Review Summary: Back to the roots...
One of the biggest names in hip hop just dropped their 10th studio album without much fanfare. Cypress Hill are among the few old school acts that constantly sought change and diversity in their sound. Their output in the past 20 years has been sporadic, but varied. The group experimented with rap rock, nu metal, dubstep & reggae bits, before 2018’s
Elephants on Acid presented a delirious, Indian raga influenced psychedelic odyssey. The latter was perhaps their boldest move, ending up divisive even for diehard fans. Interesting enough,
Back in Black eschewed all these flavors, opting instead of a half hour of classic Cypress Hill material. The dry, often minimalist grooves returned, backing B-Real and Sen Dog’s delivery. These stoned jams are a blend of the first three records with a heavy emphasis on mid-tempo beats. In a way, it is an unexpected move as they always preferred moving forward sonically rather than looking back. On paper, bringing producer Black Milk to the fold was a good idea to freshen things a bit, yet the results rarely ended up beyond good. At times, the instrumentals lack a distinctive melody and layering, thus leaving the two rappers to drive the tune. You can’t help but feel the wasted potential.
Lyrically, the two MCs alternate mainly between socially conscious rap and their trademark weed-centric universe, whether recreational or the constant battle to legalize it. Add some OG bragging to that and you get the usual Cypress Hill picture. Thankfully,
Back in Black flows nicely from start to finish, helped by its short length. Despite this plus, I still prefer immersing into more fleshed out trip of theirs, containing wider arrays of sounds or moods. There are a number of quirky and eerie synths, as well as sound scapes that scream DJ Muggs, yet he seems to have been a tad blasé during these sessions. The idea of going back to your roots was a good one for the quartet, since they brought quite a distinctive vibe in the hip hop scene. While I have nothing against Black Milk’s beats, I think the band could have completed this task significantly better without external interference. At least, Muggs should have built up a denser, darker atmosphere overall.
Nevertheless,
Back in Black remains a decent LP that comes full circle, offering a tight journey especially for longtime fans. Cypress Hill don’t want to compete with current trends and shouldn’t, as they have maintained a fairly untainted discography so far. Even the average releases shared a certain atmosphere and had personality. This latest effort is an unabashed classic hip hop record for you to either take it or leave it. The only disappointment is that it could have easily been more than this.
