Swollen Members - Black Magic

Swollen Members admittedly lost a lot of fans and credibility with their crossover attempt Heavy two years ago. Back with a new line-up (Rob the Viking's an official member of Swollen while Moka Only is officially out) and a return to their dark, dungeon sound, Swollen Members is out to get the credibility they lost when they pulled a Black Eyed Peas move. "Weight" should get the fans back as Ghostface lets us know his cocaine is "whiter than Colgate" over a bouncy Alchemist track. "Swamp Water" is another quality track featuring verses from Phil da Agony and Planet Asia. Just in case you thought Madchild was gangster, he lets you know that you may "got your chain, got your watch, trying to act hard, I'm at home raking leaves in my backyard." There's no Swollen Yard Service yet, but there may be if they do more tracks like "Heart," which comes off as a sloppy, preachy track where they let their listeners know that "you gotta be real, you gotta have heart." Another gross misstep on Black Magic is their lead single "Put Me On" featuring Everlast and Moka Only. It's hard going from a track with Ghost to hearing Madchild and Prevail whining about girls. The problem with this album is that its bright spots are very bright, but its low points go so low your ears will be popping.

Review by Brian Kayser