The Torture Papers

Jedi Mind Tricks, Army of the Pharaohs | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 21, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Babygrande Records
• ASIN: B000AA4IRQ
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,476 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard and unadulterated hip hop, March 22, 2006

By 

ctrx ('bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks...) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Torture Papers (Audio CD)

Army of the Pharaoh's collaboration album "The Torture Papers" features a large number of talented MCs and a great producer brought together for a very rewarding album. I had not listened to many of the rappers featured here before this album but bought it based on the recommendation of a friend and was very impressed. AOTP always provides hard, grimy lyrics over fitting gritty beats. Their style of horrorcore rap sometimes evokes an early Wu-Tang project, sometimes sounds like an old Mobb Deep, but is always original. All the MCs have very tight chemistry and work well together. Their delivery is precise and original. "The Torture Papers" is definitely worth a listen, especially because it is very different than what's on the radio.

The album begins with "Feast of the Wolves", a good first track because it shows everything AOTP has to offer, with grimy, threatening lyrics and a focused, matching beat. The same could be said about "King Among Kings". "Battle Cry" is a standout song. It is an all-out crazy rap with nine contributors and a great beat with violins and bass. "Gorillas", an anthem with nice violin, keyboards, and voice samples, is one of my favorites for the great lyricism and hook. "Henry the 8th" has a crazy spinning beat. "Pull the Pins Out" and "Tear it Down" feature revealing and characterizing verses. "Into the Arms of Angels" is very noteworthy because it is the only toned down track on the album. They take a break from the murder rap and talk about some relationship problems, it's great. The title track has a guitar rock-style beat and lyrics on par to the rest. "Listen Up" has a hard hook and a great murder rap. One of my favorite beats and hooks is found on "All Shall Perish". "Wrath of the Gods" and the downbeat "Narrow Grave" round off the collection strongly. My favorite rappers on the album are probably Apathy and Celph Titled, but they all do a great job.

"The Torture Papers" is a very strong, well rounded, and complete album. It's got everything you'd hope for from such a talented supergroup, and hopefully it will receive the exposure it deserves. I recommend it even to people who haven't experienced much underground hip hop because it's very accessible, strictly real and lyrical hip hop.

Here's the tracklist:
1. Battle Cry
2. Gorillas
3. Henry the 8th
4. Pull the Pins Out
5. Tear it Down
6. Into the Arms of Angels
7. The Torture Papers
8. Listen Up
9. All Shall Perish
10. Wrath of Gods
11. Narrow Grave
12. Feast of Wolves
13. King Among Kings

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Half the tracks get a five, the other get a 2 or 3., June 13, 2006

By 

M. Fritz "El Naer" (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Torture Papers (Audio CD)

This album has some amazing tracks and some terrible tracks, but overall it's another solid release for Baby Grande. Some of these tracks are bangin, while others seem out of place or just plain weak. The top MC's on this disc are Planetary, Reef the Lost Cause, Celph Titled, and Apathy. The worst is Esoteric. I know he has a nice following, and his lyrics are dope, but his flow is just awful. The production is tight on most tracks, but lacking on a few. Overall it's a nice disc, and should be purchased by all hardcore fans. Some of these tracks are really sick, and will definitely lead to some head noddin.

Top Tracks (In my opinion)
1. Henery the Eigth (One of the best beats ever, sick lyrics)
2. Battle Cry (Hardbeat, AOTP's attempt to remake WU-Tangs "Triumph")
3. Tear it Down (this is a banger)
4. Feast of the Wolves
5. All Shall Perish

Worst Tracks
1. Wrath of Gods
2. Pull the Pins Out

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very solid AOTP first effort, March 22, 2006

By 

Gozer (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Torture Papers (Audio CD)

There's been a steady buzz in the underground about this album since the first track, "Battle Cry" started making the rounds. As a fan of most of the artists affiliated with Army of the Pharoahs, I was a little disappointed -- with nine emcees all dropping braggadocio over a fast orchestral beat, "Battle Cry" sounded a lot like an internet collaboration.

But the album gets better as it progresses, and by the second half the group seems warmed up enough to produce the kind of sounds they're capable of.

The roster consists of Vinnie Paz, Apathy, Ceph Titled, Chief Kamachi, 7L & Esoteric, Crypt the Warchild, Des Devious, Faez One, King Syze, Planetary and Reef the Lost Cauze.

Thankfully, AOTP goes with three- or four-man line-ups after the first track, and although some combinations are better than others, the results almost always work. The fourth track, Pull the Pins Out, was the first to get my head really nodding. Celph Titled features prominently on this track, with a verse that mostly works as a celebration of creative violence and heavy weaponry. "Into the Arms of Angels" is one of the few cuts with a soft beat, with sweeping strings over a guitar sample and reflective rhymes, which is a nice switch-up in between the aggression of the tracks around it. Chief Kamachi kicks off three of the tracks, most notably "Narrow Grave," where his grimy voice and a bouncy vocal sample balance out perfectly. The line-up works too -- King Syze and Planetary follow with equally dope verses, and Paz provides a catchy hook. For fans of Violent By Design, Paz seems to return to his Ikon the Verbal Hologram style on Feast of the Wolves, and "Tear It Down" sounds like a classic Jedi Mind banger with a chopped beat, scratches and blazing verses from Lost Cauze, Paz and Crypt the Warchild.

After a few listens, I realized something was missing -- Stoupe is nowhere to be found on this record. Maybe that was his choice, but if it wasn't, I don't know how a group of emcees with access to arguably the best underground producer can even consider an album without him.

The absence of Stoupe and a handful of sub-par tracks keep this album from being perfect, but it's still a great listen and better than the vast majority of what passes for hip hop these days.