Body Count is a crossover thrash/rap metal band fronted by Gangster Rap veteran, actor, songwriter, producer and author Ice-T. They introduced themselves with their critically acclaimed posthumous debut album, and their next two releases, Life and Death: The Last Days, were equally well-received, although Murder 4: The Hire marked their break from almost a decade of silence. His subsequent return received mixed reviews. “Manslaughter” became “Body Count”‘s strongest work since its debut, and later “Bloodlust & Carnivore” also maintained this consistency. Considering the consistent output, I’m looking forward to the band’s eighth album.
After the “Interrogation” intro, the title track sets us off to some rap metal bullshit about having only one life left to live and 0 fucks to give, while “The “Purge” embraces a death metal atmosphere and draws conceptual inspiration from the film series of the same name. “Psychopath” brought back the sound of rap metal and showed off his psychopathic tendencies, leading to “Fuck What You Heard” mocking Democrats and Bloodpublicans because he told me both wings are on the same bird.
Howard Jones’ “Live Forever” raps about more heavy metal work on the idea of immortality, while “Do or Die” promises that no one is immune to the war going on outside, and that it’s either going to be like Ice -T Either kill or be killed. David Gilmour’s cover of ‘Comfortable Numb’ covers Pink Floyd’s song of the same name, slams US President-elect Donald Trump in ‘Lying Motherfucka’ ), the song was filled with religious overtones.
Sepultura co-founder Max Cavalera joins Body Count on the song “Drug Lords” to talk about the completely chaotic world we live in as it covers everything with lies and conspiracies, while “World War” There’s talk of World War III turning our own inner cities into battlefields that could all break out next year or tonight as we speak. “Mic Contract” ends up being ruthless in the form of this first and last rap-metal union that wants his money.
After enduring personal tragedy, social opposition and an army of naysayers, Ice-T and company are left bloody but whole and angrier than ever to the point where you can’t take it anymore and you’re done. The metal production is on par with their last few Body Count releases, and the West Coast OG himself continues to channel genuine rage through iconoclastic lyrics.
Score: 8/10
