Customer Reviews

Hell's Winter

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Musicians always use their art as a way to exorcise their inner demons. Cage has more than most, some thanks to his own doing and some from factors out of his control. He took control of his life and showed the demons that they had to leave him. He quite the drugs, quite the junk food, quite the rock-n-roll lifestyle altogether. He found a label that believed in him and could give him what he needed musically (and financially), with no restraints. That is what "Hell's Winter" is; Cage in his purest and truest form speaking on his life. No more misogyny, no more acid trips, mo more over the top shock and awe rap. Whether airing out his issues with EC (Public Property #12), airing out his issues with the current administration (Grand Ol' Party Crash #3) or just wylin out with his weatherman crew (Left It to Us #11), Cage is a transformed man. He confronted what had been done to him in the past and took responsibility for what he has done in the past, and wrote about it. Not only did he write about it but he brought it to life. The combination of him and El-P is amazing. El delivers some of his most symphonic beats yet. They are just as full of life as the verses Caged penned for them. On top of that El is just a little connected and brought in some friends. DJ Shadow makes a very special appearance with his crazy drum programming. Blockhead just blows your mind with his contributions finding the most subtle, and beautiful combinations of strings, horns, and drums. RJ is here in typical fashion with the MTV ready "Shoot Frank" with an unbelievable hook sung by Darryl Palumbo. The bottom line is one emcee had an opportunity to create something special, and while most would cower at that challenge he took it head on and delivered something right back that no one would have ever predicted.

It seems with every release and appearance that Cage gets more and more precise and most importantly his unique disturbed voice gains more clarity. With sick production from DJ Shadow, El-P, Blockhead, and others, these are the tightest beats he's spit over since Waterworld. As a longtime Dead Kennedys and Jello Biafra fan, I was pleasantly surprised to hear his verbal Bush bashing and impersonations on this CD. What a match!! Shadow, Cage, and Biafra!! If they could put out a whole album as a group then that would be the most amazing album in the history of hip-hop. As all longtime fans know, Cage was the sick whiteboy persona before Eminem (no disrespect), and with this release he only proves his versatility and lyrical content are top-notch. This is my favorite release this year (at least until Dangerdoom) by far in the hip-hop genre or any genre for that matter. Even if ya download it, go out and pay cash for it to support your favorite artists and raps premier label-Def Jux.

I remember hearing a few tracks from "Movies for the Blind" and not being very impressed. The dude could rhyme, but I just wasn't feeling the relentlessly dark and angry flow he was boasting. Not to say his lyrics weren't interesting, but the overall package was lacking a bit. That said, "Hell's Winter" improves on every point that was lacking on "Movies for the Blind". Frankly, after hearing "Movies for the Blind", I didn't think Cage had it in him to create songs as good as "Grand Ol Party Crash", "Stripes", or "Shoot Frank". The lyrics are more personal, more heartfelt, and just plain better. The production is also a big improvement. Some of the biggest names in hip-hop collaborate to make the album shine (El-P, RJD2, Blockhead, DJ Shadow). Guest (vocal) appearances are made by Jello Biafra, Aesop Rock, James McNew & El-P. The beats are so tight that they included a second CD - "Hell's Winter Instrumentals".

My favorites include "Good Morning", "Grand Ol Party Crash" where Jello Biafra transforms into our President, George W. Bush (also...incredibly SICK production by DJ Shadow), the most insightful track of all - "Stripes", "Shoot Frank" and "Subtle Art Of The Breakup Song".

Overall, those who thought Cage's past works were a bit lackluster, should definitely check out "Hell's Winter". This is the deepest look into the dark and troubled persona of Cage. This is truly one of Definitive Jux's better releases of the year.

I must admit I really enjoy alot of Cage's work, but there is always something missing that keeps his work from being perfect. Therefore, I was hoping Cage would step his game up on 'Hell's Winter'...hoping for better production/beats/lyrical content, etc.

I knew from the second that 'Good Morning' played, that this was the album Cage was going to shine on. The diversity of the tracks on this album are sick and not one of them are weak. I read that Cage has gone sober for this effort and it is all for the better. Do not get worried, he still covers his usual drug material, its just in alot better taste now.

Track Overview:

The third track is just incredible, DJ Shadow makes you want to explode your trunk and the presidential cracks on the track are priceless. The most mainstream track on the record is definetly 'Scenester' and I would not be suprised if Cage gains alot of fans from this track alone (could be a single if Cage ever had one). 'Subtle Art of the Break Up Song', is basically your typical classic Cage. A Sick song about what happens on a road trip with his girl while doing K, I won't spoil it for you though. This is obviously his most mainstream album and I do not mean that in a bad way. Congrats Cage.

"I tried alot of drugs, I tried alot of ladies, some I probably wouldn't have tried if I wasn't on drugs. Been living sober lately, sure some fans will hate, still see bugs crawling on me, it's time I got the scabies." - Cage 'Peeranoia'.

Ashbare Rating: 4.8/5.0

Any independent hip-hop head is probably already familiar with Cage, and this album is by far his best solo. It is not nearly as insane and tortured as Movies for the Blind, but it does provide insight to the factors that made Cage what he is. Here is a track listing:
1.) Good Morning 8/10 This is one of the stronger tracks on the album, a head-nodding New York anthem produced by El-P, with El-P also performing the hook.
2.) Too Heavy For Cherubs 9/10 A very dark song about how Cage's father used to force him to help him shoot heroin.
3.) Grand Ol' Party Crash 9/10 A great bush-basher, goes into some pretty morbid detail about troops in Iraq.
4.) The Death of Chris Palko 6/10 Ehh. No real subject matter here, but it's salvaged by a great beat from Camu and El-P.
5.) Stripes 10/10 Best track on the album. A very dark song about Cage's parents, his abusive father especially, with an excellent beat by Blockhead.
6.) Shoot Frank 7/10 Starts out great, Cage's rapping is great, but it's ruined by an awful hook which drags on for over a minute.
7.) Scenester 6/10 OK song about a girl who cuts herself, again ruined by an awful hook.
8.) Perfect World 6/10 Same deal as track 4. Great beat, not much substance.
9.)Subtle Art 9/10 Darkest song on the album. A great example of Cage's twisted imagery.
10.) Peeranoia 7/10 Pretty good song about Cage's drug problems and trying to live sober.
11.) Left It To Us 8/10 This is the track that you blast in your car. Not the best on the album, but still extremely tight.
12.) Public Property 9/10 Great song about Cage's problems with Eastern Conference, and a great beat by Camu Tao.
13.) Lord Have Mercy 6/10 A little f*cked up and meaningless, but still good. It would make a great music video.
14.) Hell's Winter 8/10 Title track's always good.
The album is great, and the instrumental disc with UMIXIT software is a great bonus. The software is a hell of a lot of fun to play around with, even if you don't produce. I hope Def jux keeps going with this UMIXIT, cause it sure as hell gets me to buy their limited editions.

Cage's past is mostly hardcore and genuinely underground, but his style has bordered on shock for shock's sake, and with the Smut Peddlers he was especially prone to going off the deep end of garish and sleazy. That's why it's a little surprising this joint lands on Definitive Jux, a label that prides itself on being for real. They've thrown the big names at him too, not only El-P and RJD2, but DJ Shadow and the legendary Jello Biafra. Shadow and Biafra participate in the awesome and caustic "Grand Ol Party Crash" with samples from the classic video game Sinistar and casts Biafra as George W. Bush. Biafra's transforming of Bush into the über-manic Frank from the film Blue Velvet would be the towering highlight of the album if it weren't for the wealth of brilliant, introspective tracks that take longer to sink in, but are twice as rewarding. Cage spills an ocean of venom on his absent father on "Stripes," which wryly plays off the fact his father shares the name of movie star Bill Murray. The chilling highlight "Public Property" acknowledges Cage's new, truer style of writing to longtime listeners, and while you can say he's been down this bleak road before and Hell's Winter is just his Movies for the Blind album with a better guest list, his prior horrorcore writing seems a silly kind of scary compared to the vivid despair here. Producers El-P, Camu Tao, and RJD2 all offer dense concoctions that are perfectly suited to the album's angst, and the whole affair is tight with no tolerance for filler. If he uses his traumatic upbringing one more time, then let the haters have at him, but besides being another reason to love the risk-taking Definitive Jux family, Hell's Winter improves on every Cage release that came before it and offers the most compelling insight into the tortured rapper yet

recent albums to blow my mind: Coley Cole, Sleep, 13 & goD, and THIS. this album is the total threat. cop it.

Well I loved this album and I am on the watch for it at the store when I heard J.Hilliards thing on his list of the top albums of 2005 I thought that be nuts to have Cage so high on his list because he is primarily known for entertainment value.Instead I heard the CD and heard nothing but strait Butta
the beats were by a group who is lead by El-P and Cage changed up his style and made a increddibally dope album in my book.
One of the 2 albums so far as of 10/28/2005 that gets a 5 Mic rating from me that was released this year.

Cage has come a long way since "Movies for the Blind". He has matured beyond my comprehension, but let me tell all of you reading this right now. Cage Knows hip-hop and his beats. Let me give it to you like this, the album has production by El-p, Blockhead, DJ Shadow!, RJD2, and PAWL. What an incredible cast for producerse! All the beats compliment each other. The off beat "Grand of Party Crash" by DJ shadow bangs through the radio speakers with authority, RJD2 supplies a chill beat on "Shoot Frank", Blockhead and El-P set the mood for the whole album as they both have the albums best tracks. I cannot believe the quality of the beats on this album not to mention Cage has altered his style to fit his new positive attitude. A change that i welcome very dearly. So should you buy this album, the answer is YES! It took me 3 days to find it because there was a delay in shipping because of Hurricane Rita, im in Miami. If you love hip hop, pick this up, the best 14 dollars I've spent this year.

Cage seemed to drop the whole shock-rap thing and went back to the drawing board for his first Def Jux release Hell's Winter. Good thing too, cause this isn't garbage like his early stuff. On top of some of the best beats assembled for one disc, you get Cage opening up a little more and giving some background into his life and kinda explains how it is he came to be such an angry little psycho. The leader of the Weathermen still touches on some of the more disturbing issues as earlier albums like smoking PCP, and being in a psycho ward, but it comes off much more different than just trying to sound "Scary and disturbed". This is a really brilliant record and I'd recommend this to anybody, regardless if you're into hip hop or not, this is simply good music.