Rustbelt Rejects (LP) - Zmack (Hip hop) This week, we’ve got Zmack premiering on the blog with latest LP “Rustbelt Rejects”, and ode to the artist’s stomping grounds, comprising an eclectic fusion of genres. But before we dip into some of our favorites on the album, let’s talk some Zmack.
Akron, Ohio-based independent artist Zmack blends underground hip-hop with heavy alternative genres, influenced by the likes of Chuck Mosley, Heads Up! and Mushroomhead. Our artist creates from his life experiences, channeling everything he grew up on, lived through and lost into his music. Zmack got his start freestyling and making beats back in middle school, his late best friend CJ’s influence remaining with him to this day. Preceded by EP “Thoughts From A Corrupted Mind”, “Rustbelt Rejects” began from the underground success of track “Shooter”, culminating in an 8-track project fusing underground rap, Memphis sounds, horrorcore, phonk, industrial and funk-metal to create a portrait of Zmack’s hometown and who he has become by surviving it.
The album aims to capture the decay, grit and defiant character of America’s rust belt, while exploring Zmack’s experiences with loss, identity and resilience. As noted by the eclectic references above, the project’s genre blending is as unique as it is impressive. Also impressive is Zmack’s credits on the project—he writes, records produces and engineers all from a home set up. Based on the professionalism of the production, you wouldn’t guess that this was a DIY project.
“Rust Sound” is as advertised—it introduces the sound of the album to come. Dark, gritty and dangerous, the track is a real vibe. It also introduces us to the personality of our artist. “White boy from that little lake under the sun.” As a listener, on “Rust Sound” you feel like you’re sitting in the passenger seat as Zmack takes you on a tour of the town. Based on the description, it also makes you want to confirm that those doors are locked.
“Blood of the Irish” goes hard. “I can’t stop the violence, let me ride in silence.” If the intro track described the town, “Blood of the Irish” tells you what it’s going to take to survive in it. “Pressure” arrives like a dark cloud in the sky, rolling in with a touch of dubstep influence which gives the track it’s own identity while remaining consistent with the established sound.
“Streetlights” feels lighter than the previous entries, and the guest vocal is welcomed as well as the melodic vocal elements that premiere in this track. But while lighter, it’s a melancholy and acceptance of the circumstances, not ‘upbeat’. We trudge through the grit in the other tracks, on this what, it simply is what it is. Looking at the collection as a whole, this is the track for the radio.
The second half remains consistent, as Zmack begins to play with the vocal production for elements of ear candy. “Clown” does an octave drop, while “Dirty Muskrat” speeds and pitches up. “Brady Lake Phonk” goes halfway by introducing a distorted vocal, each creating a unique fingerprint. It takes a deft hand to maintain a consistent sound while giving each of your tracks their own identities. Zmack knows what he’s doing.
The project concludes with “Shooter (Rusty Romp)”, whose distorted horn intro feels like a fanfare appropriate for a finale. It’s a great bookend, ending where we started with a proclamation of who Zmack has become as a culmination of his life experiences growing up in a tough town.
Defined by its distorted, droning bass, touches of dubstep and in your face lyrics delivered in a tight verb, “Rustbelt Rejects” is comprises a full fledged narrative fixed in an epic production.
Track List:
Rust Sound
Blood of the Irish
Pressure
Streetlights
Clown
Dirty Muskrat
Brady Lake Phonk
Shooter (Rusty Romp)