Exorcise Tape - Demon Queen (Rad Cult)
What the Critics Said: 5/10 - "Exorcise Taps manages to recycle musical puns and then proceeds to endlessly check back in with you to see if you still "get it."" - Exclaim 3/5 - "Tonal inconsistency is less a problem with Exorcise Tape than an intention -- rigorous plotting wouldn't exactly suit such an endearingly slapdash sleazefest -- but as short as it is (30 minutes), it's not without its duds, especially after the spell of greatness cast by "Demon Practice" has worn off." - Tiny Mix TapesWhat Others Were Perhaps Too Deaf to Hear: This album wasn't panned so much as ignored, which might be worse. C'mon, it's a hip-hop album that's actually literate, evading the gangsta tropes that have turned rap music into this generation's hair metal. Even much-lauded "alternatives" like Childish Gambino only want to rhyme about their dicks, the haters, and how fame makes them sad. Give me a fucking break. I'll take Zackey Force Funk's apocalyptic falsetto strung through the diabolical musings of Tobacco, the analog brainiac behind Black Moth Super Rainbow, any day.
I might be biased on this one. I did shimmy on down to Tucson to hang out with Zackey, but I only did that because I fuckin' dig on this kind of frenzy, okay? If you don't, fine, fuck you, go listen to Eminem hawk his tired pantaloon shtick yet again. "Lamborghini Meltdown" titillates better than almost anything Def Jam has thrown out lately, "Love Hour Zero" is more affectionate than any whining Drake can produce and "Despise The Lie" (featuring Isaiah Toothtaker, a guy who once collected the molars from his numerous bar brawls) has enough left hooks to keep Tyler, The Creator on his toes.
The mere fact that Exorcise Tape is tailored with the chaotic violence of Tucson hip-hop crew Machina Muerte should only make you Phoenicians proud, maybe even step up your game a bit. The only real downside to this album is it's too damn short.
