Thy Flesh
Consumed
By
ESKAR
Thy Flesh Consumed is the upcoming release from Eskar on his
own imprint Nuke Fam Records. I have previously featured Eskar and Nuke Fam
Records when I reviewed the release of Happy Headz, Beat Tripping album back in
May last year (2023), and so it was a no brainer to get Eskar on here with his
solo album.
I have had this one a while, waiting on a release date due
to the lead time from the record pressing plant etc, but now the pre-orders are
going live, it’s time to get busy on this one. There are a host of features on
this one including ToneDeff (Queens, NYC), Belinda Hards, Micky Swags, Lomax,
Bane, Teej and Celph Titled (Tampa Florida, The Demigodz), DJ Musicarl and DJ
Bnutz. Production comes from DJ Illas, Chills Myth, Ile Flottante, ExP,
Megamouth, Illinformed, Jack Danz, Hops, JND, Seek The Northener, DJ Blend, IRN
Mnky and Eskar himself, plus some stunning artwork from Junior Disprol, this
one really looks the part.
So, now its time to see if it sounds the part too…
The Album kicks off with Thirst Track which is a
remake of the first track Eskar ever made, called music. Produced by DJ Illas,
it uses the original beat that Eskar purchased back in 2009. The drums have
that classic head nod vibe while the piano gives it this vibe that is full of
retrospective energy and casting your mind back to what came before. The cuts
just add the icing on the cake of what is simply speaking, that Hip Hop sound.
This is very much a track that see’s Eskar revisiting that first ever track,
looking at the knockbacks that would give him the motivation to keep pushing
but, those years of honing his craft, still see him at a place where, even now,
he still sees himself as not quite good enough, another catalyst to keep him
striving to reach those dreams of his younger self. Next up is Kaiju
which is produced by Chills Myth and features the legendary Queens
emcee/producer ToneDeff. Musically, this more complex with sparse drums and the
bass guitar taking the forefront, which seems to vibrate through to the very
core of your being. This track is as big as the title suggests and represents
the art of rap in its purest form. The flows are at a high pace, delivering
punchline after punchline, this one is a demonstration of just what
accomplished rappers are capable of. So, just sit back and enjoy this one as
the words impact every one of your brain cells, as you slowly realise that this
one continues on from the previous track in displaying the evolution of an
artist to the point of working with one of his biggest inspirations. Produced
by Ile Flottante, Reality Check drops with this huge bass sound, where
the drums and horns almost fade into the background, creating this air that is
almost melancholy. On the face of it, this track feels a diss track but, when
Eskar mentions this is a therapy track, you realise that he is not speaking to
anyone in particular but, aiming his sights at those artists who let fame go to
their heads and allow their ego’s to take over. There is more to life than
rapping and drug use and Eskar hints at those he has met over the years but,
more than that, he is not ashamed to say that he knows these people because he
was once one of them. By opening up in this way it shows that he speaks from
the heart when he says it is time for artists to be humbler and to bring more
humanity and relatability back into the music and culture.
Vocal Warming is produced by ExP and features Belinda
Hards; the piano and sparce beat creates a deep sound that keeps you focused on
the vocals and the message they bring. Eskar focuses on ineptitude of global
governments to protect the environment in which we all live. As he speaks with
passion on this subject, Belindas soulful vocals take that sentiment and grip
you heart centre to let the point hit home. Another relatable subject here and
one I personally understand; I have lived in more rural areas for years and I
see the way people treat these beautiful spaces, scattering litter every where
and giving no respect to the land or ancient structures that have survived for
thousands of years. As much as the powers that be do nothing, it is just as
much our responsibility to respect and protect the land. A head nod beat backed
by emotive strings, produced by Megamouth, is the backdrop for Welcome Home.
With the beat creating this darker aspect to things, Eskar opens up on retuning
home to Huddersfield. The stark reality of how places change over time hit hard
as memories of a beautiful countryside location were scarred by what now
appeared to be some post-apocalyptic wasteland, populated by people who only
wish to cause you harm. His frustrations are vented at the local Kirklees
council, who it appears have much to answer for in allowing the demise of a
once stunning location. I can relate to this too, as every time I return to my
home city of Southampton, it seems more and more oppressive and not what I
remember. Hicks is produced by Illinformed and remixed by DJ Blend,
featuring Micky Swags, Lomax, and Bane, it has that posse cut vibe about it as
Eskar teams up some of his favourite rappers from ‘up north’. Musically it has
a proper head nod beat with funky vibe from bass and guitars getting you moving
and the corners of your mouth curling into a broad grin. This one sees the guys embracing the
unpleasant terms that people from ‘up north’ are so often labelled with, and
then spinning them with rhyme and reason to show exactly why they deserve more
respect, and display just how the Noth can rock it with the best of them.
Side-A is rounded off with some Shenanigans which is produced by Jack
Danz, giving us a beat of piano notes, bass and fractured drums that has vibe
that is almost grime based. While you are trying to figure out what the beat is
doing to your head, Eskar is spitting all kinds of shenanigans and having a
great time doing it. This one is just for fun and why not, it reminds that the
reason we so often do things is simply just for the fun of it.
Side-B jumps into your awareness with the Hops produced Floppy
Disk, which also features DJ Musicarl on the cut. Using a beat that was
taken straight off of a floppy disc from an MPC2000, it has that raw feel to it
that takes you back to early days of Hip Hop music. It’s a celebration of the
early days of Hip Hop and into the 90’s and early 2000’s, the days that really
inspired Eskar. There is so much here to enjoy and get you thinking back to
those days, especially the inclusion of the old sound of loading computer files
from a cassette tape, that one really took me back to the 8-bit days. If you
still grinning after that one, things are about to get serious once more with Letby
In The Sky With Diamonds, produced by JND with an additional hook from Mury
P, hits with a sound that has a big string into before the beat drops in with
sparce drums and a mind numbing mix of keys that leaves your awareness open to
anything. Eskar flips and juxtaposes things here as he looks at how he uses his
music to escape the true horrors of what he sees around him every day. The
title may seem to be somewhat controversial, by taking the Beatles beloved
title and mixing it with the name of British serial killer Lucy Letby but, the
comedic and horror themes, alongside notions of falling out of love with music
and life in general, all twist together to show that life is so much more
horrific that you can ever put into your music, which is the real message here,
you can make your music as shocking and controversial as you want but, in the
end it is still an escape from what goes on outside your front door. After the
controversial nature of the previous title, could it be that Eskar is close to
being cancelled? Well, Cancelled is the next track, produced by Seek The
Northener and featuring Teej, it hits with a solid boom bap beat over strings,
keys, and with a flute taking the forefront. With the sound getting you moving,
Eskar takes a look at the cancel culture of todays society. He shows that not
all aspects of cancel culture are negative when used to tackle the likes of
Racism and bigotry. However, it does look at how it pressures us to mind what
we say and second guess ourselves but, the very real message here is that
everyone deserves the right to freedom of speech and that no one should be
suppressed or judged for making art in any form.
It is not often that I do this but, I will just add a
trigger warning here as I will be talking about suicide as I review the
following track. I do this because I myself go into this part of the review
with my own sense of trepidation as I lost my youngest daughter to suicide in
2020, and I both know and live the pain it causes every day.
116 123, is the phone number for The Samaritans in
the UK and it is the title of this track as they are a good place to reach out
when you are struggling. The track is produced by DJ Blend who brings a deep
vibe with head nod beat underpinned by bass and with organ notes that carry
everything along as you listen intently to what’s being said. The track focuses
on the loss of Eskar’s friend James Carson-Lee (R.I.P), who sadly took his own
life recently, and whose voice notes to Eskar feature on the hook. It was also James’s
love of Eskar’s album ‘Knee Deep In The Dead’ that inspired this track. As
someone who knows mental health struggles and the loss of a loved one to
suicide, I can associate to this track and I’m not ashamed to say it touched me
deeply; a tear fell as I listened to his words, agreeing with how I do not see
suicide as a selfish or cowardly act, it is also not a crime that someone has
committed. So many people are touched, in one way or another, by suicide it
affects you in ways that words can not easily describe but, Eskar does a truly
touching thing here by describing the loss of his friend and including his
friends voice in this track. It is the most important track on the album, and I
echo Eskar’s words to anyone out there struggling, call that number and talk,
because talking honestly about your feelings is not just the bravest thing you
can do but, it is also the first step to healing yourself too…
After such an emotional journey you need to lighten the mood
a little and that comes here in the form of Celph Centred, featuring the
legendary Celph Titled and produced by IRN MNKY, with cuts from DJ Bnutz, this
one hits from the get go with a pulse pounding beat that has you bouncing along
to the heavy double bass sound. This one sees Eskar and Celph Titled giving us Hip
Hop in it’s purest form, dropping more punchlines than you can shake a stick
at, this one is there to lift your mood and get the adrenaline flowing once
more so, enjoy this one by turning it up a few notches. The album ends with Eternal,
a track which was produced/stolen by Eskar. The sound is heavy, probably the
heaviest on the album with pounding drums, keys, bass, and guitars, ripping
apart your concept of reality. Eskar’s words here give the album it’s title as
he drops one of the fastest raps I’ve heard in a hot minute. The shear strength
of the lyricism on this one is so intense, with it’s battle rap vibe, that its
impact is beyond what I could suitably interpret here, in all honesty. This is
a ferocious explosion lyrical explosion that has the power to leave an
indelible mark on the world of Hip Hop, that’s all I can really say…
What can I say about this album that I’ve not already said
above? Well, that’s a tough one but, I’ll try…
It is rare that I come away from listening to an album
feeling like I’ve just been battered from pillar to post but, that is how I
feel after listening to Thy Flesh Consumed. There is a rawness and a strength
here that I have not felt from many albums. Eskar mixes a wealth of relatable
lived experience with a nice balance of rap for the hell of it and what you end
up with is less of a rollercoaster album but, more of a passenger flight under
extreme turbulence, leaving you knowing you have just had an experience like
never before. I guess you could describe Thy Flesh Consumed as like comparable
to the process of making the finest of swords, it pounds and heats up, time
after time, before cooling and finally sharpening into a thing of devastating
beauty…
Once you look at the finished article, you get this sense
that there is this personal story running through the album, something that
represents the passage of time for Eskar and his journey with Hip Hop music and
life in general. He expertly crafts each track with lyrical dexterity, adding
just the right essence of lived experiences or just rapping for the fun of it,
showing just what an emcee is all about. This is someone who has put his heart
and soul into something, which has produced a finished article that can easily
slip into the mists of time, to be spoken of in hushed tones by only the true
believers. Plus, working with legendary figures of the culture who have
inspired you is one thing but, keeping the memory of a friend alive in your
music takes both courage and a true heart and Eskar displays both with a
passion.
It is truly very difficult to use to describe just how
stunning this album is but, it has defining moment written all over it.
Everyone Eskar has brought together on this one adds something special to the
mix, which Eskar then crafts into what you see before you. Thy Flesh Consumed
will have you punching the air, bouncing around and perhaps even shedding a
tear, it really is something very, very special and I’m honoured to be able to
bring you my take on it.
I will leave it there for now and just leave you with this,
many things can make an album of the year but, there are times when an album
doesn’t need to be considered in that light because it has something that just
sets it apart from that, and this is one of those moments for me. This is not
an album of the year; this album simply just is…
My humble thank you to Eskar for letting me bring this album
to you and for notes he gave me that helped me to solidify my interpretations. I would also like to thank him for including my blog in the thank you notes, I'm proper humbled to a part of that with so many great names.
Thy Flesh Consumed is out on Nuke Fam Records and is
available to pre-order from today and the physical copies are awesome too.
Till next time,
See ya.
Steve.
LINKS
All links for purchase and the video for Kaiju go live at 6pm UK Time today, 31st May
Grab you copy from Bandcamp Here:
https://nukefamrecords.bandcamp.com/
Nuke Fam Records Socials:
https://www.facebook.com/NukeFamRecords
https://www.instagram.com/nukefamrecords/
https://www.youtube.com/@nukefamrecords
VIDEO
Kaiju ft ToneDeff Prod. Chills Myth
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