Album Review: Ho99o9 - SKIN
Reviewed by Daniel Phipps
Fans of chaotic, rage fuelled music rejoice Ho99o9 are back, the act who following a number of releases and mixtapes before releasing a mammoth full length titled 'United States of Horror' back in 2017 which on the back saw theOGM and Yeti Bones tour relentlessly with everyone from Papa Roach to The Prodigy have yet again unleashed audio hell. SKIN which is a new collection of tracks which see’s the aforementioned MC’s team up with Travis Barker for another round of experimental hip hop crossed with raw punk to terrify listeners right to the very soul, so if that sounds like it’s for you circle March 11 on the calendar.
Crafted over 2020 & 2021, with Barker handling drums and production duties leaving theOGM and Yeti Bones to channel the rage in new exciting ways, that was flowing through them both over this time frame. SKIN opens with a severely frantic set of tracks, 'Battery Not Included' which was the first track reveal mixing between raging techno beats and furious hardcore punk which picks the energy right up. The energy is found all throughout in different forms 'Lower Than Scum' as an example clocking in at just over a minute is a piece of raw grinding punk that is just pure fury.
Now SKIN isn’t all fury all the time, tracks like 'Slo Bread' or 'Devil at the Crossroads' offer a more relaxed, more somber approach whilst still having that weird crazy sound mix in a quite creepy vibe to the way these tracks are assembled and the vocal delivery in places and you have a sinister vibe. The record also features a number of guest appearances with the above mentioned 'Slo Bread' featuring H-Town trailblazer Bun B, along with Corey Taylor guesting on 'Bite My Face' and Saul Williams finalising the guest spots on the track 'Skinhead'.
SKIN is another excellent fusion of dark hip hop and punk, it had a lot of work to come close matching its predecessor but if we are comparing the 2 side by side in my opinion it does fall a little short in that regard, but this does not change the fact that Ho99o9 will continue to be a name to continue watching for interesting and dark music, and I am sure the live shows will be nothing short of carnage when they return to tour this record.
