fuck.”
Alain: This song was like Capital City Streetz in the way that something was also missing in the beat. It was better than Capital City, it had a little more feel to it, but still...
16. Hip Hop Crusaders (feat. King Syze & Kev Turner) (Listen HERE)
Ann: A choir starts Hip Hop Crusaders, then evolves into the beat. King Syze & Kev Turner are a welcomed addition to the track. The beat was pretty good.Alain: The beat was cool until the rappers came on it. Let me explain. The beat sounds more like an soundtrack type of song then a rap song, but when you get used to listen to it, it does becomes a hip hop track. Unfortunately, the beat's real background comes too late. The sample using multiple layers of choir was dope.
17. Been Fighting Devilz (Listen HERE)
Ann: Been Fighting Devilz's beat felt like the Snowgoons had stolen a Mike Shinoda drum track before proceeding to put their own stamp on it. I wasn't too comfortable with it because it didn't match the keyboard.Alain: There was too much high hat in this one. Still, the rap went well with the beat. The little piano playing in the background was cool but the distorted snare and high hats kind of messed up the beat. You do feel the struggle in the song but not too much. This beat goes hard after a good listen.
Final word
Ann: In terms of instrumentals/beats, A Fist In The Thought is an excellent album, very reminiscent of Jedi Mind Tricks and Army Of The Pharaohs. Unfortunately, the Snowgoons' decision to team up with up-and-comers instead of the heavy-hitters present on their last two albums sort of declined the overall quality of the album. Out of the three MCs, I'd say Lord Lhus was the best and really shone on a couple of tracks. Knowledge and Qualm were average, I still don't know who is who when they're rapping. All in all, I give this album a 4.25 out of 5. It's definitely one of the best albums this year, a must-have for hip hop fans. Alain: I give this album an 8/10. This is ten times better then the commercial shit that we hear nowadays. I can't rate it any higher because I honestly think that their previous album was better. In a way, I was kind of disappointed but they still brought some dope shit on the table.
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