Old Tales Last Rhetoric
High Energy, in both contexts is the best way I can describe Old Tales. The new album from Last Rhetoric. From lyrical delivery, to the overall messages of hope in the lessons of life across the album's 12 tracks. The standout tracks are the effortlessly metaphor-laden “Black Metal” with a hypnotic guitar riff that you just can't escape. Lines like,
“Death-metal, dead singers, heart brings us, harbingers, hard nickel, dark steel, killers finger, cramp real, movie clippings, plot thickens, oatmeal…”
Reign has the vocal range, vocabulary and sheer ability to rhyme that rivals some of the very best, it's only elite names that can come to mind when you can speculate on who would sound at home with him on the same track. It can be absolutely brain bending to analyze this album and realize the gritty and punctuated rhyme spitter on “Toolz” is the same distorted yet jazzy melodic voice on “Madboy” and “Timelapse”. An absolute stylistic ANARCHY on this album (the very best kind). To call it experimental doesn’t do it justice, that would imply a level of unpolished or unfinished. This is an extremely well-produced and polished album from top to bottom, a bespoke masterwork from veterans in musicianship.
Old Tales is a concept album capturing the past, present and future of a journey. It is a story of multiple perspectives viewed from the highs and lows of life’s path told with a collection of traveled ideas and sounds gathered from varied upbringings serving as the backdrop. Last Rhetoric is a hip-hop music collaboration created by two multi-genre artists, David Bruce aka Armanni Reign and Nick Weiller aka Bro Safari.
Armanni Reign, former battle rapper turned US Drum and Bass artist,respected EDM vocalist and festival host. Touring the planet with some of the biggest names in the culture from DJ Craze, Goldie, Andy C, DJ Snake Hip Hop, Drum and Bass, Dubstep, House and more.
The production for Last Rhetoric is written and arranged by Nicholas Weiller, an artist/DJ, and lauded veteran of bass music. From the stateside pioneer-like Drum and Bass beginnings of the collective known as Evol Intent to the mash-up community’s highly-requested Ludachrist, and most recently the undeniable solo rise as Bro Safari.
Words by Xlo Released: March 10, 2023 Region / City: Austin, TX