[junkie-dropcap]T[/junkie-dropcap]he album “There Existed An Addiction To Blood” revitalized the horrorcore sub-genre with vigor. It also cemented Clipping as a group that could take seemingly any detour creatively with brilliant execution. Like so many monumental works of horror before it, that leaves the sequel with a lot to live up to.
“Visions Of Bodies Being Burned” is actually more of a companion piece than a sequel. Seeing as they recorded it around the same time as “There Existed An Addiction” and slated to release only months later. (Thank you Corona. Very cool) But I digress. No matter what you call it, “Visions” is an unexpected but very welcome surprise. “There Existed An Addiction” created an atmosphere and set a standard. Both of which I hoped to see expanded upon. So let’s dive in.
Though there are quite a few layers to dissect, if I had to summarize why the last album was so impactful for me in a word, it would be intensity. From the jump, Daveed Diggs’ dizzying flows hypnotized me as he told some of the most bone chilling horror stories I’ve ever heard. But they were all based in reality. A song like “The Show” is mortifying because I know the events being described actually occur in the darkest sectors of the world. It’s never left my memory.
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“Visions” has the same foundations that made it’s predecessor great. Daveed Diggs is still one of the most technically and lyrically skilled rappers working right now. William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes control the atmosphere with their sometimes subdued, other times erratic production style. There’s plenty of synergy between the two albums. But there’s an undeniable yin/yang effect at play here. Whereas “There Existed An Addiction” only dipped it’s toe in fantasy, “Visions” takes the dive. Song topics on this album range from Candyman to Scream to witches. Which coming off the traumatizing realism of “There Existed An Addiction” admittedly makes it less scary. But it opens the gate for some very interesting music.
Especially with a song like “Say The Name”. Which references the urban legend of Candyman but creatively focuses more on the racial element of that story. I particularly love the re-tooling of a Scarface bar on the hook. Plus clever references to Big Pun and ODB that stay topically relevant. Plus the various “hook” double entendres. This is what I mean when I say Daveed is such a brilliant writer. When telling a story, he has this ability to make so many different connections throughout without losing focus. It’s captivating.
Equally captivating is “Pain Everyday”. Another song that blends the supernatural and the socially relevant beautifully. Daveed raps about the tortured spirits of those hatefully and wrongfully lynched torturing the descendants of their killers. Invading their dreams, their homes. (Imagine if Lupe Fiasco’s “Drogas Wave” opted for psychological warfare) The way Daveed describes the spirits relishing in the fear of their victims would be disturbing were it not for the historical context. Another point marked for Daveed’s conceptual songwriting. There’s some great percussion work on the back end of the song, too.
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Truth be told, Daveed is so good I’m still trying to fully grasp songs like “Something Underneath” and “Eaten Alive”. His use of imagery definitely sets a scene but Daveed doesn’t give his listeners anything. Whatever I get out of his lyrics is earned through multiple listens and a little research. It makes the album something I keep coming back to in search of missing threads. An issue I have with this album though that wasn’t really present on the last is a lack of payoff. Compared to a song as well written and structured as “Say The Name”, a song like “Make Them Dead” feels like it starts something but never finishes. Daveed paints a picture of a cult of gun-toting racists. The kind who would commit the atrocities done to Candyman to tie it back. I think with the hook he’s saying karma will punish them when they least expect it. But I just don’t feel like it goes anywhere as a song.
The mosh-pit cannibalism anthem “Looking Like Meat” has a similar issue though it’s not so much Daveed’s fault. His wordplay actually shines as he stacks as many references to eating another person as possible into his verse. Some of it cleverly laced in turns of phrase and some of it alarmingly abrasive. The song only feels derailed by the feature verses from Ho99o9. In terms of performance, I absolutely love their verses. Their delivery couldn’t be more complimentary to the song’s tone. But lyrically, they’re nowhere near the song’s theme. You could make an argument they’re portraying the unaware victims I guess. But even that could be communicated better somehow. I still think “Looking Like Meat” is a ridiculous banger but the lack of cohesion bothers me.
Luckily the only other rap features on this album, Cam & China, deliver exactly what I want from a feature. They basically dominate the entirety of “96 Neve Campbell” and I think strongly benefits the song. What better way to make a “final girls” anthem than to take a backseat to 2 badass women? Cam & China rap like battle-hardened veterans on the song. By the end, they come off more intimidating than any slasher villain. “Check The Lock” and “Body For The Pile” are both firmly planted in reality. No movie influence, no supernatural stuff. They’re songs more reminiscent of the previous album. (“Body For The Pile” is apparently from 2016 so even before that)
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“Body For The Pile” is another one of those songs that doesn’t really go anywhere. Daveed’s 3 verses describe the violent deaths of 3 police officers. Not hard to see why that’s relevant to the current climate but they don’t culminate to anything. Nothing ties them together. I can say Daveed’s skillful imagery is on full display. But not much else.
“Check The Lock” however does storytelling right. It’s got a setting, it’s got a central character, a narrative. The essentials that I need to get invested. Like “Pain Everyday”, “Check The Lock” tells of a perceivably powerful person put in a vulnerable position. (Say that 5 times fast) In this case, it’s a drug dealer who’s clearly gained some notoriety. But his lifestyle has made him severely paranoid. Bordering on OCD by the sound of some lines. The ringing production is an ominous soundtrack to a man struggling to maintain their composure. I think this song would’ve fit right in with “Run For Your Life” and “El Mala Ordina” on the last album.
The album ends with a rendition of a minimalistic avant-garde piece composed by Yoko Ono and recorded at an unsolved murder site. Because of course it does. But before that, the last song is “Enlacing”. I’m a big Clipping fan but a word I’ve never used to describe their music is beautiful. “Enlacing” is fucking beautiful. From start to finish, the entire song sounds like a trance. (Or a drug trip judging by some of the lyrics) Daveed’s verses make death sound like being at a rave and even as someone who hates parties, I’m cool with it. It’s psychedelic and heavenly at times in a way that feels deceptive. Too good to be true. But even knowing it might be a facade, I just wanna indulge in it.
Boldy James- The Versace Tape, Album Review
It’s one of the most unique songs in their discography and already one of the best. Both statements are REALLY saying something.Overall, “Visions Of Bodies Being Burned” is another well-produced and incredibly well-rapped addition to the Clipping catalog. Even the songs I feel are lacking have some great rapping from Daveed. I don’t think I’ve heard a bad verse from him yet.The producers of course deserve their praise too. While the production on this album feels more understated than the previous, there are a handful of moments where it’s anything but. The insane percussion segments on “Pain Everyday” and “Eaten Alive”. The infectious hype energy of “Looking Like Meat” and of course the transcendent sounds of “Enlacing”.
Even being a companion piece to their previous album, “Visions” stands out. “There Existed An Addiction” is still the group’s magnum opus in my eyes but I’m happy it has a worthy successor. I’m gonna miss having an album like this to look forward to coming next Halloween season. But now I have not one but two great albums to come back to.
