Search - Ill Bill :: Hour of Reprisal

Trust Nobody

Exxxxx | shack in the wilderness. | 10/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Imagine you were given one hour, exactly sixty minutes and zero seconds to put your entire life and the world around you in total perspective. What would you say? What would it sound like?"



These questions are asked in the beginning 15 seconds of the album followed by Ill Bill using the remaining 59 minutes and 45 seconds to answer, and the dude (as usual) doesn't hold back anything.



Alright, if you're not into topics like conspiracy theories, violence, drug tales, alien cover-ups, warped doomsday prophecies ect. ect. then you'll probably want to avoid this album but if you're like me and find these kind of subjects interesting when done properly then you may want to consider picking this one up because this guy is unmatched in blending all that stuff together in a convincing, and compelling fashion. The opening track Babylon starts off a little slow with the intro I mentioned in the beginning of my review followed by haunting chanting for a long drawn out minute, but when the song kicks off and Bill explodes into a deranged, sharply written verse you start to get a good picture in your mind of what you've got coming. The next track that really jumped out to me next was the metal guitar laced, Ill Bill produced Trust Nobody which is more of the hardcore, doomsday fight music we've come to expect from Billy Ocean, one of the best metal infused rap songs I've personally ever heard. Next standout is A Bullet Never Lies Feat. Vinnie Paz, the beat is gutter, and Bill's verse was heat, but as with nearly every guest appearance on this album I felt Paz wasn't necessary. He certainly didn't bring anything you've never heard him do before. Matter of fact he sharply growls at us blatantly alerting the listener to how he's reminding us of other things he's said in other rhymes. It would have been a perfect song if Bill would have cut Paz' verse and replaced it with anything else. I normally like Vinnie Paz actually, just not so much outside of JMT projects. White N----r was alright and the Dragon Force sample was pretty sick, but it's already feeling like a novelty joint to me, yet I can easily see how legions of suburban e-thugs will use it as their anthems and point to it as their song they identify with most. My other two favorite cuts on this album are Too Young which has the best beat and a really great verse from Bill. The 1st guy on the cut named Hero who I think also sings the chorus wasn't too impressive with his cliche' yae yo rap, and the final verse from Slaine seemed like a lazy Eminem impression. The other standout for me was the one with the only guest appearance on level with Bill and that song is Coka Moshiach feat the legendary Raekwon. I'm not going into details on the verses, listen for yourself and judge, but the beat is pure fire. They couldn't have picked a better one for that team up.



Other cuts on this album that are bangers that I didn't mention include:



My Uncle (ode to the infamous Uncle Howie)

Riya (song he wrote for his new born daughter)

Society Is Brainwashed (dope Primo beat, with some of Bill's best verses to date)

Pain Gang (I didn't care for the chorus, but the beat and verses were fire)

The Most Dangerous Weapon Alive

Doomsday Was Written in an Alien Bible





The rest of the album is really great too. The only 3 songs I've really skipped are U.B.S. (The Unauthorized Biography of Slayer), War is my Destiny (Immortal Tech's verse was okay, but the heavy metal screamer on the chorus sounds mad corny) and Only Time Will Tell. Those songs weren't terrible, but they felt out of place on this album (specifically Only Time). So this album isn't perfect, and some will find the heavy metal singing on a couple of chorus' over-the-top, silly, corny, or a combo of all, but I still feel comfortable giving this 5 stars. The great moments of this album by far outshine the faults. This is already on the bottom half of my personal top 10 favorite albums of 2008. If you loved The future is Now and haven't picked this up yet you're doing yourself a disservice by sleeping on this.

"

Great Combo of Metal and Rap

Alejandro Castro | P-Way, NJ | 09/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love what Bill does with this album. He uses his connections in hip-hop from his already 15 year career and gets production and verses from some of this best in the game (similar to Non-Phixion's debut in '02). DJ Muggs and DJ Premier both drop some sick beats and the guest verses from Immortal Technique, Raekwon, Vinnie Paz, and Tech N9ne are all on point. But besides the work other artists put in, ya gotta remember Bill's the star of this Power Hour (the album is roughly 60 minutes as well) and he definitely shines. The concepts on this album are all razor sharp. The album starts with a hook from Killswitch Engage's lead singer, Howard Jones and the song sets the tone for the album very well, raw rhymes over dope production all infused with a heavy metal mentality. The deepest song on the album, "My Uncle," gives a real and powerful summary of this crazy man, Uncle Howie, that long-time fans of Necro and Ill Bill know all about. Instead of only glorifying his uncle's antics, Bill gives some real perspective about the man and how important he was, and still is, in his everyday life. A lot of the "conspiracy theory" raps missing from Bill's debut are back in full strength on this album. The Premo produced "Society is Brainwashed" is one of the hottest songs on this album and gives a great overview of Bill's opinions about the "programming" Americans go through. Every song goes hard, and Bill shows you into his reality with each verse. "White N****r" is another powerful song about Bill's own experience with race relations and how he's always been labeled and criticized by his enemies and peers due his own skintone and inclination towards black/hip-hop culture.



All in all, i feel as if Bill's really dropped some major heat on this album and truly shows his talent over nearly every track. There are a few missteps, production-wise, when Bill decides to helm the boards. A few of his beats feel a little simplistic and show a lack of flair. Some concepts also sound pretty reused and like "been there, done that" territory for Bill. But, for the most part, Bill brings the illness and something fresh to this album and it really works.



4 1/2 stars. Highly recommended..."

**4.5 stars** Listen to it again.

OGRE 8 | CA | 09/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I admit, its been quite a wait for this album that my expectations were unattainably high. Upon first listen, I was upset. But after a couple of thorough listens, this album has grown on me and I have changed my view on it.



The beats are great. Although I miss the days of dark-piano/violin laced neck snappers from Necro, most of the various beats on this album are just as good. Some of the beats (#3, #15-by Necro?) fall flat and are neither here nor there. A couple of tracks (#3, #9) are sound-bite heavy and amateurish.



The stand-out track has to be Riya, with very impressive production from Ill Bill and chorus help from the legendary Darryl Jenifer from Bad Brains. (Ill Bill rapping all the way through the hook gets tiring) This is a perfect example of when the musician Ill BILL separates himself from the rapper Ill Bill and creates something truly heartfelt and genre transcending. It gives you a glimpse of the universal appeal that the musician Ill Bill can deliver when he puts down the "drugs and guns" shtick for just a moment.



But don't get it twisted, the "real" ILL BILL is all over this album, selling coke, toting guns, comparing his group, LCN, to the likes of the Mexican Mafia, Bloods and Crips, the Italian Mafia, Hamas...etc



Wait wait, let me finish...

The genius of Ill Bill is his role as this walking contradiction that is reminiscent to Travis Bickle of Taxi Driver. One minute he disavows any religious beliefs the next minute he's thanking God. One minute he cites his Grandmother-a Holocaust Survivor- as inspiration, the next minute he is glorifying a song that starts off "Auschwitz-the meaning of pain-the way that I want you to die." (AoD by Slayer) One minute he'll be shaking your hand, the next minute he'll be bashing your face in.



This dynamic is nothing short of brilliant because this is literally an hour of reprisal, where ideas and thoughts are supposed to clash. It works on all levels, no matter where you're coming from- however you want to interpret it. This is a solid album from start to finish that both the casual and the advanced listener can appreciate.



other 10/10 songs: Babylon, White Ngr, Coka Moshiach,This is who I am, Only Time Will Tell."