Crazytown
Darkhorse

THE REVIEW

There is no band that can be summed up with just one song. Only careful listening to an entire album can provide a more or less accurate snapshot of a band; let's say it is the key to exploring the various worlds behind a sound that seems immediate to understand.

It is not said that everyone must agree with this statement; on Debaser, no one has focused their attention on Crazytown, who for many are those street kids who became known with the 2001 hit "Butterfly," and then disappeared into anonymity. According to the band's leader, Bret Mazur, known as "Epic," to fully understand this CD, it needs to be listened to at least 7-8 times. In my opinion, a couple of listens are enough to understand that this is not work to be despised.

THE ALBUM:

'Darkhorse' was released in 2002, after "The Gift Of The Game" from 2000, the first album carried by "Butterfly" and "Revolvin' Door"; these two tracks led to the fortune and misfortune of the L.A. band. After dominating the charts in the States and beyond, fans worldwide categorized them as a rap group, which they did not appreciate. 'Darkhorse' is the rebuttal to this stereotype which forced the band to change their attitude even towards the press, stating their appreciation for bands like Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, etc. The album is divided into two parts: the first decidedly crossover and the second lighter, where there is even room for two ballads.

EXTREME CROSSOVER AND "EXPLICIT LYRICS":

The album opens with "Decorated," frankly a very strong piece that leaves those convinced that Crazytown is exclusively a rap band quite bewildered. Powerful guitars, screams from the vocalists "Epic" and "Shifty," and much anger all accompanied by a rather mediocre melody. The following four pieces are truly excellent: "Hurt You So Bad," "Drownin'," "Change" and "Candy Coated." "Hurt You So Bad" is the second single taken from the album, the style is that of Linkin Park, slow rhythm that then gives way to a strong and effective chorus, Shifty and Epic share the vocals to sing which is a novelty for the Californian band since generally the duo divided the songs. "Drowning" is a piece that greatly resembles "Crawling" by Linkin Park, both for its structure, sound, and especially for its pessimistic and reflective lyrics. Here there is a bit more space given to rap, especially in the beginning part of the song, before transitioning to a rather catchy chorus. It is the first single extracted from the album, and it never came out in Italy! "Change" is the classic crossover piece, a mix of rap and guitars from the beginning to the end of the song, a nasty final with attempts at screaming by Shifty that however have little to do with rock. "Candy Coated" seems to be the "twin brother" of the previous "Change," the rhythm is similar, and it begins to seem like the album will continue down this path.

MORE CROSSOVER: "WASTE OF TIME"

"Waste Of Time" represents the last stop of a crossover that starts to bore the listener: this track is a bit rougher than the previous ones and certainly is not at the levels of "Hurt You So Bad" and "Drowning." Sufficient.

THE TURN: "SORRY"

The real surprise of the album is "Sorry," believe it or not, the kids who grew up on the streets of Los Angeles managed to create a romantic and emotional ballad. The lyrics are dedicated to lost love, and the melody is made for dancing. Truly very moving.

BACK TO BEING TOUGH WITH "BATTLE CRY" AND "TAKE IT TO THE BRIDGE"

With these tracks, Crazytown seems to want to assert "hey, we're still us!"; censored lyrics, heavy-metal sound, brief rap pauses, and then it starts again with swear words, powerful guitars, and "extreme raps." In my opinion, "Battle Cry" is horrendous, very arrhythmic. Better instead is "Take It To The Bridge" which is more compelling than the previous track. "Skulls And Stars" is entirely in Crazytown style, a rap song that allows no escape route, nor even the hope of hearing any guitar solos. It will undoubtedly please hip-hop lovers. (I don't really care for it).

SECOND SURPRISE: "BEAUTIFUL"

It's surprising how they are capable of changing style from one moment to the next, "Beautiful" is indeed similar to "Sorry," but only in form; it is a light ballad with delicate and melancholic lyrics, something you do not expect! The album closes with "Your The One" and "Them Days" which are not very high-quality rap tracks, the former is terrible, the latter is cute. In conclusion, we are talking about a decent work that however marked the dissolution of the Californian band also due to issues related to drugs. I would recommend it to all fans of rap-rock to listen to this LP, but do not underestimate the more hip-hop part that could satisfy fans of the likes of Eminem and 50 Cent, and stuff like that.

CURIOSITIES: Did you know that the much-mentioned Shifty (real name Seth Binzer) is none other than the singer of the 2004 summer hit "Slide Along Side"? After leaving Crazytown, he released the album "Happy Love Sick" with the collaboration of DJ Paul Oakenfold and with sounds similar to Sugar Ray. Crazytown is dead, he continues to be successful.....