Skribbal’s 4th Album “Electric Lungs” Marks an Exhilarating Stylistic Departure (Album Review)
Los Angeles, California emcee Skribbal teaming up with both his uncle Katfish & the multifaceted SVH for his 4th studio LP. Coming up in 2016 off the strength of his full-length debut Drug Spun Funk, would catch the attention of the rising Wisconsin underground label Force 5 Records & they would put out his sophomore effort Skinwalker a couple years later. Once he dropped his debut EP Quarantine Sessions a month after the pandemic started, he would leave the label to form his own Splatterbrain Records & celebrated this newfound independence by dropping his 3rd album Black Eyed Children distancing himself from horrorcore in favor of a more hardcore hip hop style. Last time I covered him was the winter of 2022 with the Road to Dystopia EP & Electric Lungs is now making a daring shift from underground hip hop to nu metal/
After the intro, the first song “Gaslight” sets the tone of what’s to come with this nu metal opener rapping about the opps’ tactics backfiring on them & losing his own sight whereas “Suffer the Fall” works in some more heavy guitars except he’s singing this time looking to make the world believe. “Forged in Fire” kinda has this industrial hip hop vibe cautioning a violent storm forming since the Devil resurrects when the beat drops leading into “Torn” going full-blown rap metal to talk about being ready for war.
“Iron Sky” after the “Military Industrial Complex” interlude continues being hip hop & metal music together making room for conscious lyricism while “Start All Over (Bad Side)” kinda feels reminiscent to LINKIN PARK’s early 2000s output discussing coming from a broken home & having a broken mind. “This Graveyard Earth” takes the boom bap route instrumentally bringing hardcore lyricism to the table, but then the trap metal-inspired “Breaking Out” promises to never let them take away who he is.
Ashes Like Rain joins Skribbal on the song “Shadow Bleeding” getting back in his nu metal bag with rap verses & guttural screaming on the hook talking all these hoebags nowadays embracing the propaganda while “Run Rabbit!” featuring Myalansky of prior Wu-Syndicate fame & Praise1 just before the outro properly finishes Electric Lungs with more of a hardcore hip hop-driven closer talking about haters being mad over their return from Hell to rob rappers of their chains.
Combining the lyrical depth and underground sensibilities of hip hop with the aggressive instrumentation of metal, the Splatterbrain Records founder takes us on a genre-bending journey tackling subjects from government corruption to dark occult conspiracies in addition to inviting listeners to embrace their own strength and individuality in a world that often seems oppressive through his confidence & bravado.
Score: 8/10
