If you want to experience what it’s like to be inside the mind of a ’70s horror movie psycho murderer, the new clipping. album “There Existed an Addiction to Blood” is for you.
The third album from Los Angeles-based experimental hip-hop group clipping. should not be solely judged on its boring, edgy title.
Yes, the name is a bit tacky, as Halloween is just around the corner.
Rapper Daveed Diggs and producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes revive the horrorcore scene of the mid-90s with this album, steering clear of the corny garbage of bands like Insane Clown Posse.
Horrorcore, a purposefully absurdist and creatively significant sub-genre, flourished in places like Memphis, Tennessee and was known for its dark, cold killer lyricism and ambient beats.
Horrorcore aims to scare you the same way horror movies do, and the new clipping. album does exactly that.
“There Existed an Addiction to Blood” incorporates the hyper-violent themes of murder, crime and disturbing content through samples and Diggs’ lyrics.
From the intro with its fuzzy radio intercom that Diggs raps over, to the final song which is 18 minutes of the sound of a piano burning, this album will leave you wanting to keep the lights on at night.
“Intro” starts the album with footsteps, shovels and the ambient sound that you might hear at 3 a.m.
Diggs monotone, almost-robotic verse might hurt any other album, but his cold delivery perfectly captures the character of a stone cold killer seen throughout the album.
His bars right off the bat start strong and the muffled radio speaker effect over Diggs’ voice, along with his morbid lyrics, sets an ominous scene.
His flow and wordplay continue to shine with the next song, “Nothing is Safe,” which captures the aesthetic of John Carpenter’s legendary score for 1978’s “Halloween,” showing their appreciation for classic horror movies that shines throughout the album.
The song starts off with one high-pitched shrill piano note that lingers throughout the track, creating tension while Diggs sets the scene of criminals inside their gang house.
The narrative picks up as a simple bass line comes in and Diggs describes a police raid on these criminals, sucking you into his intense world through his creative and vivid lyricism.
“Blood of the Fang” is another musically interesting piece which ties themes of racism and to a surprising blend of genres.
After a gospel sample, the beat drops into distorted bass and synths with a slightly quiet drum sample behind it. Diggs again delivers his stunningly precise and annunciated bars which leave you thinking, “Does he even appreciate what he’s doing?”
The way Diggs flows with the ambient noise and blaring samples almost seems as if he’s working as another instrument. However, the substance of what he says is well thought out that you can’t focus on anything other than his lyrics.
Unfortunately, Digg’s resorts to mindless repetition, like on “Club Down,” where siren samples, boosted bass and distorted synths steal the show.
Degrading the immersive beat, Diggs raps a typical gangster rap hook, “Turn the lights off, they done shut the club down, shut the club down, shut the, shut the club down.”
Although his monotone rapping does complement the track’s mood, “Club Down” is a missed opportunity for Diggs to unleash some evil bars.
In contrast, Diggs takes the spotlight in “He Dead,” as ambient synths drowns everything but Diggs’ vicious raps.
“There Existed an Addiction to Blood” ends beautifully with “Piano Burning,” an avant-garde piece written by composer Annea Lockwood.
Yes, it is the sound of a piano burning.
The solemn ending complements everything leading up to this grand finale, which fades away to the sound of a heartbeat slowing then stopping.
If you are looking to challenge yourself and don’t mind sleeping for a couple nights, listen to clipping.’s new album “There Existed an Addiction to Blood.”
