I like both of these artists, but they have always had a problem picking a whole disc of great beats, and particularly recently with Eminem, but also on Royce's recent album, the hooks have been lacking - that is this album in a nutshell. Once the verses begin I generally enjoy the tracks, but there are a few wack hooks, 'Echo' would be the main track that would fit into what I was just talking about - bangin' verses, but a very unlikeable chorus.
Another reviewer mentions that this feels like 'Recovery', and I hear the similarities. The beats and that chick on the chorus' of 'The Reunion', 'Take From Me' and 'Echo' really add to that who was on a few tracks from Eminem's most recent album. The only really dope track here is 'Fast Lane' with its bangin' beat fitting perfectly under Royce and Em's interchangeable vocals, with a solid hook. Overall it's a solid listen, but it has too many things that I don't love about it. I wish Em would cut the yelling as well.
Best Tracks: Welcome 2 Hell, Fast Lane, Above the Law, Living Proof.
Given the title, borrowing from Alfred Hitchcock, I thought we'd be getting a horrorcore album, something where he's taking more shots at rappers, or even an album with more of a hardcore hip hop vibe to it. While there are aspects of all of those to some degree, they aren't incredibly strong features, so perhaps the theme isn't what the title will suggest to most listeners.
Eminem obviously hasn't made anything to match his peak for a while, but the hate is absurd. There are some weak punchlines, mainly in the more pop-friendly songs, but as I said regarding 'Kamikaze', he makes up for it with other bars or his technical talent. People nitpick some of them to 'prove' what a bad album it is. It's like pulling out the atrocious 'Ain't No Nigga' to back up a low rating of Jay'z 'Reasonable Doubt' without mentioning the high points. Lauded Lil' Wayne projects have a lot more wack lines than Eminem albums. I don't quite get how some can adore his first album or two but point five this with the criticisms some have. People are really calling 'this album' edgy and tasteless but as mentioned, have given his first couple of albums high ratings...? A line or two aside, like the concert one, that probably would've been better tweaked, I don't hear it. Nostalgia is a helluva drug and hypocrisy is rife.
Anyway, the production on this is consistently decent and nothing is terrible. It feels similar to what he has had on his last couple of projects, without the bad stuff from 'Revival', which still is not good enough though. Maybe Eminem thinks his rapping can carry the songs, and he wouldn't always necessarily be wrong, but I often feel he is selling himself short by not putting more work into the beats. Forget about Nas, Eminem is a long way ahead in the race of heralded rappers with an average ear for beats.
I found a lot more on the second listen than the first. I find 'Those Kinda Nights' to be the only really weak song, with the following 'In Too Deep' not far behind. 'Unaccommodating' is with those after Young M.A. kicks the song off but Eminem steadies the ship. She raps like she's stoned making her sound incredibly boring. These days I see the 'rappity rap' style (basically quick skilful rapping) receiving hate, mainly by younger rap fans, but I love hearing it done well as Em does throughout a number of verses here. We seem to have forgotten about, not only the talent it takes to say it, but as a writer, the attention to detail needed to finely construct lyrics so it's possible and can be comprehended. The rhyming and flow at the end of 'Yah Yah', where he is paying homage to artists who influenced him, is great as well. I don't know what people are hearing when they say his flow is non-existent or that he uses the same flows. He uses more flows on one song than many rappers use across a whole album. People have also had the criticism that he has used these flows before. How many rappers, who are 25 years in, are using different flows? Surely his bag of tricks is big enough. He still cares and cannot be criticised of phoning it in, as he plays around with his delivery a lot. On 'Godzilla' he slowly increases his pace and changes the flow across groups of bars in the third verse. I understand some may want to hold him to a different standard given his talent, but damn, people are harsh.
If you hated his last couple of projects I wouldn't bother checking this out, but if you have enjoyed anything recently, or just like his style of rapping, I think enough of this is decent-good enough to be worth a listen. It's pleasing to see that some critics are paying respect to his performance. There are some poor songs and moments, but the high points are brilliant and something few rappers can do.
Best Tracks: Premonition (Intro), Godzilla, Yah Yah, Never Love Again, Little Engine, I Will
Beats: ★★☆
Rapping/Bars: ★★★★★/★★★☆
Hooks: ★★★
1 Premonition (Intro)
This kicks off well with Em rapping fantastically over one of the harder beats on the album. People have complained about him whining. He is just rapping about his last album and how he feels he can't please everyone. "They said my last album I sounded bitter / No, I sound like a spitter."
2 Unaccommodating
Another hard trap beat that transitions well from the intro. The unfortunate thing is that the previous song has great energy and it definitely doesn't follow on here with Young M.A. starting the song sounding annoying and stoned, as she normally does. Eminem saves the song though, matching the energy he shows on 'Premonition'.
3 You Gon' Learn
Royce raps well but his conspiracy theory content is questionable. The slow vibey beat offers variety to the first couple of songs and is nice. Eminem raps about his come up.
4 Alfred (Interlude)
5 Those Kinda Nights
The first low point and the poppiest. I like the D12 references as Eminem goes back to his early life partying with chicks but this has the weakest bars. My least favourite song on the album.
6 In Too Deep
The topic of Eminem and women continues, here in a relationship. Another weak song. The beat is poor, Eminem is on the hook and his raps aren't as interesting.
7 Godzilla
A fun mostly brag rap track where Em raps like fire on the third verse getting faster as it progresses. I'd rather someone else on the hook rather than the annoying Juice WRLD but the verses are great. The references to great rappers of the past and those who influenced Eminem is a feature here as it is throughout the album."Is my gangster bitch, like Apache with a catchy jingle."
8 Darkness
The deepest track here being about mental illness, the 2017 LA shootings and gun control. Similarly to 'Walk on Water', the message is there but the production could be more interesting.
9 Leaving Heaven
Another song with some deeper content about his past where he ponders his 'privilege', discusses his family, particularly his father, as Skylar Grey returns for the hook, who co-produced it as well. The production and rapping performance is a touch more interesting than the previous song. "And I don't know if I would call that white privilege, yeah / But I get it, how it feels to be judged by pigment."
10 Yah Yah
A busy beat with Busta Rhyme's 'Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check' being used for the hook. The most hardcore hip hop song on the album. I can see the hook turning people off this, and maybe even the beat, but I think it's one of the strongest tunes thanks to its energy.
"Bitch had to gave me a baby, we named it Machine Gun Kelly/Now here's to LL, Big L and Dell/K-Solo, Treach and G Rap/DJ Polo, Tony D, ODB, Moe Dee, Run-D.M.C./ Ed. O.G. and EPMD, The D.O.C., Ice-T, Evil Dee/King T, UTFO, Schoolly D, P.E., BDP/YZ and Chi-Ali, Rakim and Eric B, they were like my therapy/From B.I.G. and Paris, Three Times Dope, and some we'll never see, and PRT/N.W.A and Eazy-E, and D.R.E. was like my GPS/Without him, I don't know where I'd be." Fire!
11 Stepdad (Intro)
12 Stepdad
We've heard a lot about Eminem's mother over the years. Here he tells us how much he hates his stepdad and the abuse he and his mom used to cop. He sings on the hook, which could be better and perhaps more fitting.
13 Marsh
Brag rap. A bit about his beefs. More enjoyable rapping.
14 Never Love Again
He personifies drugs, spitting about his drug use. A strong song.
15 Little Engine
This starts off a little boring, and with some weak bars, but the different flow and production, particularly on the hook, make it enjoyable for me. Another one I can understand not liking but I think it's a fun track.
16 Lock It Up
I think the theme here is about people doubting Eminem saying he was done, with a few jabs at MGK and Budden.
17 Farewell
Again Eminem is singing on the hook with the topic seemingly about his relationship with drugs. "Trick you with a back rub/Tell you to relax then dump your ass in the bathtub." The beat feels almost Caribbean influenced. I like the contrast between the poppy beat and intense raps.
18 No Regrets
As the title suggests this is an introspective song. "Yeah, they miss the old me / I think they want me to OD on codeine / They want my life in turmoil like in '03 / They want front row seats, I give 'em nosebleeds."
19 I Will
"If it was anyone's house G Rap and Rakim would be havin' you mop floors." Commoner Jamar deserves more bars directed at him. A strong closer after a strong backend, that's less trap-influenced compared to a number of songs featured.
20 Alfred (Outro)
"I've been working on it for over a year. You know how it is—you make songs, and as you make the new ones, the old ones get old and you throw them out. The album is called Revival. It’s a reflection of where I’m at right now, but also I feel like what I tried to do was diversify. I’ve tried to make a little something for everyone" - Eminem
1|Walk on Water
Topically I see what Eminem is trying to do but the production just isn't interesting enough for repeated listens. His choppy flow that is featured on a number of tracks here doesn't help its case either.
2|Believe
Believe begins the run of two trap-influenced songs and works, and look, no female sung hook. I like the contrast between the hooks and verses.
3|Chloraseptic
Chloraseptic on the other hand sounds like Eminem trying to parody the generic trap sound by amping up his voice and incorporating trap adlibs. Generic trap adlibs are annoying as it is and just that, generic, and Eminem would be better off staying away from them. Parodying or not, it just sounds strange.
4|Untouchable
Like Joyner Lucas' 'I'm Not Racist', this features Eminem rapping from different perspectives. The whole 'white boy, white boy' is a bit ehh, but I like this song. The production switches up, as does the rapping, which at times features the choppy flow referred to earlier but at other times it's great. I don't get why this song was so poorly received by some.
5|River
I have no problem with Ed, but I don't like the hook here.
6|Remind Me (Intro)
"You make me do things / I normally wouldn't do”
7|Remind Me
I think the previous interlude may go some way to explaining the odd choice to rhyme over 'I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll'.
8|Revival (Interlude)
9|Like Home
Eminem, and Alicia are patriotic here, and Em goes at Trump and says some potent things but again, I don't like the hook, or the production much either. A bit of a waste. I feel the content would've been better over a harder beat too.
10|Bad Husband
Topically again, there is something here with Eminem talking about his marriage with Kim and his faults as a husband and feeling compunction for Kim, but the poppy production and hook do little for me.
11|Tragic Endings
A touch better than the previous songs but follows a similar formula.
12|Framed
Sounds like something from 'Relapse'. Catchy hook with Eminem telling a story about how he has been framed for murder. Again, it's just Eminem on the hook. One of my picks from the album. It is also less pop than most of what's here, and again, there is a bit more of a natural flow.
14|Heat
Can tell this is one of Rubin's songs.
17|In Your Head
Another interesting sample choice with The Cranberries' '[Album110943]' being the hook here. I don't mind this. Framed aside, the best song since 'Untouchable'.
18|Castle
Eminem's rapping sounds more natural here. It's another song about Hayley, his daughter. I like the hook that switches up between Liz's singing and Eminem rapping.
I wouldn't call myself a big Em fan. 'The Eminem Show' is my pick from his discography but as far as whole complete projects go I could almost leave the rest. As a rapper though I rate him highly but I find his beat choices in many cases a waste of his talent. If it's not his beat selection, too often it's been his voice or his unappealing choppy flow here and on his recent albums. I'm with some other reviews that state the producers as a large piece of the problem here. I understand an artist who goes pop for sales, but Eminem is Eminem, he doesn't need to. Why is there so much pop shit on here? Why 'The Eminem Show' is my favourite Eminem album is because while I think the beats are the best he had, more to the point is because it is a mature album. He is spitting more mature shit here but the production isn't up to scratch. I don't get it. For someone who is such a hip hop head, grew up on the classics, clowned pop and pop rap in the infancy of his career, and would sell regardless, I don't get it... This isn't one of the worst albums of all time like this site would have you believe but he really should be doing better. I went and listened to his older albums after this and if you do the same you may appreciate releases like 'Encore' more.
