The Hour Of Reprisal

Album Review

Think rap metal is dead? Think again. While maybe not as overtly obnoxious as your Limp Bizkits of yesteryear, there are still artists out there who continue to mix and match elements of both aforementioned styles. For instance, take Ill Bill. His sophomore effort, 2008's Hour of Reprisal, is more rap than metal, but with numerous tips of the cap to metal bands (in addition to cameos by Max Cavalera, and members of Killswitch Engage and Bad Brains), Bill is certainly well versed in metal. But does it all fit together? Not exactly. Both "Trust Nobody" and "A Bullet Never Lies" is your typical tough guy rhymin' and rappin' shtick, while tracks such as "U.B.S. (The Unauthorized Biography of Slayer)" and "The Most Dangerous Weapon Alive" namechecks the rapper's favorite metal bands. However, the track that's certain to cause the biggest ruckus is "White N****r," as Bill talks about the tough life he experienced — growing up as a Caucasian rapper (and how "Mel Gibson never liked Danny Glover" and "My peoples would have beat the f****n' s**t out of Kramer"). Somewhere, Vanilla Ice and Fred Durst are mighty proud of Ill Bill's talents.