Jom
12-06-2004, 10:00 PM
It’s hard to find information on this band since they broke up after releasing two albums, the debut “Introduction to Mayhem” (which this review will cover) and “(the) New Release.” A fansite has them defined as “East Coast hardcore” but the genres I have put them under seem more reasonable, but they can be changed if you disagree. I have no problems with that. I will try to be as objective and informative as possible, but forgive me for the lack of a better biography below. Anyways, on to the review:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v607/frozeninshadows/MX%20album%20covers/p55itm.jpg
Primer 55 "were:"
J-Sin- vocals
Bobby Burns- guitar
Mike Christopher- bass
McLane- drums
A brief biography of the band (abridged, taken from some fansite online):
While they graciously accepted the offer to join the Island Def Jam artist roster, the sonic assailants made certain that the release of their debut, Introduction to Mayhem, would live up to the standards of the band's hybrid hard-core, heavy metal, hip-hop past… for frontman J-Sin, the band's primary lyricist and most vivid display of hip-hop tendencies, that means keeping Primer 55 focused on the same vision that has fueled their three-year rise atop the Memphis music scene. Accordingly, when you ask the band what bands they'd like to be associated with, the list is as varied as the genre: Soulfly, Sevendust, Static-X, Puya, Deftones, Vision of Disorder... “Think Cypress Hill and House of Pain meets Helmet on one of their more melody-laden, full-metal stomps. I've always loved the style of hip-hop, I've just never liked the subject matter," says J-Sin. “Then we had the idea of putting its delivery over hardcore music and combining the styles we like." With that intent, Primer 55 was born three years ago, the product of a stale Memphis scene that was dominated by death metal and cover bands. They rose up through the scene with their intense, high energy live performances: "I may not have a lot of money, but I consider myself very fortunate," says Burns. "I love music, and now I'm sitting here with a record deal. We work hard, we take it very seriously, and we're getting to do what we want to do, what could be any better? Bring it on."
Eh, alright… the tracklist:
1. Loose*
2. Something Wicked Comes This Way
3. Supa Freak Love*
4. G’s*
5. Chaos
6. Pigs*
7. Stain
8. Revolution
9. Set It Off ^
10. Hey Bubba
11. Introduction to Mayhem
12. Dose
13. The Big **** You “
14. Violence
15. Hate
16. Funhouse
17. Tripinthehead
18. Silence
19. Untitled
* denotes DJ Kilmore (Incubus) is featured on the track
^ denotes Underdog ((hed)P.E.) is featured on the track
“ denotes that Mark Harrington (Relative Ash) is featured on the track
Song by song review:
Note: "The formula" I constantly refer to is the following (the > are supposed to be arrows):
Guitar intro > Full Band > Hip Hop verses > Screamed Chorus > Rapped Bridge > Screamed outro + full band = a typical Primer 55 song
Loose: the opening track will decide for you whether or not you like the band. Distorted guitar riff gives way to a scream and the whole band kicking in. It was supposedly one of the more mosh-worthy tracks, most notably when J-Sin leads into the chorus (“Watch these ****ers jump when I get loose!”) Verses are rapped, as is the bridge. Again, this track will decide for you if you like this band or not, as they stick to the same formula: guitar intro leads to crunching riffs which lead to rapped verses and bridge, a screamed chorus, and a screamed outro. Good opening track. Score: 4.5/5
Something Wicked Comes This Way: seven seconds of filler. Score: N/A
Supa Freak Love: heavy intro with turntable work, gives way to hip hop-esque chorus, with a screamed chorus and shouts of “Freak!” The bass is heavy in this song and syncopates the song well. Lyrics are very sexually connotated. I don’t like the song, but it fits the typical Primer 55 formula. Score: 3.5/5
G’s: short guitar lead gives way to, yep, a cacophony of bass, guitar, and drums with some turntables thrown in for good measure. Verses are, yeah, rapped with the chorus being screamed. I like the guitar lines and cymbal work in this song most, and the bass and drum combine to give the song a pulse. Again, the band sticks to the formula. Score: 4/5
Chaos: thirty-second filler track with police sirens and some guy running from them. Score: N/A
Pigs: guitar and turntable work with a profound scream of a certain word that starts with an “f” and ends in “-uck.” In fact, you hear many forms of that word in this song. The typical angry, in-your-face theme drives the song with mostly screaming. Bass and drums drive the song once again. The song loses points with the overabundance of swearing and monotony. Score: 3/5
Stain: bass lead starts the song, and a snare shot kicks the song into screamed verses. Instrumental work is average, and the vocals are raw and forced. The sampling and scratching take away from the song, and it honestly sounds like garbage. J-Sin sounds like Cookie Monster the most in this song, and is barely decipherable to a first-time listener, unless said listener has a trained ear. Score: 2/5
Revolution: 1:11 filler track with a hip hop beat. Nothing spectacular. Score: N/A
Set It Off: when they played this song live, they got a big crowd reaction. They stick to the formula (rapped verses, screamed chorus), but the bridge is rapped from (hed) P.E.’s Underdog. Song discusses triggering a big reaction with a heavy guitar line. One of the better songs if the listener is a big fan of straight-up rapping in the middle of a song. Score: 3.75/5
Hey Bubba: ten seconds of filler. Score: N/A
Introduction to Mayhem: title track sticks with the formula (again). Guitar line is simplistic, and once again the drums and bass give the song its pulse. Screams of “Get out of my way!” end the chorus. The song also has a political message, but it isn’t done well. The middle third of the song sort of flatlines, but then a quick burst of energy ends the song well. Lyrics are awful, though. Score: 3.25/5
Dose: bass and scratching intro, with guitar coming in a few seconds later. The song is (obviously) about drugs, namely LSD. J-Sin and a backup vocal try their hand at scream-singing, and they pull it off, just not exceptionally (“Somebody help me, I’m falling apart at the seams / My only salvation is a drug called LSD”). The song is also rather long, clocking in at 5:14. It never really ends, because all the instruments sound so… average. Therefore, it gets a very average grade. Score: 3.25/5
The Big **** You: another song that sticks to the formula (guitar intro, verses rapped with a hip hop beat, screamed chorus). This is also the very stereotypical “I’m going to rip your face off for getting in my way” sort of song. The bass and drums continue to drive the song, at approximately the song takes a turn with some rapped words with a hip hop beat backing it, then gives way to screaming. When asked about the song, J-Sin says it is dedicated to “all of the people that p!ss us off, because the world's not a big enough place for people to be d!cks to each other." A better song, but definitely not their best. Score: 3.75/5
Violence: the whole band starts with a heavier intro, then it gets back to the formula. A lot of discussion about weapons, while J-Sin uses music as his weapon (“No respect for life, no respect for the outcome, if you want some… come get some”). A general rule with this band is that the general topic of the song is found in their titles, with no hidden meanings or brain-busting mind games. The entire outro is screamed. Score: 3.25/5
Hate: this song is a dramatic change, and it sticks out like a sore thumb (or other clichéd phrase). The song’s pace is so mind-numbingly slow at first, but then explodes at about 1:16, then dies again at the slow pace. The song’s theme is about how hatred can make you lose control and sight of your goals (“I can’t fight what I can’t see, I can’t fight for my life, I can’t fight for my enemy”). The bridge has an okay attempt at a guitar solo, but it isn’t memorable. Outro is, again, screamed. Score: 3.25/5
Funhouse: Twenty-one seconds of, you guessed it, funhouse-like sampling. Score: N/A
Tripinthehead: another song that sticks to their formula. I’ll continue being redundant: short guitar intro, a scream of “Trip in the head!”, rapped verses, and a screamed chorus. Song talks about going crazy, with references to psychosis, dismemberment, and farm animal killing. Weird. J-Sin also needs to reiterate a bunch of times that he’s “not innocent… just crazy.” The bass and drum work is intense, keeping the hip hop beat going. Why J-Sin felt the need to scream-chant the name of the band at the end is beyond me. Score: 3.5/5
Silence: Listed as track 18, the song is 2:41 of silence. Ohhhhhkay. Score: N/A
Untitled: Listed as track 19, all it is is twenty seconds of J-Sin saying/shouting/screaming a bunch of curses. Score: N/A
Pros: a couple of songs (“Loose,” “Set It Off,” namely) are pretty intense and mosh-worthy. The bass and drums are good, they are the pulse of every song, and are clearly audible. Guitar work, while not exceptional, is satisfactory. Also, if you’re a fan of the aforementioned formula in their songs, then this is a must-own.
Cons: you know, I usually have no problem with swearing in music, but J-Sin goes way overboard. The word “****” is said in at least triple-digits throughout the whole album, and that’s extremely overboard. The album structure is very unoriginal (sticking to the same formula is really repetitive), and the filler tracks are unnecessary.
Overall score: 3.5/5
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v607/frozeninshadows/MX%20album%20covers/p55itm.jpg
Primer 55 "were:"
J-Sin- vocals
Bobby Burns- guitar
Mike Christopher- bass
McLane- drums
A brief biography of the band (abridged, taken from some fansite online):
While they graciously accepted the offer to join the Island Def Jam artist roster, the sonic assailants made certain that the release of their debut, Introduction to Mayhem, would live up to the standards of the band's hybrid hard-core, heavy metal, hip-hop past… for frontman J-Sin, the band's primary lyricist and most vivid display of hip-hop tendencies, that means keeping Primer 55 focused on the same vision that has fueled their three-year rise atop the Memphis music scene. Accordingly, when you ask the band what bands they'd like to be associated with, the list is as varied as the genre: Soulfly, Sevendust, Static-X, Puya, Deftones, Vision of Disorder... “Think Cypress Hill and House of Pain meets Helmet on one of their more melody-laden, full-metal stomps. I've always loved the style of hip-hop, I've just never liked the subject matter," says J-Sin. “Then we had the idea of putting its delivery over hardcore music and combining the styles we like." With that intent, Primer 55 was born three years ago, the product of a stale Memphis scene that was dominated by death metal and cover bands. They rose up through the scene with their intense, high energy live performances: "I may not have a lot of money, but I consider myself very fortunate," says Burns. "I love music, and now I'm sitting here with a record deal. We work hard, we take it very seriously, and we're getting to do what we want to do, what could be any better? Bring it on."
Eh, alright… the tracklist:
1. Loose*
2. Something Wicked Comes This Way
3. Supa Freak Love*
4. G’s*
5. Chaos
6. Pigs*
7. Stain
8. Revolution
9. Set It Off ^
10. Hey Bubba
11. Introduction to Mayhem
12. Dose
13. The Big **** You “
14. Violence
15. Hate
16. Funhouse
17. Tripinthehead
18. Silence
19. Untitled
* denotes DJ Kilmore (Incubus) is featured on the track
^ denotes Underdog ((hed)P.E.) is featured on the track
“ denotes that Mark Harrington (Relative Ash) is featured on the track
Song by song review:
Note: "The formula" I constantly refer to is the following (the > are supposed to be arrows):
Guitar intro > Full Band > Hip Hop verses > Screamed Chorus > Rapped Bridge > Screamed outro + full band = a typical Primer 55 song
Loose: the opening track will decide for you whether or not you like the band. Distorted guitar riff gives way to a scream and the whole band kicking in. It was supposedly one of the more mosh-worthy tracks, most notably when J-Sin leads into the chorus (“Watch these ****ers jump when I get loose!”) Verses are rapped, as is the bridge. Again, this track will decide for you if you like this band or not, as they stick to the same formula: guitar intro leads to crunching riffs which lead to rapped verses and bridge, a screamed chorus, and a screamed outro. Good opening track. Score: 4.5/5
Something Wicked Comes This Way: seven seconds of filler. Score: N/A
Supa Freak Love: heavy intro with turntable work, gives way to hip hop-esque chorus, with a screamed chorus and shouts of “Freak!” The bass is heavy in this song and syncopates the song well. Lyrics are very sexually connotated. I don’t like the song, but it fits the typical Primer 55 formula. Score: 3.5/5
G’s: short guitar lead gives way to, yep, a cacophony of bass, guitar, and drums with some turntables thrown in for good measure. Verses are, yeah, rapped with the chorus being screamed. I like the guitar lines and cymbal work in this song most, and the bass and drum combine to give the song a pulse. Again, the band sticks to the formula. Score: 4/5
Chaos: thirty-second filler track with police sirens and some guy running from them. Score: N/A
Pigs: guitar and turntable work with a profound scream of a certain word that starts with an “f” and ends in “-uck.” In fact, you hear many forms of that word in this song. The typical angry, in-your-face theme drives the song with mostly screaming. Bass and drums drive the song once again. The song loses points with the overabundance of swearing and monotony. Score: 3/5
Stain: bass lead starts the song, and a snare shot kicks the song into screamed verses. Instrumental work is average, and the vocals are raw and forced. The sampling and scratching take away from the song, and it honestly sounds like garbage. J-Sin sounds like Cookie Monster the most in this song, and is barely decipherable to a first-time listener, unless said listener has a trained ear. Score: 2/5
Revolution: 1:11 filler track with a hip hop beat. Nothing spectacular. Score: N/A
Set It Off: when they played this song live, they got a big crowd reaction. They stick to the formula (rapped verses, screamed chorus), but the bridge is rapped from (hed) P.E.’s Underdog. Song discusses triggering a big reaction with a heavy guitar line. One of the better songs if the listener is a big fan of straight-up rapping in the middle of a song. Score: 3.75/5
Hey Bubba: ten seconds of filler. Score: N/A
Introduction to Mayhem: title track sticks with the formula (again). Guitar line is simplistic, and once again the drums and bass give the song its pulse. Screams of “Get out of my way!” end the chorus. The song also has a political message, but it isn’t done well. The middle third of the song sort of flatlines, but then a quick burst of energy ends the song well. Lyrics are awful, though. Score: 3.25/5
Dose: bass and scratching intro, with guitar coming in a few seconds later. The song is (obviously) about drugs, namely LSD. J-Sin and a backup vocal try their hand at scream-singing, and they pull it off, just not exceptionally (“Somebody help me, I’m falling apart at the seams / My only salvation is a drug called LSD”). The song is also rather long, clocking in at 5:14. It never really ends, because all the instruments sound so… average. Therefore, it gets a very average grade. Score: 3.25/5
The Big **** You: another song that sticks to the formula (guitar intro, verses rapped with a hip hop beat, screamed chorus). This is also the very stereotypical “I’m going to rip your face off for getting in my way” sort of song. The bass and drums continue to drive the song, at approximately the song takes a turn with some rapped words with a hip hop beat backing it, then gives way to screaming. When asked about the song, J-Sin says it is dedicated to “all of the people that p!ss us off, because the world's not a big enough place for people to be d!cks to each other." A better song, but definitely not their best. Score: 3.75/5
Violence: the whole band starts with a heavier intro, then it gets back to the formula. A lot of discussion about weapons, while J-Sin uses music as his weapon (“No respect for life, no respect for the outcome, if you want some… come get some”). A general rule with this band is that the general topic of the song is found in their titles, with no hidden meanings or brain-busting mind games. The entire outro is screamed. Score: 3.25/5
Hate: this song is a dramatic change, and it sticks out like a sore thumb (or other clichéd phrase). The song’s pace is so mind-numbingly slow at first, but then explodes at about 1:16, then dies again at the slow pace. The song’s theme is about how hatred can make you lose control and sight of your goals (“I can’t fight what I can’t see, I can’t fight for my life, I can’t fight for my enemy”). The bridge has an okay attempt at a guitar solo, but it isn’t memorable. Outro is, again, screamed. Score: 3.25/5
Funhouse: Twenty-one seconds of, you guessed it, funhouse-like sampling. Score: N/A
Tripinthehead: another song that sticks to their formula. I’ll continue being redundant: short guitar intro, a scream of “Trip in the head!”, rapped verses, and a screamed chorus. Song talks about going crazy, with references to psychosis, dismemberment, and farm animal killing. Weird. J-Sin also needs to reiterate a bunch of times that he’s “not innocent… just crazy.” The bass and drum work is intense, keeping the hip hop beat going. Why J-Sin felt the need to scream-chant the name of the band at the end is beyond me. Score: 3.5/5
Silence: Listed as track 18, the song is 2:41 of silence. Ohhhhhkay. Score: N/A
Untitled: Listed as track 19, all it is is twenty seconds of J-Sin saying/shouting/screaming a bunch of curses. Score: N/A
Pros: a couple of songs (“Loose,” “Set It Off,” namely) are pretty intense and mosh-worthy. The bass and drums are good, they are the pulse of every song, and are clearly audible. Guitar work, while not exceptional, is satisfactory. Also, if you’re a fan of the aforementioned formula in their songs, then this is a must-own.
Cons: you know, I usually have no problem with swearing in music, but J-Sin goes way overboard. The word “****” is said in at least triple-digits throughout the whole album, and that’s extremely overboard. The album structure is very unoriginal (sticking to the same formula is really repetitive), and the filler tracks are unnecessary.
Overall score: 3.5/5