Customer Reviews

Pretend I'm Human

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I got this cd when I was like 7. I ended up giving the cd to my friend. I remember the song "Alien" was on WAAF and I got this cd at a [store]. Now I got the cd again and I am so glad that I did. This cd mixes rap beats with rock riffs. I remember most of the songs and even the lyrics to some. This cd doesn't have a parental advisory sticker on it even though it should. To make this short, you should definately get this cd if you like punk rock, rap-metal, or whatever.

If you ask me, Orange 9mm were always at the top of all the other bands trying to combine rap with metal at their time. At a time when bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit were making it big, this CD was released and a HUGE amount of buzz surrounded them in 99, poising O9MM to be "the next big thing." However, 3 studio albums and a few EP's into their career, O9MM decided to part ways that same year. It's a shame too. Listening to this CD, you realize that Orange 9mm were meant for success. Their blend of hip hop into their NY hardcore roots was extremely infectious and stood them apart from their peers. Pretend I'm Human is probably their most diverse record put out, from the energetic opener "When You Lie" to the beautiful, mellow "Touching Skies" to the grinding "Pretend I'm Human," there's such a variety on here. I honestly can't think of any flaws with this CD. Every song is great. Chaka's lyrics are extremely potent and well sung and are what made O9mm so special to me. If you are looking for the intelligent side of nu-metal, I highly recommend you get this (very rare and hard to find) CD. You will not regret it.

Being from NYC, I had the pleasure of seeing these guys play around town from time to time in the hardcore scene. ORANGE 9mm was one of those really great underground bands that stayed relativley underground for most of it's short career. While I thought TRAGIC was kind of shallow in the musc dept. this CD and their first( Driver not Included) were their best. If you havnt had the pleasure of hearing this New York Hardcore band's music, do yourself a favore and pick this up!

Not hearing "Ultraman Vs. Godzilla" in it's entirety, I expected "Pretend I'm Human" to be very thick and intense, though with more variety, as on "Tragic". I liked it overall, though I was not as moved as I was with their previous records. I'm impressed with Chaka's increasingly tight vocal dexterity and some of the electronics, but I really do miss the power that Orange 9mm once put out. "Pretend I'm Human" seems to avoid getting heavy, something that will definitely put off the band's more narrow-tasted listeners, but for those who are open to different styles and directions, the new record is interesting and sensitive. Instead of being shackled by their style and closed-minded fans, Orange 9mm has remained individualistic and the drivers of their own vehicles- something I can only praise them for. Where "Ultraman Vs. Godzilla" followed the funkier styles unearthed on "Tragic", the music on "Pretend I'm Human" seems to follow the emotional conflict at the roots of Chaka's poetry.

Don't expect to find the same quick fix of hardcore on this cd that you will on the other Orange 9MM releases, but you will find a more creative approach with a lot more programming. After listening to this album a couple of times I've really come to enjoy it and look forward to moving with the band towards a more interesting future. If you like the band, buy the album, you will be surprised, but not disappointed!

As we all know Nu-metal took a boom in the 90's with such bands as KoRn, Slipknot (yes they are Nu-Metal and NOT HEAVY METAL), Linkin Park, and Limp Bizkit. There was however one gem out of these bands that had a very interesting sound ORANGE 9mm (a post-hardcore band from New York)! Not to say that the other bands did not have a great sound KoRn had their super-low tuned basses to make a growling sound. Slipknot had their complex percussion sections, But orange 9mm had a sound which was more agressive like if you mixed Rage Against the Machine style agressively sung lyrics BUT WITH SLAM POETRY STYLE Lyrical content and performance! what you get is a brilliant CD in which the whole thing is so amazing it is not hard to listen to the whole CD and like every song. It is so sad that these guys dissapeared. I remember seeing them perform at the x-games I was wowed and thought they would surely be the next big thing. I would highly recommend this CD to anyone who loved the Nu-metal sound in the 90's. NOTE: WHILE TECHNICALLY THIS IS POST-HARDCORE for all you genre freaks this CD takes on a very Nu-Metal sound due to the heavy mixing and effects. BOTTOM LINE A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED GEM and HARD TO FIND BUY IT HERE NOW! 10/10

This is one Orange 9MM CD that I couldn't find on iTunes or on BitTorrent. This is a very hard to find CD I recommend grabbing it if you are a fan of Hardcore bands like BURN (The Singers Former Band)

Beautifully recorded - deep guitars, bass and clarity drums. Incredible all-around. Great writing, too. Wish the CD was longer, though. A+

This cd is one, if not the best cd I have, in my opinion. The hard rock sound with the incorporated rap and technosound is unique to this band. I highly recommend this cd to anyone looking for a new sound. This band was definately ment for success and I am surprised that they are not better known.

I can't personally say that I've heard O9MM's older music, but I'm very impressed with this effort. I heard one song by them when I bought the "The Hard and The Heavy Vol. 1" cd set, and proceeded to buy the cd. I was turned off at first listen, but this cd has blown me away from then. Chaka's lyrics are wonderful, and Matthew and Taylor's intrumentals baking him are just as amazing. Their blend of rap, rock, and electronica is some of the best out there, in my opinion. I suggest this album as a listen to open minded listeners out there, and anyone else who thinks they may like it.