Review Summary: Although Borgore doesn't break many rulz on his new EP, he brings enough to the table to stay on top of the "grimey" dubstep scene
4 of 4 thought this review was well writtenThe use of drops can really be considered the “in” thing in dubstep music right now. But just like the breakdowns that plague mainstream metal, this new fad has attracted a great many artists searching for an easy doorway into mainstream success without actually having to put any effort into their work. This means the bigger names in the genre are left with no choice but to start expanding on this base if they wish to stay relevant in the sea of artist that make up the scene.
With his last outing, Borgore showed us that he is up to the challenge. From his humble beginnings he had always shown an ear for crafting melodies around his drops in order to give his songs a certain catchiness and a sound of their own when compared to others and on his last EP, Borgore Ruined Dubstep: Part 1, he put this talent into the forefront. The drops seemed to be crafted around the melodies this time rather than the other way around and they were much more present in numbers and length.
In his new EP, Borgore Ruined Dubstep: Part 2, he refines his new found love for melodies and brings the listener a few more surprises. The EP kicks off with a powerhouse of a track. Borgore works alongside Tomba and both their individual styles meld together flawlessly. The track is mainly comprised of heavy, groovy and simply disgusting bass drops a la Tomba but one can clearly hear eary synth notes weaving their way in and out of the mess and adding not only a welcome creepiness when combined with the sleazy bass drops but also giving the listener a melody to hold onto and get stuck in his head.
The next three songs play out like the previous EP but with a greater sense of refinement (relatively speaking) and overall confidence. The melodies and the drops sound more cohesively put together than ever before. Afro Blue sees Borgore experiment with a clean synth line that morphs into an interesting dissonant screech during the chorus while the drops lend it a strong support. Money sees the return of Borgore’s humorous tongue-in-cheek rapping about his favourite subjects (women, money, more women).
The next song sees Borgore experiment once again and the results are quite interesting. Broken Rulz plays out like a dubstep adaptation of a metal song. It features loud, aggressive drums that play at a fast pace (even does a blast beat for a few seconds) combined with the meanest, most distorted drops he has ever used and some unintelligible growls thrown into the mix that almost sound like a second drop added to support the first.
And with a return to what is familiar (see middle paragraph), the EP ends. All in all, Borgore comes back sounding more confident and at ease with himself than ever (and that is saying a lot), experiments a little more and does all this without ever having to sacrifice the fun factor that is so integral to the enjoyment of his music. Borgore is happy on top and he isn’t planning on going anywhere yet.
