House of Pain Album: “Truth Crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again”

House of Pain never really received respect within the hip-hop community, and rightfully so. When you think of House of Pain, most rap fans would tell you they're a joke. A 1-hit-wonder if you will. True, maybe. Then again, their release Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise Again brought me to a very enigmatic conclusion of their existence in the rap game.

When I first bought this album (after listening to the Fed Up Remix), I immediately labeled this album garbage minus a few tracks. After a few years, and a few dozen listens through-and-through, I realized the lost treasure this work of art came to be. After scratching the surface, you really begin to uncover a diamond in the rough.

House of Pain's debut self-titled album was just plain weak. Be honest, it was despite multi-platinum success. Their sophomore release Same As It Ever Was improved their street credibility with harder production and more hip-hop oriented bangers (like Word Is Bond for example). After one highly overrated album (debut release) and a lukewarm follow-up (Same As It Ever Was), I wasn't expecting a sure-shot winner in Truth Crushed, and as explained after my initial listen, I was under the impression House of Pain was finished.

In the end, House of Pain's last and final album Truth Crushed is their highlight of work, no question about it. Everlast is at his pinnacle. Every track found on this album, Everlast is in a world of his own, with a rough flow and flawless delivery. Listening to Ear Drums Pop a few years afterwards brought back the wonderful memories of just how great the man sounded on this album. Danny Boy is only found on spots few and far between, which is for the best. Divine Styler was a solid addition to this album, and the production from Lethal is light years ahead of anything he's ever touched past, present, or future.

Heart Full of Sorrow, Killa Rhyme Kilk, Fed Up, Fed Up Remix, The Have Nots and Earthquake are the album's highlights. A few mediocre tracks hold me back from giving this album the 5 Star classic rating I wish I could award. When you think of other great hip-hop releases around this era, you can't help but wonder how this lost treasure was so easily overlooked.

This is an album that quickly grows on you. There are four really outstanding tracks on this effort. Starting with the spooky "have nots" and the even spookier "fed up", then we've got the "shut the door" that guy on the drums should be given some sorta drumming medal, very catchy. Finally "heart full of sorrow" I think Sadat X is great here, really like his style. Also this track has a message, I'm really getting tired of fools like Jay Z telling us that their "no. 1" for the whole three minutes or so of a track. The rest of the tracks are also quality but don't come near the above four. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but feel this was more of a everlast solo than a House of Pain album. For example, Danny Boy only appears on two tracks while Divine Styler features on far more. I felt Danny Boy should of been on some of those tracks instead of him, you may disagree but after all they were supposed to be a group. Also Everlast's voice changes once again for this album, seems to change bout every two years or so, can't figure it out? Overall a great album, but I can see why it was the last.

In my opinion, this is a fine rap album the only setbacks are Danny Boy doesnt say much or sound that cool I am kind of indifferent about him and I cant understand what Cokni Odire is rapping about. But he gives the album a regge vibe. But besides that I think House of Pain have matured somewhat with this album Everlast voice sounds rough as hell on songs like The Have Nots. Divine Styler sounds incredible because his rhymes are deep and give the album a poetic vibe to it. The thing that I noticed about HOUSE is that of the 3 albums they made each one grew increasingly darker. The music was creepy on same as it ever was, due to the Cypress Hill style production, but this album is even moodier with repetitive melodies like Whats that smell, Heartful of Sorrow, and the echoing haunts of The Have Nots this is truely a matured House of Pain. I also thought the musical breakdown part of killa rhyme klik sounds very awesome but kind of disturbing as well. Alot of House of Pain fans didn't even know they made a third album due to the poor promotion of it, but give it a listen and it might grow on you its one of those really cool overlooked rap cds that maybe you and only a few of your freinds know about!

HOP was the ISH back when i was growing up WHAT and nobody could tell me nadaa bout them. Of course, after the success of their 92 self titled debut, they dropped in popularity and by their third and final LP were virtually ignored. "Truth" is defintely an underrated HIP HOP album and an underrated House album. Muggs vacated the production seat and the SKEME team(Divine Styelr in the house ya'll ) and Everlast create some truly dark, eerie and str8 hardcore tracks. Nothing on this album is billboard material, and that is exactly why it went nowhere with HOP fans. Their loss, cuz it is a banger and I didn't even give it a real listen till Summer 2000. Everlast's gruff vocals are ruffer and rawer than ever, and I remember someone saying he sounded exactly like the rapper NINE, anyone remember him?? Well, the resemblance is close but no cigar, Everlast always had that gruff style... here it is just angrier and more in ya face. As for NINE yeah he kinda became known for his gargling broken glass n gasoline style. Listening to cuts like "Whats that Smell" and "Fed Up" are like listening to an entirely different group. It's evident in the music and lyrics that HOP, specifically Everlast, were FED UP and perhaps pissed that everyone expected them to put out "Jump Around" forever. I think this is the album to listen to if you want to appreciate HOP as a hip hop unit. Sure, their first two joints were hot but this is like the anti-thesis to everything they had previously done. Just that line in "Whats that Smell" speaks volumes...Hey yo what's that smell someone laced DUST all up in ma L!" So Everlast was meditating on the sad state of things in a dusted out PCP haze...classic! One thing that truly is missing is on here is DANNYBOY! The kid got skills straight up, and he never got to shine like Everlast, but I think he has maybe ONE Full 16 on this album, damn he also has to be one of the most underrated cats...never was he a hype man like Flavor Flav( although Foofie Foofie got skills don't sleep ) but it is apparent on this album that House were on the outs, in fact, they disbanded the DAY this dropped in 1996, which makes me think of that line from Eminem's "Girls" dissing Everlast...In 94 Limp opened a show for you, stole the whole show from you, turned around and stole your Fu**ing DJ too! Ahhh so sad, this was made in the after effect of their Limp tour where Lethal was picked up by that red hat wearing guy and friends. Sad Sad indeed. "Truth" is one of the most underrated hip hop albums of the last 10 years, House at their most virulent and stressed out, good to see OTHER production besides MUGGS, who I think is a genuis yeah, but damn he did BOTH their first 2 albums, time to move on baby. In short fans of the ol HOP should own this but if not check it out it's worth a listen, and those who wanna hear Everlast when he was still GOOD should go str8 to this, cuz come 1998 he was riding that country/blues/hip hop/I'm a fat lonely guy wave...NOT good, and not cuz Eminem said so but just NOT GOOD! It'd be nice to see TRUTH RISE AGAIN...if it doesn't we can always go drown our sorrows in a pint of MICKEYS! Oh Danny Boy the pipes the pipes are calling, come on everybody sing with me!

This is yet again a classic Hip Hop album from House of Pain.

With help from the Scheme Team, House of Pain once again put together a classic album.

Muggs is gone from the production credits, and Everlast and Lethal lay down some phat beats. Everlast left the band the day this album was dropped back in 96. Best cuts are Fed Up, Heart full of Sorrow and Pass The Jinn.