Customer Reviews

The Cold Vein [Vinyl]

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Let me just start by saying that i am not a herb backpacker who jocks everything el-p puts his name on. With that said,let me continue by proclaiming that with his production on 'The Cold Vein' he has no doubt changed the entire face of the underground genre of hiphop music. These soundscapes provided for Vast Aire and Vordul are far superior to anything i have heard in the last 5 years.Don't get me wrong,both of these mc's come more than correct,but the beats are what seperates this album from the rest of the pack.For once,an album has lived up to the buzz surrounding it. Believe the hype...Cann Ox has dropped what will probably be regarded as one of the finest underground hiphop albums ever recorded

I first heard of Cannibal Ox on a sampler for All Tomorrow's Parties, a festival of mainly abstract rock bands. I'll admit it, I'm not too big on hip hop. I'm a white boy that's into rock music. I own a few hip hop records like "Quality Control" by J5 and "Things Fall Apart" by the Roots, and that's about it. I put off buying anything by Cannibal Ox, that is, until I went to Santa Barbara when I bought the F-Word single. Every song on it was amazing, so I recently bought "The Cold Vein."

Cannibal Ox are like the Radiohead of hip hop, with beautiful soundscapes and little bits and pieces of abstract sounds here and there. The beats, are amazing. The lyrics are great, sometimes dark. The production is top notch. Some of my favorite tracks are "Iron Galaxy," "A B-Boys Alpha", and "The F-Word." However, I would suggest listening to the album as a whole.

With "The Cold Vein," Cannibal Ox have created a cd that everyone can get into, whether you're an art student, hip hop fan, etc.

I've been into hip-hop for about 15 years and picked up "The Cold Vein" after having it recommended by a friend whose judgment could usually be trusted (on hip-hop matters that is). Upon the initial listening, his credibility went down the toilet like so many flushed turds. Production-wise I thought it ranked amongst the worst albums I had ever heard--aural tripe. Each track sounded not unlike the destruction of a space-station (albeit with rhythm). As far as the MC's were concerned, Vast Aire was clever enough, but his flow wasn't super impressive and his rhyme-structuring definitely left something to be desired. Vordul, although possessing an exquisite flow, was not nearly as clever or poetic as Vast Aire. However, for some reason, after a couple of days, I came back to it and started to warm up to the Cold Vein. Eventually, after a few more subsequent listens, the CD began to grow on me until it eventually garnered the coveted "Slot 1" in my CD changer, becoming the envy of disks 2-6. "The Cold Vein" quickly became my favorite album of 2001 and currently ranks somewhere in my top 10 of all time.

I, to this day, can't really put my finger on precisely what it is that makes this album so fantastic. Both MC's are dope; but neither of them unbelievable. Each track is lyrically strong, but I'm not sure I would describe any particular verse as groundbreaking. And El-P's beats have a sound to them that ranges somewhere between malfunctioning machinery and robots in agonizing pain. But for some reason it works. It works exponentially, so that the sum is clearly greater than the individual parts--and it seems that the removal of any particular part would result in the in the destruction of this complex hip-hop mechanism that exists in a state of brilliance only by maintaining the most delicate of balances. I remember having read a review somewhere which described the album as having an "intangible dopeness". This is precisely right. I'm not completely sure what it is about this album that makes it so great; and that's precisely what makes it so great. As soon as the greatness of something becomes tangible, understandable, it seems to vanish into thin air. It's like discovering how a magic trick works. As soon as the secret is revealed, the mystery and sense of awe, instantly disappear. Thankfully, the greatness of the album is definitely there, but wrapped in a thick layer of secrecy which has thus far, for me, been impenetrable.

My advice to anyone who's heard the snippets and feels it's not for them is to come back a couple of days later and try again. And then, after another day or so, come back yet another time. Continue to do so several times; each time trying to approach the music with a more open mind than before, dissolving any prejudices that may have arisen during previous listens. If, after a few times, you still don't like it, I guess it's not for you. But, if it steadily becomes more and more appealing, realize that you are well on your way to falling in love with one of the greatest and most unique hip-hop albums of all time.

From the first few bars, this album grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go.

It's a little abstract, and might take a few listens to grow on you, but it's the perfect meld of classic hip-hop beats and robot-march production. After this album, El-P's tracks got a little distracting, to me at least, but "The Cold Vein" blends seamlessly.

The lyrical tag-team work of Vast Aire and Vordul is also something to marvel at. Dense, dense poetics, with metaphors and symbolism crammed into every verse; they often sound like they're cursing, even though they're not.

In the first cut, "Iron Galaxy," Vast paints a bleak picture of New York that sets the gritty tone for the rest of the album: "Let's talk in laymen's terms/rotten apples and big worms/early birds and poachers/New York is evil at its core/So those who have more than them/Prepare to be victims/Ate up by vultures/Politicians in a dog-eat-dog culture/That'll sic 'em."

Throughout the album, a dark, violent undercurrent runs through each song, from the syncopated "Vein" to the angelic stomp "A B-Boy's Alpha" to the brilliant closer, "Pigeon."

Of course, it's not for everybody. There is not one club-ready beat on the whole LP, and those who are going from the window to the wall will probably miss a lot of the clever one-liners and metaphors, but real heads recognize, and "The Cold Vein" is something a lot of MC's could learn from.

finally a hip hop album to get exited about. Hip hop is been so bad lately i've lost faith in it, such classic albums as enter the wu, low end theory, the infamous, only built for cuban linkz, etc, in the early 90's showed the incredible promise of the genre, however the late 90's and early 2000's with neptunes, mannie fresh, swizz beats, influenced music and lyrics about diamonds, money cars and hoes, has been awful for hip-hop. the execption is the Cannibal Ox album along with some other albums MF Doom, atmosphere, etc. The mic presence and delivery of Vast Aire and Vordul is incredible and El-P's production is dead on, he creates a pretty amazing soundscape that perfectly complements the two m.c.'s this album is a must have.

When I first heard this album, it blew my mind. And I'm still mad as hell that Cannibal Ox canceled their Baltimore show and then broke up. Now I'll never get to see them.

Cannibal Ox's "The Cold Vein" is the single best album yet released by Def Jux and El-P. The album is so dense that when I was first listening to it, I had to go back and do it again twice: once for the beats and once for the lyrics. You really cannot do either proper justice until you have broken them apart. El-P's work shines with its lumbering, old skool sci-fi beats (like MF Doom, sci-fi and comic books figure prominently both in the samples and in the lyrics). Vast Aire and Vorgul Megala's MCing is an equal partner in the work, although Aire is the stronger of the two MCs.

Pay particular attention to tracks #1, 4, 5, 6, 10 and 11. Those are my favorites.

If you count yourself a serious hip hop fan, your collection is sadly lacking if you do not have this CD.

I bought this album only because i wanted something new to listen to, with this album getting five star reviews on here and it being on everybodys best of hip hop lists, i decided to get it, at first listen i didn't like the beats in other words i just couldn't get in to it, but i listen a few more times, AND HOW WRONG WAS I, i love this album and now i think beats are great , maybe it takes a few listens for some people to really apprciate this album, anyway you shouldn't let this pass you by, GET IT NOW.

One of the first major albums that got Def Jux noticed as the rag-tag group of brilliant artists they are, this dense album can be attributed to the genius of three men: producer El-P, and rappers Vast Aire and Vordul Megala. Together they crafted an album that takes a plastic picture of the dark side of New York, full of greed and suffering. Although recorded before skyscrapers started falling, it gains extra depth in light of the horrible events that have happened in New York since its release.

Iron Galaxy: it's a cold world, sometimes I think I'm getting a little frosty myself. Sheer genius, the epitome of the Can Ox sound. A+
Ox Out of the Cage: a requisite roll-call, battle rap lyrics. A-
Atom: strong lyrics over strong beat. not the best. B+
A B-Boy's Alpha: poetry, some of the best lyrics with an angelic beat. reminiscing song almost. A
Raspberry Fields: the flipside, a ride through Hell. abrasive. A
Straight off the D.I.C.: love the beat, alright battle rap lyrics. A-
Vein: brutal song, the violence of the streets. B+
The F-Word: some say emo, I say wonderful. everything clicks and makes an amazing love song. A+
Stress Rap: most appropriate title, life must really suck. A+
Battle for Asgard: kinda weak, carnival-esque breakbown. B+
Real Earth: video game music, a breathless verse from Vast. A-
Ridiculoud: a guest verse from El-P, wouldn't have sounded out of place on his album. A-
Painkillers: drugs are not good, but we do them anyways. love the outro. A
Pigeon: struggling, these birds survive in the concrete canyons of the city. we are compared to them in magnificent verses. A+
Scream Phoenix: a ray of light, a shred of hope in a cold world. brilliant beat, brilliant lyrics, the best way to end. A+

Be forewarned, this album is not for background listening. It kicks and screams and it will gain your attention and bring to mind some serious issues. Don't avoid it, you will regret sleeping on this one.

Definative Jux couldn't have started making noise at any more perfect a time. During an era of slowly weakening hiphop, a group of truly gifted individuals have all allied with one another to create such an odd harmony that's appealing to the ears....

The lyrics of abstract rap are actually an ocean of words about emotion rather just simply speaking the English language to tell a story. Those who hate on Co-flow and Def Jux artists are either too ignorant to understand this type of music or they just simply do not want to explore into this genre of hiphop. Can Ox's mcs, Vast Aire and Vordul, have mastered the art of abstract lyrics and accompanied by the 'ahead of its time spaced-out production' of El-Producto... where could you go wrong? no wonder why this CD was claimed on of the best of 2001...

Can Ox presents a tale of harsh city life on 'Iron Galaxy', they explain their feeling of love on 'The F Word', substance abuse in rap on 'Painkillers', about the obvious dying hiphop culture on 'Ridiculoid', and they even show off their style of battle skills on 'Strait off the D.I.C...

Even if you cannot fully grasp the lyrics after plenty listens just allow the music to take you in... The beats hold it down on their own also....

here's an example of how poetic this group is:
You were a still born baby /
Mother didn't want you, but you were still born /
Boy meets world, of course his pops is gone /
What you figgure? /
That chalky outline on the ground is a father figure /
So he steps to the next stencil, that's a hustler /
Infested with money and diamond cluster /
Lets talk in laymen terms /
Rotten apples and big worms /
Early birds and poachers /
New York is evil at it's core, so those who have more than them /
Prepare to be vic-tims /
Ate up by vultures, the politicians /

If your a lost hiphop head asking yourself 'where are all the innovative creative true hiphop artists?' Come and check out the Def Jux roster...

I'm Out... Mind Power!!!

Simply put, this album defies almost all convention. It is a mixture of dense production and lyrics that range from straightforward battle raps to scrath-your-head abstract.

It has no peer.

Cannibal Ox consists of MC's Vast Aire and Vordual Megala with production by Def Jux owner/producer/MC El-Producto. The first thing you'll notice when listening to this CD is how different the beats are. El-P does a magnificent job of creating a deep, dischorant sound that displays many of the gritty properties of the inner city. In fact, it's quite easy to lose yourself in the production and forget that Vast Aire and Vordual Megala are even there. This would be an unfortunate mistake though, as both MC's are skilled in their trade.

The album starts off with it's best song, "Iron Galaxy." The dadist delivery of two MC's along with amazing lyrics like "Lifes at a stand-still, dangerous cuz man kills / And still, cats visualize life ghetto like born mind" easily make this the best track. Several tracks later you reach another one of the standout tracks "A B-Boy's Alpha." On this track Vast and Vordual reflect on youth in the ghetto and their beginnings in hip-hop. "Raspberry Fields" follows and has a beat that might split your head. Unfortunately the lyrics aren't really up to par on this track. "Straight Off the D.I.C." proceeds immediately afterwards and is one of the best battle raps that I've had a chance to hear. "Vein" is an almost humorous story about a young kid trying to test Cannibal Ox: "He had a beretta with a rubbed off serial digit / and I know he got it from Carlos the Midget / the only cat cold enough to hustle guns to kids..." Showing some diversity, "The F-Word" is a rap about the rough nature of love. After a few good but not outstanding songs, the album ends in a strong manner with "Pigeon" and the bonus track, "Scream Phoenix." On "Pigeon," brooding guitars lay in the background while Vast and Vordual draw an extended metaphor between themselves and pigeons. Some of it gets very abstract but it's also amazingly insightful, giving you a glimpse into real ghetto life, not the stuff you see on MTV with mainstream rappers.

"The Cold Vein" is a refreshingly different look at hip hop. While the beats are nowhere close to mainstream acceptability, they are still amazing. The lyrics do lapse in a few places and that is what holds this LP back from being an instant classic. Still, when Vast Aire and Vordual Megala are on point (and they often are) the pictures they paint of street life are shocking. They don't glorify the violence nor do they openly chastise it; they simply put you in the place of someone going through thes experience. It's almost like Nas' stories in "Illmatic." If you aren't put off by the non-Neptunes/Timbaland sounding production, then you'll love this album.