“Before the dawn of rhyme I was a savage.”

There’s this “underground” mentality that’s tough to shed if you grew up listening to independent hip hop in the late 90s and early 2000s. Some of the core ideas behind it were creative freedom, self-reliance, anti-establishment, and non-conformity (though your mileage may vary). Savages, the latest album from Matt Gamin & Abomination Oner exemplify the underground sound for modern times with an album that stays true to those roots and expands on the foundation built by the artists before us.

From the onset of the first track, Gamin & Abom One make it clear, “this ain’t yo club shit.” To put it bluntly, this album isn’t for everyone. It’s essentially a work of art. Everything from the dark subject matter to the hand-crafted beats reflect the influences, individualism, and originality of its creators. I’d be surprised to find out if any artistic sacrifices were made to “please” a certain audience. I just don’t hear it in the music, and it’s both inspiring and refreshing in an age where many are trying to sound “current” in hip hop.

The combination of Matt Gamin’s narrative poetics and Abomination Oner’s atmospheric beats is as perfect formula as you can get in an underground collaboration such as this one.

Gamin’s stream of consciousness paints pictures throughout the entire album. Themes range from war, pre-history, violence, the music industry, and the grind. He’s a natural storyteller that displays wit and intelligence on each track. Gamin’s ability to flip styles in accordance to the feel of a beat shows how versatile and adaptable he is. He’s got a unique delivery and cadence not typical amongst most emcees. He’s the perfect narrator for the soundscape Abomination Oner has crafted.

Abom One provides an equal show of skill with his deep, dense production. His choice of sounds and gritty compositions create the perfect backdrops for Gamin to flex on. Each track is a complex blend of layered sounds, rich with variety and style. Abom’s slow, melodic grooves are intense with drums acting more or less as the perfect complement rather than the focus. His cuts and quotes add to the aesthetic and flesh out the dark natured atmosphere of the album.

There’s a lot to digest here considering the album is only 7 tracks deep. It takes multiple rotations to unravel the layers of sound and complexity of the word play. Trust me, it never gets stale. If anything, the album left me wishing for an LP from this killer collabo.

My favorite track on the album is “LiveStock”. The beat is a neck-breaker and the lyrical content hits close to home with me. Gamin says it best on the track, “They grazin’ in the field, chasing the green they think is real. They grazin’ in the field, acres of green pastures without a deal.”

Savages is a much needed record for modern times if you’ve been a long-time fan of underground hip hop. Matt Gamin & Abomination Oner take you on a dark and visceral musical journey you can’t help but become immersed in. It’s everything that the current state of hip hop music is not, and in my opinion represents the true artistry that’s been missing as of late. Don’t sleep on these cats, support them and cop the album.

Links:
• Lurk Music (Website)
• iTunes
• Amazon.com