Vacation in Hell

Flatbush Zombies enjoy a certain inviolability with their brand-new second studio LP 'Vacation in Hell'. Their status as New York's Boom-Bap-Renaissance was earlier created with diverse mixtapes and debut album"3001: A Laced Odyssey". For traditionalists, 'Vacation in Hell' is a new fresh wind in the field of sample beats, but also contemporary audiences and fans of quite different genres can find amusing zombies' psychedelic vibes.

"Vacation In Hell" is now less concept-bound, but musically the sound is more matured and more reflective than before. With the cold-bloodedness between GraveDiggaz and Boogie Down Productions and an eccentricity that more than once reminds of the Wu-Tang Clan, it shows again that the trio is more than just nostalgia.

As usual, there is a whole heap of pounding on rumbling drum-knocks, but in fact, it is neither conceptual approach nor pure spitting contest the show here. From the shiny, impulsive guitar sample, that opens "The Goddess" to the melodic elegance of "Trapped": The Flatbush Zombies create a lost, realistic Hood melancholy that looks like the next day to the psychedelic "Laced Odyssey".

Vocally, the trio keeps up well. Tracks like "U & I" feel more sophisticated and elaborate in their structure, while "The Glory" featuring Denzel Curry, proves an incredible sense of subtle tuning and soft tones.

Just obvious fat like "Pardon me, you're boring me, my rhymes is like some sorcery / Gravity holdin' me, gotta get my shit in order, B " is easy to find in tracks like "Chunky" and stands thanks to the reduced instrumentals also dominant in the foreground. Even if tracks like "Headstone", "M. Bison" or the Portugal. The Man feature "Crown" offers enough highlights to enrich the raw spits with musical ideas and variation, but here in the first half certain lengths are created.

Nevertheless, it is impressive that in the course of such a massive undertaking hardly fatigue phenomena arise. Slightly more melancholic than its predecessor, "Vacation In Hell" cemented the well-deserved status of Flatbush Zombies. They deliver an album full of New York Grim and Hood melancholy, impressive craftsmanship and a significantly expanded songwriting. Even though it does not quite match the density of "3001: A Laced Odyssey", this tape still sets a clear mark in current affairs with a clear vision and a bunch of successful moments.