Monsters in the Closet

Swollen Members | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 12, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Battle Axe
• ASIN: B00006RG7K
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,149 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Intro

2. Steppin Thru

3. Breath (featuring Nelly Furtado)

4. Fuel Injected (remix, featuring Saukrates)

5. Battle Axe Exclusive

6. Heavy Thinkers

7. English Breakfast

8. Red Dragon

9. Bring It Home

10. Zenith

11. Members Only

12. Act on It

13. Long Way Down

14. Temptation

15. The Capitol

16. Crunch

17. Northern Lights

18. Rockapella

19. Freak Fantastic

20. New Details

Editorial Reviews

From URB Magazine

The dawning of the millennium has seen a Western uprising in the Canadian hip-hop scene, a movement led by the guts-and-gore-obsessed Swollen Members. The Vancouver, Canada-based duo of MCs Mad Child and Prevail was awarded Best Rap Junos (the northern Grammy equivalent) in 2001 and 2002, for Balance and Bad Dreams, respectively. The first win was a shock, but the second came as no surprise at all. With a fistful of catchy radio singles and a generous dose of Swollen’s trademark cellar-dwelling fatalism, Bad Dreams confirmed that when it comes to Canadian rap, the West is indeed the best. Swollen’s latest effort, Monsters in the Closet, is a collection of rarities, remixes and spanking-new bangers. It plays like a brief history of Canada’s most popular rap outfit, from its Cali-influenced beginnings to its current electro obsession. Since adding longtime cohort Moka Only as a permanent member, the group has taken things in a more melodic, up-tempo direction, a shift most evident on the sensationally synthesized "Steppin’ Thru." "Breathe," meanwhile, is a headbanger propelled by a Berlin-by-way-of-Brooklyn electro beat and a knockout hook from fellow Canuck Nelly Furtado. Later on, the trio rides high over a reworked Sarah McLachlan vocal on the wistful "Long Way Down," a track that recalls Eminem’s successful collaboration with Dido. Beats from the street-credible Evidence and Zodak give Monsters a steady, if unspectacular, foundation, but as demonstrated on the best of this album’s joints, Swollen’s future lies in the fast lane of hip-hop’s electro renaissance.

Martin Turenne

Product Description

2002 album from Swollen Members is set to take them to an even higher level. The album includes banging new singles & remixes taking the raw heavy substance of Balance (1999) and combining it with the polished maturity of Bad Dreams (2001). Battleaxe Records.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Creative, October 17, 2004

By 

hopeordoom (Colorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monsters in the Closet (Audio CD)

That is not how I would usually describe a rap album, but I must for it is just that: very creative and original. They were just playing it at a records store and I took little notice of it at first; then I heard "Rockapella" and was imediately impressed. Upon furtherlistening I found out that these guys are more comparable to Jurassic 5 and not Eminem (idiot, looser, jerk, fool). Great catchy rap music.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Album by Vancouver's Own, November 5, 2003

By 

Mike G Girardin (Kanata, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monsters in the Closet (Audio CD)

Mad Child and Prevail deliver a solid performance on the Swollen Members latest release from Battle Axe Records, Monsters in the Closet.

As far as remix albums are concerned, this one is pretty damn tight. There's some really cool new takes on some of the tunes from Bad Dreams which make for a great listen, and should probably hold me over until their next LP.

Appearances by Moka Only and fellow Vancouverite Nelly Furtado also add to the mix which makes for a pretty tasty musical gumbo.

Overall, it's another solid outing from the Swollen Members.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Swollen again brings it home, February 16, 2003

By 

Ross Fernandes (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monsters in the Closet (Audio CD)

Again Cananda's most renound rap band have done it again. Introducing a new breed of hip-hop to the world and guess what?...it works. Compiled of some old tracks that have been made up to date and a few new tracks that still breathe of the same swollen members that we all know form the first and second album. While Stepin thru uses moko only's vocals to create a calm and laid back effect,i'm alive is a more grittier track and there is also the more serious side on a long way down using Sarah Maclaglan's vocals as the harmony in the song. This is a must buy for any Swollen members fans and also for anyone who likes hip-hop and rap. Believe me u will like!