If It's Too Loud...

As someone who is always talking about how I prefer 80's and 90's hip hop over rap being made today, it's kind of surprising that I enjoy the latest from Angry Blackmen so much. The Legend of ABM doesn't sound anything like my favorite legendary hip hop songs, but it also doesn't sound anything like most being made today. Angry Blackmen have been called industrial hip hop, and that fits this album perfectly. The Legend of ABM is a noisy album. There are no R&B choruses. Your favorite hits from the 70's and 80's aren't being sampled in full and rapped over. This is a completely fresh sound. The label industrial hip hop is going to give you a great idea of what Angry Blackmen sound like, and a good idea if you're going to like it. The closest artists I can compare this album to are the discordant sound of early Public Enemy and the digital hardcore of Atari Teenage Riot.  Songs of note: "Stanley Kubrick," "GRIND," and "Dead...

Photo by Keaton Beach For their latest single, Chicago industrial rappers Angry Blackmen have brought in Fatboi Sharif. "Dead Men Tell No Lies" might fit the term "industrial" the most of any of their previous singles. The song starts off with the noisy and sparse sound we've come to expect from the duo, but then the song takes off with a wall of noise that would make anything off The Downward Spiral happy. "Dead Men Tell No Lies" is an intense song that warps into different sounds as it goes on, which just ramps up the intensity. As with anything from Angry Blackmen, this isn't an easy listen, and it's certainly not meant to be background music. Turn this one up and let the song wash over you for the full experience. You can listen to "Dead Men Tell No Lies" below. The Legend of ABM is due out January 26 on Deathbomb Arc, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Angry Blackmen, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook...

Photo by Joseph Torres Quentin Branch and Brian Warren, aka Chicago's Angry Blackmen, have released a new experimental hip hop song off their upcoming album. "Sabotage" continues with their previous single, "Stanley Kubrick," as one of the most exciting hip hop songs out there in a while. While Angry Blackmen don't sound anything like Public Enemy, they're the closest I can compare them to. Both bands weren't always the most pleasant listen. Both had devised their music to be uncomfortable at times, and are both more punk than most punk of their day. Also, both are thrilling artists to discover and immediately seem vital. Angry Blackmen's Quentin Branch says of the new single: “'Sabotage' is a critique on our love / hate relationship with capitalism and perspectives on mental health. It’s a track that sounds upbeat and vibrant on the surface but when you dig deeper into the lyrics the song has a bit more nuance. Brian’s verse is more focu...

Photo by Joseph Torres For their upcoming album, Angry Blackmen (the Chicago based duo of Quentin Branch and Brian Warren) created a "... coming of age narrative centered around Black men navigating this wilderness known as North America," and received inspiration from Richard Matheson's post-apocalyptic novel I Am Legend. The first single off the album is "Stanley Kubrick." It's a progressive hip hop track that is uncomfortably sparse. At first it's vocals over a bare minimum of music, if any at all. It takes a while for beats to truly kick in, and even then the music is used sparingly, although it's a noisy burst of sound. "Stanley Kubrick" reminds me of early Public Enemy, where the music was crafted to purposely make you uncomfortable. Angry Blackmen are a thrilling group, even if it ends up not being your thing. You can watch the video for "Stanley Kubrick" below. The Legend of ABM is due out January 26 on Deathbomb Arc. For ...