Search - Primer 55 :: Introduction to Mayhem

Good CD...Possibly Better Thhan The First...

Nick Watkins | New Albany, Indiana | 02/18/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As they would say, I have much "love" for this band. They are from my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, and their first CD is just as good as their new one...which is also their last. If you didn't already know, P55 broke up, and guitarist Bobby Burns went on to a new band called Beautiful. Preston Nash will probably remain in the music industry, but singer Jason and their bassist will more than likely leave fame behind.Anyway, let's pretend that I just started this review. "Introduction to Mayhem" is a great (if not original), cathchy rap/metal album. The songs can sound familar to each other at times, and ther's enough interludes to make your head spin, but all in all, this is a pretty good recording. Another thing that's bizarre (but doesn't effec the music) is the way the track lentghts are labeled on the back, but just about every single song is a few second longer or shorter. Makes ya thing, don't it?1. Loose-5/5-The first track on the album is actually MUSIC instead of a FILLER! The first single (even though it wasn't too big...but screw MTV), it starts off with a hard, straight guitar riff, then J-Sin screams, and the loud ... starts. What makes this song (and so many other) standout is the weird, turntable-luke drum beats, which at first I confused with actual turntables, but their not. Anyway, this is a great, catchy song. Next...
2. Something Wicked This Way Comes-0/5-Filler #1.
3. Supa Freak Love-4/5-No, it's not a complete "wanna be black" song, but it does somehow reflect that, which is the main reason it's a 4. Not the best rhymes, but still listenable.
4. G's-2/5-I always skip this track. No, it's not a wanna-be G song, but an anti-G song, about how everyday kids are killed in gangs, etc. But I come from Louisville, where P55 does, as I said before, and to be honest, there's not really that much gang activity at all when you compare it to Detroit City or New York City or something.
5. Chaos-0/5-Filler #2.
6. Pigs-5/5-A great song, with great rhymes, and great music. Love it.
7. Stain-5/5-My second favorite. Filled with heavy riffs, hard bass, and screaming, screaming, screaming. Something a Slipknot fan will definetly enjoy, "Stain" is a great, high-energy song.
8. Revolution-0/5-Filler #3.
9. Set It Off-0/5-Starts off promising, with a cool guitar riff and an almost haunting verse, but wears away, and definetly fades when (hed) PE's M.C.U.D. comes in a raps it up too much. SKIP.
10. Hey Bubba-0/5-Filler #4.
11. Introduction to Mayhem-5/5-A great, head-bobbing comeback from the last three, worthy of the album title in every way.
12. Dose-5/5-Great. That's all that's needed to say. The longest track on the album. The only track with a hint of melodicness (is that a word?), and I love it. But I've said too much...
13. The Big F*ck You-5/5-My absolute favorite. Awesome drum beats, great guitar riffs, a cool bass line, and great rhymes, screams and raps from J-Sin. Just listen and see...
14. Violence-3/5-A boring song, because it's just a repeat of every thing already heard before.
15. Hate-4/5-A slower-paced track, but still not quite meloic. Very funky, if you will, but it seems out of place after all the other tracks.
16. Funhouse-0/5-Filler #5.
17. Tripinthehead-5/5-Cool song. Great drum/guitar duet. It's awesome.Overall, this is a great CD. If you're looking to become a fan of P55 for any reasonably rational purpose, I suggest this:Get "The New Release" first if you're a fan of:
Flaw, Dope's "Life", Deftones, Spineshank, or any similar bandsGet "Introduction to Mayhem" first if you're a fan of:
Dope's "F&R", old Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Mudvayne, or any other underground rap/metal bands..."

The Best Rap-Metal Album I've Heard So Far!

Jake | Hawaii | 07/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've heard plenty of rap-metal in my time, from RATM(Rage Against The Machine) to Phunk Junkeez to 311 to (hed) P.E. to Limp Bizkit (eghh!) to Incubus to Kid Rock to Pimpadelic to Crazy Town to Reveille to P.O.D. to Papa Roach, and I'll tell you, while a lot of them (but not all of them) are great bands, none of them compare to the sheer brillence of Primer 55 and this, their debut album 'Introduction To Mayhem'. Of all the millions of rap-metal bands who've seemed to appear overnight now that heavy musics cool on the radio and MTV again, Primer 55 seem to balance their rap and metal influences like no other. Some of these bands stress the rap end of their music too much, like Limp Bizkit, Crazy Town, and Pimpadelic, who all pretty much sound like rap bands with a little bit of heavy guitar thrown in. And other bands stress the metal end, like Reveille and Papa Roach, who are both great bands in my opinion, but sound pretty much like standard metal bands with a rapper. And still others are just way to experimental and unheavy to be true rap-metal, like RATM, Phunk Junkeez, and 311. But Primer 55 are right on target with their perfect balance of heavy guitars, half rapped/half screamed vocals, and slammin' beats. Just listen to the opening track and first single "Loose" and you'll see what I mean. All the songs on this album are great (there are a few non-musical tracks sandwiched inbetween the true songs, much like Tool's great 'AENIMA' album), but my personal favirites have to be "Loose" and "G's". If you like this album I'd definitly recommend (hed) P.E., Reveille, and Papa Roach."

Booooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiinnng!!!!

robjphat@yahoo.com | Nottingham, England | 09/29/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is just another boring 'nu-metal by numbers' album. The first track 'Loose' isn't bad, sounding like a combination of Soulfy and Limp Bizkit. But after that it doesn't necessarily go downhill, it just doesn't change and nothing interesting happens. If you like music that doesn't offer any suprises, doesn't stray from the nu-metal rulebook and isn't very interesting then put this at the top of your list."