Eight months after releasing Melatonin Magik Canibus is back with his 10th studio album, C of Tranquility. Is album number 10 another second round KO? Let’s investigate.
Canibus jumps into the album with “CPTN Cold Crush,” an aggressive James Bond stylized beat that pairs well with his harsh, perfectly-timed flow. Emphasizing internal rhyme and assonance, Canibus lays a complex delivery down on the first track with lines like, “Canibus is an animal with a mechanical mandible coming to damage you spitting understandable slang at you/I’m the all-seeing lyrical with infinite bars and visuals at the sideways eight peripheral.” “CPTN Cold Crush,” like many of the tracks on the release, has an aggressive, very musical production style that gives the overall feel a large presence.
The production on the album is varied, vacillating between instrument-oriented and a much more stripped down minimalist style - songs like “Lunar Deluge” and “Golden Terra Of Rap” being great examples of the latter.
“The Messenger’s Message,” “Merchant of Metaphors,” and “Worthlessness Purpose” are prime examples of the melodic style. And coupled with lyricism like: “Before the Federal Communication Commissions started a new division/with the intention to cripple our children/mentally deficient from television/this radio programming we listen to/got too many elements missing…”on the opener, Canibus comes through with a solid listen, though I must say as informatively as you’ll take me, that he does seem to enjoy including songs centering around his skills.
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