Cypress Hill Album: “Stoned Raiders [PA]”

Description :

Cypress Hill: Eric Bobo (rap vocals, drums); B-Real, Sen Dog (rap vocals); DJ Muggs (turntables). Additional personnel includes: Redman, Method Man, Kurupt, Kokane, M.C. Ren, King Tee (rap vocals); Christian Olde Wolbers (guitar, bass); Mike Sims (guitar, Moog synthesizer); Jeremy Flenner, Andy Zambrano, Rogelio Lozano (guitar); Jessy Moss (background vocals). Recorded at Ameraycan Studios, Hollywood, California. Cypress Hill: Eric Bobo (rap vocals, drums); B-Real, Sen Dog (rap vocals); DJ Muggs (turntables). Additional personnel includes: Redman, Method Man, Kurupt, Kokane, M.C. Ren, King Tee (rap vocals); Christian Olde Wolbers (guitar, bass); Mike Sims (guitar, Moog synthesizer); Jeremy Flenner, Andy Zambrano, Rogelio Lozano (guitar); Jessy Moss (background vocals). Recorded at Ameraycan Studios, Hollywood, California. While most of the rock and rap acts that emerged successfully in 1991 have gone the way of the Arsenio Hall show, Cypress Hill remains a significant and innovative force in both genres. Blazing a gold and platinum trail that has spawned many copycat groups, Cypress continues to keep it real on its 10th-anniversary album STONED RAIDERS. Kurupt guests on "Kronologik," a hip-hop account of the band's highs and lows. M.C. Ren kicks it old-school style on "Southland Killers." A luscious surf guitar chord blends with B-Real's verses and Bobo's percussion on "Bitter." "Amplified" is equally riveting with its funky retro groove. Redman and Method Man's blunt-infected rhymes flow perfectly with B-Real's on "Red, Meth & B." RAIDERS shows off all the musical sides of Cypress Hill, from street-level hip-hop to crunchy metal riffs to a flamenco guitar solo, and consequently takes the Cypress experience to the next level. While most of the rock and rap acts that emerged successfully in 1991 have gone the way of the Arsenio Hall show, Cypress Hill remains a significant and innovative force in both genres. Blazing a gold and platinum trail that has spawned many copycat groups, Cypress continues to keep it real on its 10th-anniversary album STONED RAIDERS. Kurupt guests on "Kronologik," a hip-hop account of the band's highs and lows. M.C. Ren kicks it old-school style on "Southland Killers." A luscious surf guitar chord blends with B-Real's verses and Bobo's percussion on "Bitter." "Amplified" is equally riveting with its funky retro groove. Redman and Method Man's blunt-infected rhymes flow perfectly with B-Real's on "Red, Meth & B." RAIDERS shows off all the musical sides of Cypress Hill, from street-level hip-hop to crunchy metal riffs to a flamenco guitar solo, and consequently takes the Cypress experience to the next level.

I'm fully aware that bands need to grow as musicians, but this is getting pretty bad. After "skull and bones" I was worried about what this album would sound like. The metal sound of cypress hill was good when it was a novelty and was rarely heard, but putting it all over an album is getting tired. I listen to metal and hardcore (not limp bizkit, or linkin park, but real metal like slayer, chimaira, VOD) as well as rap to a great extent, so a song like "trouble" is cringe worthy to me to say the least. However, that's not the problem with this album, the problem is that although cypress maintains the trippy stoner image, the music doesn't. "Temple of boom" and "IV", were the perfect blend of good rap and "chillin" stoner beats, but on Stoned Raiders and Skull and Bones, Cypress has opted for more commercial west coast rythems, which is fine because i enjoy lots of rap, but the persona cypress once had is fading. "Bitter" is as close as you'll get folks. Regardless, the album is still quality and will please rap fans no doubt and even fake metal fans. If you like the old school sound, you wont be too impressed but if your open in musical tastes, then by all means, give it a go.