Hive - Devious Methods

When I first heard the track, "Ultrasonic Sound" off this album, I was once again stoked about drum and bass. With a huge guitar sample from a song by the punk/hardcore band Bad Brains, the track is brutal, yet very well put together and quite fun. Over the course of the past few years, the genre has become watered down and starting to sound the same and I found myself listening to only few select artists and new offshoots of the genre (drill and bass like U-Ziq and Squarepusher). However, after hearing a couple tracks off this album, I thought it might be something that I needed to pick up.

While the album isn't mindblowing, it is a great listen for the genre. There is a nice use of samples on the disc, and the music varies enough to keep you interested through 13 tracks. The opening track of the album starts out with a strange conversation from Flash Gordon (actually the same one that Orb used on their song "Earth (Gaia)") before ripping into a wicked stuttering beat. Over the course of the next 12 tracks, things change up quite a bit, but never manages to slip into the lazy, static drum and bass that seems to be flooding the market right now. The other fortunate thing about the album is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. Don't pay attention to the really dorky cover, but pay attention to this guy.

Rating: 6.75

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