Next up in Psycho+Logical’s takeover of the indy scene is Queens emcee Mr. Hyde. It is only due to Necro that this album was even possible. Not just because it is being released by his label, but because Necro was instrumental in keeping Hyde from getting 20 years upstate after being arrested for a violent assault in 2002. The former amateur boxer is the most fitting artist to be housed by Necro’s label as he embodies all of Necro’s violent fantasies in his rhymes. Then again, I shouldn’t really need to tell you that with a title like “Barn of the Naked Dead.” It doesn’t exactly sound like the title of a child-friendly album, but more like the title of a horror movie. Call it the soundtrack.
Necro’s fingerprints are all over this release, and not just because he produced the entire LP and appears on five songs. Hyde sticks to the same topics that Necro dwells on, blood, guts, gore and not much more. Therein lies a major downfall of the album, unless you really like hearing about how many ways you can massacre a human, the subject matter gets tiresome. That isn’t to say Hyde doesn’t execute his craft well, because he does. Much like his mentor Necro, Hyde rhymes about the most gruesome things with a passion that really makes you wonder how he spends his spare time. But just check the song titles “Spill Your Blood,” “Knife In Your Spine,” and “Malignant Messiah.” That is telling you something. Much like Psycho+Logical’s other two releases this year (Ill Bill, Sabac), the lead track provides a synopsis for the rest of the album. “On The Prowl” packs a sinister beat and lines like “you sure you ready to die by this machete of mine?/it takes just one stride for your head to divide.” Some other standout tracks are “Bums” (which features a great beat but is most notable for the debut Uncle Howie on the mic), and “Death Sentence” f. Sabac. It is no coincidence that both songs have a topic other than mutilation.
As the album moves on, more songs like that are desperately needed as tracks like “Buggin’ Out” become intolerable. The only thing that really prevents that from happening much earlier is Necro’s outstanding production. Noticeably darker than his last two efforts, the production on this album could easily score a horror movie. Beats range from plotting (“Them”), to creepy (“Say My Name” & “Knife In Your Spine”), to panic-stricken (“Barn of the Naked Dead”), to the type of shit that will have you looking over your shoulder (“The Crazies”). If you don’t mind a little blood, take a step inside the barn.
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