Dr2 View "Underground Kingdom" by Critical Bill

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CD TITLE:

The Underground Kingdom























 

 

ARTIST:

Critical Bill

RELEASE DATE:

March 16th, 2010

BAND MEMBERS:

Powerdise ~ (mc)

 

Michael Scot ~ (7 string guitar)

 

Critcal Phil ~ (bass)

 

C-Bass ~ (drums)

 

DJ Tom Sawyer ~ (dj)              

TRACK LISTINGS:

1)    The End

 

2)    Beam Me Up

 

3)    My Ways

 

4)    Favorite Drug

 

5)    Taking From Me

 

6)    TheUnderground Kingdom

 

7)    Better

 

8)    Dream to Drama

 

9)    Hear She Comes

 

10)    All American Psycho

 

11)    Semi-Truck Arrogant

 

12)    Nobody Knows Me

 

13)    Full Throttle

 

14)    Wish You Well

RECORDED AT:

Metro 37 Recording Studios 

ENGINEERED BY:

Kevin Sharpe 

PRODUCED BY:

Kevin Sharpe, Critical Bill

MASTERED BY:

Hank Williams- Mastermix (Nashville)


Dr2 View:
  

Beam-Me-Up! What do you do when you sell 16,000 copies of your CD? You turnaround and sell 22,000 copies of your follow up! This is exactly what Detroit's own urban, hip-hoppin', rock outfit Critical Bill did when it released 2005's "313", then followed it up with 2007's highly successful "Downtown the World"! Formed in 2002 and signed to Detroit's Westbound Records (Funkadelic, Clark Sisters, Ohio Players), Critical Bill has positioned itself atop Detroit's underground music scene, routinely selling out venues throughout the city. In addition, the band has built itself quite the national following, prompting months long tours that take the guys to their fans, selling out huge shows from Ohio to Colorado and beyond.

 

So, with so much success over 7 years, how does the band stay on top of the game that can so easily swallow up the best of acts in a matter of years? "...we're like family. On top of that, each one of the guys knows what it takes and what this band is capable of " says Mike Scott, the band's guitarist. After months in the studio, Critical Bill is on the verge of something huge with the release of their 5th album "Underground Kingdom", set to hit stores across the country on March 16th. Two years in the making, Critical Bill has not only taken more control of their own reigns, but they've grown as a band musically, opting for a harder rock edge than their previous albums, yet maintaining that hip-hop, rap-rock, fusion that the band has rocked out since their inception. We think of it as trading "Jump" for "Thump".  It is definitely not a "sounds-like" disc.  With this 14 track collection, Critical Bill has separated themselves from the pack, creating something unique and fresh.

 

Ironically, the opening track is titled The End, a scream-laced, in-your-face slugfest that portrays "everything that is fucked up with our country" asserts Scott, and features Powerdise employing an intense scream over the chorus, a Critical first! Next, Critical Bill reassures us that they haven't entirely abandoned their trademark sound. With a saw-edged grinding intro of a riff, Beam Me Up, the lead off single from the disc, has one of the sharpest hooks we've heard. With C-Bass's pounding drums, Critical Phil's booming bass and a hypnotic, space-aged harmonized chorus that will surely have every one singing along to this track in no time.

 

And now the votes are in and metro Detroit has proven, Favorite Drug, is addictive!  Alright, so we went for the cliché here, but, as we write this, the three-time winner on 89X's nightly battle, has hooked the area's radio listeners. Featuring some fat guitar licks from Scott laid beneath Powerdise's sing-song, smooth, yet rapid-fire delivery, it will have you nodding along before you realize you're hooked. Underground Kingdom, with its hammering beat, staccato delivery, crunching riffs and hooky chorus (we'd love to see them do this live with a choir singing backup) is destined to become their show's bring-the-house-down, mosh-pit-igniting, bone-crushing, fist-in-the-air, crescendo!  Without a doubt, an appropriate choice as the standard bearer for the area's hardest hit.  It simply doesn't get any better then this!

 

The biggest surprise of the disc is the 180 degree turn Critical Bill takes on Better, a "Critical" smashing of their familiar sound. Picking up an acoustic guitar, Scott lays down an emotional vibe for Powerdise to show of a smooth R&B vocal, a soulful switch up for CB that shows how much they are flexing their musical muscles, maybe thee sleeper of the disc!  Here She Comes showcases the maturity the group has grown to possess when they dive head first into that special Detroit rockin blues sound with this jaw dropping thumper that has Powerdise reaching down low, showcasing a raw blues voice we never knew he had. 

 

In short, this disc is just that, a showcase for the many talents and abilities that Critical bill brings to the game.  This is their clarion call to anyone who will listen that the Detroit scene is alive and well. We'll go out on a "very sturdy" limb here, and predict that Underground Kingdom just may debut on that top 200 album chart, yes that 200, not one of those off the wall, made to impress charts that a lot of bands grab hold of, but this is the real deal folks! We give Underground Kingdom a huge a double "D" straight up! A must have for any music collection and available at Best-Buy or on-line over at the Critical Bill Store. Be sure to join us this Saturday March 13th at the Emerald Theater in Mt Clemens for the CD Release Party of "Underground Kingdom" and receive a FREE copy of Underground Kingdom when you enter, then we'll be .....going to the after party...down the street at The Hayloft where entry is free with your ticket stub from the show! You can check out the band and everything else Critical Bill over at their newly re-launched web-site @ Critical-Bill.com, and remember, DetroitRockReview.com- The Only Place for Local Music News & Reviews!

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