Punk rock in its purest form is "*** you" music. Punk rock in its best form is "*** you" music directed at the establishment. Hed PE look directly at the establishment and scream "*** you".
Hip hop and punk share not only essentially the same purpose, a voice for the underrepresented, but a number of instances in which the forces of both styles met. Anyone remember Joe Strummer rapping on
The Clash's "Magnificant Seven"? The
Beastie Boys releasing "Sabotage"? Hed PE have been fusing hip hop and punk since their formation in 1994, and they are great.
Like
Bad Brains,
Beastie Boys and
System of a Down rolled into one, Hed PE have been at the forefront of creative, original, underground punk since their debut. Easily one of the best bands to fuse hip hop with punk, this is the album Hed PE have been working toward their entire career, a slam-bam moshpit rocker for the politically inclined.
New World Orphans takes on a diverse number of musical and lyrical subjects. On the lyrical front, there is a highly political take here, with many of the songs focusing on the economy, political corruption and the 2008 election. There are also songs about drugs, relationships, sex, partying, and life on other planets. Vocalist Jared Gomes has a lot to say about everything from President Bush to smoking weed.
While most of the album is straight forward hardcore punk, there are some creative detours that pit hardcore against metal, reggae, and classic rock and roll. The best cut on the album, "Renegade" is a classic punk track, up there with "Anarchy in the U.K." It's a song about strength. It's tailor-cut for everyone who has been pushed repeatedly but refuse to go down. This, "Stepping Stone" and "Everything All the Time" (both dealing with relationships and sex), all straight punk, rank among Hed PE's best songs.
Also great are the more hip hop-oriented cuts on the album, like
Tech N9ne's appearance on the sex rap "Work on This", or the
Kottonmouth Kings turning up on "Higher Ground", which mixes
Dr. Dre-type G-funk with a
Dead Kennedys-type hardcore breakdown. "Planet X", reflecting on issues beyond our planet and jumping from classic rock to punk to reggae, is another highlight.
Haters who would deny the band's creativity should take a listen to "Tow the Line", which is rock and roll, pure and simple. Jared's vocals are great on this anti-war cut, and there is a great
Tom Waits imitation in here. There's also elements of metal on "Bloodfire" and reggae on "Ordo (ab Chao)", two tracks back to back. Still, musically speaking,
New World Orphans is 100% punk rock.
