Artist: Stuck Mojo
Label: Century Media
Release Date: 6/13/00
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Title: Declaration of a Headhunter Artist: Stuck Mojo Label: Century Media Release Date: 6/13/00 |
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Abyss's Review:
I got to know this band pretty quickly when I lived in Atlanta in the mid 90s. I'm not the biggest rap-core fan in all honesty, but I must admit I thought Mojo did it pretty well. The key to enjoying this band is to see them live because, given the right setting, this band is unbridled energy on stage (especially in their hometown) and could probably even convert a few white faced ghouls if given a chance.
" Pretty good, but damn close to cheesy." So, while I admit they are a great live act, their recorded material has never really moved me in the same way. Their best work, in my opinion, was Pigwalk, which might be the pinnacle of this genre. I was disappointed when I saw the (in hindsight) inevitable merging of this band and the WWF, and that soured me on their whole schtick. It's hard to defend a band that considers professional wrestling a valid form of adult entertainment, but I guess if it helps them circulate their music, I understand. (I mean think about it, marketing to the pro wrestling crowd must be pretty easy… let's face it, they'll swallow anything.)
So here we have Declaration of a Headhunter, which is a super-catchy platter of hard rock interspersed with conservative social commentary that is about as subtle as Richard Simmons. Now while I realize that this is an outlet for them to make their views known, I also cringe at the thought that there are people out there stupid enough to have their political views be influenced by musicians (Didn't the 60s teach us anything?), but then again, pro wrestling makes millions of dollars a year. Anyway, my point is this… I don't care if you're Jewish, Black, Satanic, Liberal, Conservative, or a Vegan who likes McDonalds… don't preach to me.
"I don't care if you're Jewish, Black, Satanic, Liberal, Conservative, or a Vegan who likes McDonalds… don't preach to me." But anyway, this disc is definitely Stuck Mojo, even though they've grown in different ways. New bassist Dan Dryden has taken on some of the vocal duties, and gives the band a little more leeway in the melody department than Bonz's rapping. He doesn't have a bad voice, but damn, it's pretty fucking close to cheesy. And that kinda sums up this whole album. Pretty good, but damn close to cheesy. Fans of Sevendust and Limp Bizkit should really pick this up. (This stuff is much better than Bizkit, however.)
Death's Review:
I've been down with Stuck Mojo for some time now. As controversial as this now sounds, there was a time (perhaps in the early to mid nineites) when a well-executed mix of rap and metal wasn't, in theory, as horrible of an idea as it has actually turned out to be. Stuck Mojo did it right -- not as part of a trend or to escape the metal label, but instead fused rap with metal out of sheer honesty and rhythmic power. This is one reason why, in the days before Limp Bizkit et al., I applauded Stuck Mojo for kicking ass in a slightly different way.
Another reason I liked them was how much ass they kicked live. Not since Fishbone on the Reality of My Surroundings tour had a band displayed such incredible energy in such an entertaining fashion as Stuck Mojo did the first time I saw them. I've been a big fan ever since.
"Stuck Mojo are back. Verdict? Awesome." I liked Rising, and have a vague sense that album never really got its due. Now, a couple of years and some lineup changes later, Stuck Mojo are back. Verdict? Awesome. This is probably their best effort yet, and I'd be surprised if this doesn't end up in my top ten of 2000 at year's end.
The production is amazing. The songs are heavy, varied, catchy, and interesting. The quips are actually funny. And this album is very metal. All in all, a surprisingly excellent album, worthy of a brief track-by-track at that.
Let me start by saying that I do disagree with the conservative cartoon politics which are all over this record. Politically correct, they're surely not. If Bonz wasn't black, and say, Pantera was spouting some of this shit instead, I bet someone would throw down the racist card. Of course, that's not what is going on here -- it's really harmless (and quite funny) WWF-cartoon character level, right wing frustration we're hearing, and admittedly, it's kinda fun.
OK, so that's out of the way. Well, not quite. The album begins with "Declaration of Sensitivity," a spoken "rant" by "John Q. Neighborly" on the wholesome virtues of kicking vagrants in the head and yelling at them to get a fuckin' job. It's very funny though, reminding me of the silliness all over the Infectuous Grooves album a while back.
"A spoken 'rant' by 'John Q. Neighborly' on the wholesome virtues of kicking vagrants in the head and yelling at them to get a fuckin' job." "Hatebreed" is a cool opener -- with a great chop, chop metallic guitar riff attack and cool backing death metal vocal shout-outs accentuating the catchy but perhaps mildly cheesey tune. Not the album's best, but kinda cool once you get over yourself for sure.
But "Set the Tone" gives you your first indication that this might be more than just a good album -- it might be great. It just really all comes together on this one, with what sounds like new bassist Dan Dryden's smooth and catchy vocal counterpart to Bonz which, in many ways, makes ths record. And, if you pay attention, you'll even hear In Flames level dual harmonized guitar work which carries over into "Raise the Deadman." "Raise" is so catchy you'll never get it out of your head. It should surely be the first single. The soft layer of keys behind Dryden's voice on the chorus makes this sound way more Faith No More-ish than anything this band has ever done before. It rules.
"Drawing Blood" is also catchy, yet at the same time sports a KILLER Morbid-Angel sounding (vocals and guitars!) pre-chorus which is very cool. "An Open Letter" is another conservative political rant -- but this time it plays as serious and not funny (there's nothing funny at all about praising Alan Keyes and J.C. Watts as true American heroes, now is there?). Oh well, at least it is interesting.
"Give War a Chance" is a piano ballad which turns death metal, again evoking a Faith No More-esque disregard for dynamic conventions. The middle operatic stuff over the piano and mechanized production sounds very much like FNM or NIN. Other times it's more of a Slipknot thing. And there are even these weird harmonized sweep arpreggios at the end. If you hadn't yet guessed, I like this song too.
"A great production gives you lots to listen to while nothing individually feels cluttered. Brilliant." "Feel it Coming Down" is so catchy and yet so totally headbangingly heavy at the same time, you just know this will be a total anthem in the live setting. Here is where Bonz does the rap thing he does so well. Once again, a great production gives you lots to listen to while nothing individually feels cluttered. Brilliant.
"The One" has a TOTAL Faith No More seventies smooooth feel at the outset, but quickly comes in with distorted guitars. The songwriting here, and throughout the album, is outstanding. Every song feels right, and plays out naturally yet still reveals new layers on subsequent listens. "The One" is no exception.
"Evilution" starts out with a cool little guitar noodle but probably is too "new metal" to stand out amongst so much other great material. Not the best stuff here.
"Declaration" is yet another rant. This one should have been cut.
The mini-slump of the last two tracks is absolutely obliterated by "The Ward is My Shepard," a Soundgarden Euro-Death sounding mid-tempo stomper which showcases some proficient guitar interplay at the outset before morphing into the cool high-hat drumbeat which forms the heart of the song. In Flames would love to write songs like this (and in some ways, they have, on the forthcoming Clayman.) This song, instrumental throughout, just plain rules, and displays more emotion than most of its less vocally challenged peers.
"This album is more than a keeper -- it is great." The closer, "Walk the Line" also starts out with harmonized guitar riffing -- c'mon guys, Limp Bizkit doesn't craft Power-death metal sounds like this! Of course, the rap is also present here (I so much like Bonz more than the other guy when it comes to rapping.) The interspersed downtuned double-bass riffing makes up for any rapping sins anyway.
All in all, this album is more than a keeper -- it is great. Congratulations to Stuck Mojo for regrouping and coming back stronger than ever. Never to be denied. Fuck yes.
Hel's Review:
There's something we need to be clear on from the start when discussing anything Stuck Mojo. If you don't like any rap in your metal, you might as well stop reading now. There is rap in this metal, don't kid yourself. But, if you are a bit more open-minded, and/or you are aware of the fact that this band's been like this since long before all that "new metal" (or whatever they're calling it these days) crap laid siege to the music scene, read on.
For the information of old Stuck Mojo fans, they've remained true to form with the same sharp, politically-tinged songs. The riffs are quick and relentless. The vocals maintain that soulful/ heavy/ rap amalgam. To my recollection, and it's admittedly been more than a year since I last listened to their prior effort, they've stayed true to the style and standard presented in the last album.
"Stuck Mojo have remained true to form with the same sharp, politically-tinged songs." At first, Stuck Mojo was bummin' as my romance with their particular style of metal had begun to wane about a year ago, and I put this in my player with listlessness in my heart. Shame on me, because after listening to it for a half an hour or so, my frozen little heart began to glow faintly. Woe to the unbeliever of the magic of Stuck Mojo. By the time I reached the end of "Drawing Blood", I was again entranced by the way they change time and style with abandon, all the while pressing their cause.
If you are open-minded enough to accept the surface musical style and up-front message, and are not thrown by it's incredible quirkiness, you may find yourself being stuck by the Mojo bug. However, if you are strongly against rap-style vocals in your metal at all, you ignored my earlier admonishment regarding this topic, and for some unfathomable reason are still reading this - at this point you might as well relax, light up, and take a listen.
"Relax, light up, and take a listen."
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