clipping. - Visions of Bodies Being Burned ALBUM REVIEW
(Author’s Note: This is an advance review of Visions of Bodies Being Burned. I’m writing this on October 12, and when this review releases, the album is set to release this Friday, October 23. I’d like to extend a very special thanks to clipping. and everyone at Sub Pop for giving me an advance copy for reviewing purposes.)
Even if you’re not a fan of anything relating to horror, you gotta love the Halloween season. Usually, there’s a celebration. Kids are running in the streets, looking for tricks or treats and wearing the costume of whichever character was popular to them at that moment. I have to admit, I haven’t done trick-or-treating in the past couple years, but I’ve been to Halloween parties. That’s where it gets crazy, but I’m not here to talk about partying. I’m here to talk about the overall atmosphere of Halloween. Of course, horror films are pretty successful during the month of October. With theaters closed across the globe this year, there’s a strange emptiness to the usually spooky season. Hip-hop trio clipping. is offering an alternative. Producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes, along with vocalist Daveed Diggs, first ventured into the horror-experimental genre with last year’s There Existed an Addiction to Blood, which was critically acclaimed and adored by their fans. Now, they return to that soundscape with Visions of Bodies Being Burned. With more experimental vibes than their last outing based off the singles alone, there’s a lot of hype around this. Let’s dive right into Visions of Bodies Being Burned and see how scary it exactly is.
Visions of Bodies Being Burned is a hip-hop record with experimental and horrorcore undertones. I’m gonna talk about the singles first, then dive into the deep cuts. “Say the Name” is an absolutely cold-blooded banger, with the minimal beat and Digg’s performance a perfect first song to the album. There’s also multiple eerie references to the character Candyman, which makes me think if this was a part of the new film’s soundtrack. It’s also worth pointing out that the Geto Boys-sampling mantra of ‘Candlesticks in the dark, visions of bodies being burned’ that plays through most of the track makes it much more terrifying. Also, the gradual build-up of sound that makes the climax of the track sent chills down my spine. The second single “‘96 Neve Campbell” with Cam and China took a few listens to click for me, personally, but you could probably guess the similarities to the Scream franchise just off the title. Also, who samples the sound of CRICKETS? clipping. does, and it sounds so incredible. Now, the next paragraph is where I’ll dive to the unreleased songs, which will officially be available on October 23. This is the meaty stuff.
The two singles I mentioned are pretty much the accessible singles. I mentioned that this album was experimental, and “Say the Name” and “‘96 Neve Campbell” are just the tip of the iceberg. “Make Them Dead” is an ear-shattering track, which reminds of that scene from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker when Palpatine brings out the Force Lightning and breaks the speakers on your television. Digg’s performance is terrifyingly slow, with the moaning “deaaaaaaaaad” in the background of the refrain adding to the disturbing nature of the song. Since I wanna save some surprises to the listener, the final song I’ll touch on here is “Enlacing,” which might be one of my favorite experimental hip-hop songs ever. It sounds like a song The Weeknd would make if he was working with a band like The Flaming Lips. This is also a legitimately depressing song, with themes of death (which are a constant) and depression. It feels like you’re the protagonist of a saga that’s coming to an end, and what you did to save everyone is flashing before your eyes before you fade into oblivion.
I’d absolutely love to go on and on about this album, but this is best experienced by listening. Visions of Bodies Being Burned is a harrowing experience solely because of its topics, but it is very hard to fully describe the vibe of this album in words. The idea of ‘experimental horror rap’ sounds ridiculous on paper, but it’s the performance that seals the deal. clipping. has done something here that’s undoubtedly unique not just to the rap genre, but to music in general. Digg’s vocals are absolutely chilling to the bone, and Hutson and Snipes’s production actually scared me. Music has never scared me until Visions of Bodies Being Burned. Yes, it has some flaws, but there isn’t a song here that I didn’t love. What an immersive experience. This is your Halloween replacement, and boy is it scary.
8/10
Pre-Save Visions of Bodies Being Burned here
Click Here for Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music links
Even if you’re not a fan of anything relating to horror, you gotta love the Halloween season. Usually, there’s a celebration. Kids are running in the streets, looking for tricks or treats and wearing the costume of whichever character was popular to them at that moment. I have to admit, I haven’t done trick-or-treating in the past couple years, but I’ve been to Halloween parties. That’s where it gets crazy, but I’m not here to talk about partying. I’m here to talk about the overall atmosphere of Halloween. Of course, horror films are pretty successful during the month of October. With theaters closed across the globe this year, there’s a strange emptiness to the usually spooky season. Hip-hop trio clipping. is offering an alternative. Producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes, along with vocalist Daveed Diggs, first ventured into the horror-experimental genre with last year’s There Existed an Addiction to Blood, which was critically acclaimed and adored by their fans. Now, they return to that soundscape with Visions of Bodies Being Burned. With more experimental vibes than their last outing based off the singles alone, there’s a lot of hype around this. Let’s dive right into Visions of Bodies Being Burned and see how scary it exactly is.
Visions of Bodies Being Burned is a hip-hop record with experimental and horrorcore undertones. I’m gonna talk about the singles first, then dive into the deep cuts. “Say the Name” is an absolutely cold-blooded banger, with the minimal beat and Digg’s performance a perfect first song to the album. There’s also multiple eerie references to the character Candyman, which makes me think if this was a part of the new film’s soundtrack. It’s also worth pointing out that the Geto Boys-sampling mantra of ‘Candlesticks in the dark, visions of bodies being burned’ that plays through most of the track makes it much more terrifying. Also, the gradual build-up of sound that makes the climax of the track sent chills down my spine. The second single “‘96 Neve Campbell” with Cam and China took a few listens to click for me, personally, but you could probably guess the similarities to the Scream franchise just off the title. Also, who samples the sound of CRICKETS? clipping. does, and it sounds so incredible. Now, the next paragraph is where I’ll dive to the unreleased songs, which will officially be available on October 23. This is the meaty stuff.
The two singles I mentioned are pretty much the accessible singles. I mentioned that this album was experimental, and “Say the Name” and “‘96 Neve Campbell” are just the tip of the iceberg. “Make Them Dead” is an ear-shattering track, which reminds of that scene from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker when Palpatine brings out the Force Lightning and breaks the speakers on your television. Digg’s performance is terrifyingly slow, with the moaning “deaaaaaaaaad” in the background of the refrain adding to the disturbing nature of the song. Since I wanna save some surprises to the listener, the final song I’ll touch on here is “Enlacing,” which might be one of my favorite experimental hip-hop songs ever. It sounds like a song The Weeknd would make if he was working with a band like The Flaming Lips. This is also a legitimately depressing song, with themes of death (which are a constant) and depression. It feels like you’re the protagonist of a saga that’s coming to an end, and what you did to save everyone is flashing before your eyes before you fade into oblivion.
I’d absolutely love to go on and on about this album, but this is best experienced by listening. Visions of Bodies Being Burned is a harrowing experience solely because of its topics, but it is very hard to fully describe the vibe of this album in words. The idea of ‘experimental horror rap’ sounds ridiculous on paper, but it’s the performance that seals the deal. clipping. has done something here that’s undoubtedly unique not just to the rap genre, but to music in general. Digg’s vocals are absolutely chilling to the bone, and Hutson and Snipes’s production actually scared me. Music has never scared me until Visions of Bodies Being Burned. Yes, it has some flaws, but there isn’t a song here that I didn’t love. What an immersive experience. This is your Halloween replacement, and boy is it scary.
8/10
Pre-Save Visions of Bodies Being Burned here
Click Here for Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music links
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