Featured peformers: Salvador (layout), Vast Aire (MC, arrangements, art direction), Vordul Mega (MC, art direction), Matty Trump (mastering), DJ Cip One (scratches). Vast Aire’s contributions are often fun and always inimitable—it would be hard to imagine almost any other rapper selling "You will never see the vipers when they come out the sand/ You will never see the cobra head, as it expands" before "I change my skin like Zartan". THANK YOU OP I absolutely love these guys. IHHP515CD; CD). I borrowed the main title of this review from, "Blade: The Art of Ox". In the decade and a half since the release of The Cold Vein, Cannibal Ox have released only a few songs together. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Rated #1389 in the best albums of 2015. For my 344th review, I talk about Cannibal Ox's long-awaited comeback and follow-up to the critically acclaimed 'The Cold Vein'. The Cold Vein gave them a reputation before infighting and creative differences with El-P, the album’s producer, made the prospects of a follow-up doubtful. There are moments of resourceful coloration and melody: see, for instance, the high, mournful vocal sample on "The Power Cosmiq" or the tack piano melody and orchestral flourishes on "Salvation". In the decade and a half since the release of The Cold Vein, Cannibal Ox have released only a few songs together. Cannibal Ox is joined by an A-list ensemble of who’s who in underground hip-hop on Blade of the Ronin with guest appearances from the likes of MF Doom, U-God of Wu-Tang Clan, Elzhi, Artifacts and more. On "Harlem Knights", for instance, Mega spends one of the album’s economically sketched verses describing concrete images of a misspent, grief-punctuated childhood. Blade of the Ronin is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Cannibal Ox. he was largely underground still at that point. Pitchfork is the most trusted voice in music. Released 3 March 2015 on iHipHop (catalog no. CanOx found new producers to emulate the spaceship-boombox foil of their debut in a way that el-p wouldn't even have the interest of attempting these days. Complete your Cannibal Ox collection. Blade of the Ronin, an Album by Cannibal Ox. Album Rating: 3.5Yeah, I just noticed that. The album is also impeded by its uniform, relentlessly bleak production. But even those who decided years ago that this album was going to be great will be hard-pressed to find a great rap record here, only a sporadically enjoyable one. Blade of the Ronin, as a return album, is a curious effort. Their second album, Blade of the Ronin, was released on March 3, 2015 under iHipHop Distribution to favorable reviews. The Harlem duo and former Def Jux signees Cannibal Ox return with their first full-length since 2001's beloved The Cold Vein. is anything else with him good? You know what else is absurd? Blade of the Ronin is a sumptuous, engrossing hip-hop feast, and as an album whose predecessor is more than a decade old, it refuses to cut any corners in achieving this. Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Offonly for one track. Released 3 March 2015 on iHipHop (catalog no. It can be difficult to gain a balanced perspective on an album after reading a single summary of the music. Blade of the Ronin follows a similar blueprint to The Cold Vein. Cannibal Ox: Blade of the Ronin review – slighter return ... Cannibal Ox’s 2001 debut, was years ahead of its time. Album Rating: 4.5that's great to hear, man. It was the first full-length album to be released on the now-defunct progressive NYC-based hip-hop label Definitive Jux. Vast Aire and Vordul Mega, the Harlem hip-hop duo known as Cannibal Ox, dropped their debut album, “ The Cold Vein “, nearly 15 years ago. Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Offyou say that and yet el-p's reputation had nothing to do with the success of Cold Vein. That average. Vast Aire and Vordul Mega, the Harlem hip-hop duo known as Cannibal Ox, dropped their debut album, "The Cold Vein", nearly 15 years ago. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2021 Vinyl release of "Blade Of The Ronin" on Discogs. But Ronin feels ponderous and self-conscious in a way that is at odds with the unfettered creative spirit of their first effort. Both are distinctly overwhelming sets of songs—collections of dense verses strung between equally verbose refrains—backed by hazy samples, damaged synth insulation and chunky breakbeats. New York’s own underground Hip Hop duo Cannibal Ox have finally released their highly anticipated comeback record Blade Of The Ronin. It is a … Following a string of one-off reunions on Vast’s solo albums, the two rappers have been crying wolf about a new full-length for the last few years. Although it took Cannibal Ox a decade and a half to finally unsheathe their sophomore LP, the New York duo's edge is sharper than ever on Blade of the Ronin. Cannibal Ox - Blade Of The Ronin. It took 14 years for Cannibal Ox to release their sophomore album, Blade of the Ronin, … The 3-track album contains new songs produced by Bill Cosmiq: Gotham (Ox City), Gasses in Hell (Inhale), Psalm 82. Bill Cosmiq produced the majority of the album. One of the label’s earliest and most beloved releases was The Cold Vein, the debut LP from Cannibal Ox, a duo made up of two Harlem rappers with names like Transformers characters (Vast Aire and Vordul Mega). Genres: Hardcore Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop. It’s arrived, by way of their own Iron Galaxy Records, in the form of the sprawling 19-track collection Blade of the Ronin. They fell out with El-P, cut their ties at Def Jux, and mostly receded from view. Cannibal Ox Book North American September/October Tour. And yeah, kind of absurd. The first striking thing about the album is how marvelously realized its new setting is. In some ways, the album resembles its predecessor. Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Offhis production was great for that album, would not be good for this album, and saying this one suffers just because he's not here is just a shallow excuse to value reputation over actual artistic credibility, Album Rating: 3.5Oh damn, Black Milk was one of the producers on here. Album Rating: 3.5Still need to check this. Blade of the Ronin, an Album by Cannibal Ox. Discover releases, reviews, credits, songs, and more about Cannibal Ox - Blade Of The Ronin at Discogs. LP Review Vast Aire and Vordul Mega, the Harlem hip-hop duo known as Cannibal Ox, dropped their debut album, “ The Cold Vein “, nearly 15 years ago. thats not what he does anymore. The stuff changed lives. While pop-punk and boy-band fans continue to support the crow’s-foot-and-water-weighted groups of their youth, rap fans often put their GOATs out to pasture, even while they themselves get older. The first Cannibal Ox record was a staple of my college days. Iron Rose is one of my favourites. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Blade Of The Ronin at Amazon.com. Cannibal Ox :: Blade of the Ronin Iron Galaxy Clik/iHipHop Distribution Author: Sy Shackleford. Now 10+ years have passed and here they are again. Updated March 30, 2015. Blade of the Ronin” has cinematic undertones, with instrumental skits providing a loose inter-track cohesion. Track List: 01. Taking a page out of Wu-Tang Clan’s lore book, Cannibal Ox title their album with campy 1970s kung fu films in mind: Blade of the Ronin (even Wu-Tang’s U-God has a feature on the album).A Ronin is a samurai without a master or lord to serve, insinuating that Cannibal Ox no longer has to follow any instruction and may slay any rival groups with their lyrical blades. the rest is Bill Cosmiq whom i look forward to hearing more from. Just as Bastian imagines The Neverending Story while reading alone and hiding from bullies, the young versions of Vast and Mega dream up alternate realities after "stealing Marvel comics and water uzis" and decamping from the action on their block. An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. that album is quintessential, expecting it to satisfy the same niche that album did is unreasonable. It seems strange that Can Ox’s new work would run dry on the white-knuckled realism which was once so important to them, but the shortage becomes clear after dozens of verses padded out with half-cogent, free-associative rambling and clunky insult humor. Genres: Hardcore Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop. Reviews Cannibal Ox Blade Of The Ronin Mike Diver , March 20th, 2015 12:08. youre mistake was comparing it to The Cold Vein at all. Cannibal Ox has been on the lam since their debut in 2001. Like Wu-Tang Clan had just landed from outer space, Harlem MCs … Their second album, Blade of the Ronin, was released on March 3, 2015 under iHipHop Distribution to favorable reviews. Though this album, too, is full of offbeat and athletic bars—clearly, the work of the same guys—the familiar soothsayer mysticism often feels like it’s been laid on too thick, or just misplaced. Blade of the Ronin [Explicit] Cannibal Ox. Blade Of The Ronin is a well-crafted, entertaining, and moderately inspired follow-up that doesn’t do justice to the fourteen-year wait, but it reimagines Can Ox as competent storytellers rather than progressive geniuses. 2010s In Review Album Of The Week Band To Watch Cover Story Counting Down Footnotes Gummy Awards Interview Let The Roundup Begin ... CREDIT: Cannibal Ox - Blade Of The Ronin. Album Rating: 4.5Thanks man. Album Rating: 4.5I had no idea who Cannibal ox was until I read this review. (Ah, apparently only for one song, but that's still cool.). Only heralds wield "The Power Cosmiq"! After all, Ox’s most far-flung moments on The Cold Vein got their mileage from meaningful framing, with often-heartbreaking autobiographical imagery serving as the catapult into the rappers’ pan-religious parables and comic book fan fiction. He was perfect for Cold Vein at the time but el-p has developed and changed as an artist and his recent production is so far off base for what Cannibal Ox do that it would be ultimately counter-intuitive to even suggest the record would be better off with him. Blade of the Ronin is truly a must-have album for any fan of Cannibal Ox, or hip-hop in general for that matter. Rap is arguably one of the least hospitable genres for artists past a certain age. Dark, gritty, dystopian. Featured peformers: Salvador (layout), Vast Aire (MC, arrangements, art direction), Vordul Mega (MC, art direction), Matty Trump (mastering), DJ Cip One (scratches). Album Rating: 4.0my favorite guest is kenyattah black. This takes me back, Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound OffWow only took nearly 10 months for this to get a review. Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. But on Ronin, we’re usually trapped in their diorama, getting only a few glimpses of its inspiration. The 3-track album contains new songs produced by Bill Cosmiq: Gotham (Ox City), Gasses in Hell (Inhale), Psalm 82. He steals the Black Milk-produced "Gotham (Ox City)" with his opening couplet—"We stay in shape like Porsches on blocks/ Where women is gorgeous and kids stay strapped like Bugs Bunny Jordans"—before the song detours toward less inspiring talk of "New York Gritty" and Clayface. using that as a gauge is extremely short-sighted, its just an easy way for el-p fanboys to gloss over the fact that el-p's modern production wouldn't even suit Cannibal Ox. That’s not totally Can Ox’s fault: By now, indie rap of this sort has become a recognizable subgenre in the wake of so many DOOM alteregos, Anticon releases and a continuing stream of Internet-celebrated underground rappers with absurd or psychedelic tendencies. There’s no doubt that Blade of the Ronin is the work of two very particular and oversized personalities, but the album does not feel like either a blast of fresh air or a return to form after wayward solo careers. Blade of the Ronin, an Album by Cannibal Ox. 8SPIN Rating: 8 of 10Release Date: March 03, 2015Label: IGCSee, the big question isn't if Cannibal Ox would ever get back together. The snares thud rather than pop, ringing out as if from a bunker to which everyone in New York has flocked to prepare for the end of days. The group’s sound was vaguely familiar, with clear roots in Wu-Tang, Gravediggaz and Kool Keith, but it was distinguished by moments of sharp surrealism, linguistic deconstructions, and a deep underlying sadness. It was released via IGC Records and iHipHop Distribution on March 3, 2015. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2015 CD release of "Blade Of The Ronin" on Discogs. this is cannibal ox, still in everything that made them great, for the modern day. Blade of the Ronin by Cannibal Ox album reviews & Metacritic score: The follow-up to Vast Aire and Vordul Mega's debut release Cold Vein comes … Rated #1385 in the best albums of 2015. Bill Cosmiq produced the majority of the album. But whereas El’s beats on The Cold Vein were aberrant in their very syntax—full of disconcerting rhythmic faultlines, eerie melodic hooks and a sense of space—the curiosities  in Cosmiq’s work feel tacked on and vestigial. Bill Cosmiq replaces El-P as the sole producer, save for one beat by Black Milk (“Blade: The Art of Ox”). Amazing album. Released 3 March 2015 on iHipHop (catalog no. The handful of powerful connections to the outside world are made mostly by Vordul Mega, the group’s more reticent half. They fell out with El-P, cut their ties at Def Jux, and mostly receded from view. they've truly got a thing of their own. Producer Bill Cosmiq paints his synth pads and samples on thick, creating muffled washes of midrange sound. 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