Riskee and the Ridicule

Body Bag Your Scene

Written by: MAK on 12/07/2019 13:54:24

Kent-based grime punks, Riskee and the Ridicule captured our hearts with their rap-infused lad punk hits about politics and personal angst. Mixing influences from Dub, Grime, punk and Hardcore, It’s a niche sound and the band know it, and the band taunted the haters on their last album, “Blame Culture”. The quintet thrives on pushing the boundaries and expectations, even releasing an acoustic EP, “They Need Us to Believe” in 2018. In that time, Riskee and the Ridicule have toured Europe, the United States, tearing up festivals like Camden Rocks and sharing stages with the likes of Ghouls and Random Hand. It’s been hard to ignore the growth of Riskee and the Ridicule over the last couple of years. Insert “Bodybag Your Scene” an album that equals the growth of the band and shows you exactly where this band is right now.

The first thing to notice about these new tracks is that the choruses are simpler, catchier and very repetitive. On an initial listen you think it feels dumbed down compared to the choruses on previous releases. However, it’s a clever move in getting people in a live crowd to join in quicker, easy repetitive lyrics hook in new fans quicker and help them sing along. Take the opening track “Accelerate” for example, it kicks in with an easy “dadadada” singalong segment, leading right into a nice hooking chorus. Follow up party anthem “Kaboom”, in a similar fashion has a nice repetitive “BOOM BABABOOM BABA BOOM KABOOM” chorus, while in the verses, frontman Riskee blows our minds with up-tempo bar spitting, as he spews venom about corrupt media and the politics they portray. You might not be rapping along to Riskee’s intricate lyrical stylings in the verses straight away, but you’ll find it hard to not sing along at the top of your voice to these bangers.

Another very noticeable aspect of this release that it matches the mood of the UK punk scene right now, it’s darker, people are more pissed off at the world. The likes of Popes of Chillitown, Call Me Malcolm and The Bar Stool Preachers all released heavier albums than you might expect from them and Riskee and the Ridicule join the trend in unveiling heaver and darker material, musically and topically. “Our Time” is a standout track, starting off with sombre singing from Riskee and a deep atmosphere before the crunchier hooks kicked in and Riskee gets angry with viciously spat rhymes. The same can be said for the purely heavy, “Body Bag”, this is an outright mosh hit, deeper riffs, harder hitting hooks in the intro and the bridge, we’re even treated to some throat tearing shouted vocals to balance out the raps and the anthemic choruses. The sombreness seeps through into the somewhat plodding, “Black, White and Grey” at first, it’s a moody rocker that suckers you in with a nice stroll before the bridge comes in and hits you in the face with punchier grooves.

“In The Dark”, keeps the melancholy atmosphere flowing, portraying a story of struggling with life on various drugs. It’s a bittersweet tale, but the hooking chorus of “In the dark, we dwell” keeps it from being outright depressing. This is the new “Molotov Cocktails”. “Sellout” then injects some very welcome positivity into the album, an uplifting tone with major key hooks and vocal melodies that make you want to dance about and sing along. It’s a simpler Wonk Unit-esque punk-rock track to keep us on our toes, away from the more experimental tracks that we are used to from the Kent crew. “Sex” is another ‘happier’ sounding track, that pokes it’s head through amongst the hostile atmosphere that Riskee and the Ridicule have created. A snappy number that sticks in the mind all about not getting laid and the obsession of sex in so many people’s lives.

“Body Bag Your Scene” has a lot more going for it than expected, even following a solid album in “Blame Culture”. Shifts in tone from party time to let’s kick the crap out of something, and then to a rather emotional atmosphere in places. Riskee’s rapping never ceases to amaze, and the band backs him up sublimely, matching the attitude the frontman unleashes in his vocals. "Blame Culture" was more of a tongue in cheek, laddish punk album, this feels more like a rap-rock album than the punk influences we’ve been used to over the years. The darker and heavier vibes work well, flaunting a more hardcore edge. The rapping emulates a vicious tone that is reminiscent of Marshall Mathers era Eminem. At the same time, the anthemic choruses make each song just a tad more accessible, it’s a solid balance that can help push Riskee and the Ridicule to a more mainstream eye.

8

Download: Kaboom, Our Time, In The Dark
For The Fans Of: Bodycount, Wonk Unit, Slaves, Eminem
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 28.06.2019
Self Released


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