The Qemists
Join The Q

The more I listen to this debut by The Qemists, the less I understand how these guys are still (relatively) unknown.
Yet this "Join The Q" - just like the following "Spirit In The System" - seems to be (in fact, it is) precisely the epitome of the Bone-Crushing Album! In fact, to dispel any doubts, I will tell you that if this album had come out yesterday, it would undoubtedly be Pronk! But since it was released in 2009, unfortunately, it is not.

But how does the music contained herein sound to our ears? You're surely wondering. Well, it is a blend of rock and drum'n'bass in a purely ignorant way aimed at exalting the listener rather than their quiet enjoyment, as it becomes clear from the first seventy seconds of "Stompbox," where we note in order: an acid and venomous electronic bass throb; a grandiose hard rock riff; a synth spreading the alarm; a wild and incendiary drum, and last but not least, a scream in the background (which always fits nicely).

The rest of the album, especially the explosive "Lost Weekend" (featuring Mike Patton) - the wild card and masterpiece of the record - maintains the spirit of the opening, delivering a series of "granite-like" tracks (an album is not Bone-Crushing if the pieces are merely marble or basalt) until the end, with a couple of digressions (the "gangsta" rap of "Dem Na Like Me" with Wiley and the poppy "Got One Life" with Navigator) adding a much-needed touch of variety. Yes, because like every respectable pronk album (which this album is not), "Join The Q" also has ONE flaw: it is slightly monotonous to the point that, even after several thousands of listens, it's hard to distinguish one track from another.

Five undeserved stars without ifs and buts.