7. Dalek- Absence

Hip hop always stood or fell for me with the quality of the lyrics and the music being employed. Dalek (actual pronunciation is Dia-lek) must have heard that because this American trio combines socio-conscious hip hop, scratching and underground industrial noise. The result feels like being hit from both ends with a jackhammer. First there's Dalek himself, who from the a-capella opening Distorted Prose gets straight to the point. No gangsta, no boaster, his rhymes are clear- the dilapidation of society and culture, like in Culture For Dollars, the bankruptcy of mankind through violence in In Midst Of Struggle- it's gritty, sombre lyricism. That is significantly strengthened by Oktopus' production of thudding slow pounding beats and an industrial guitar dominated assault to the senses. Third member Still adds some adventures on the wheel of steel, giving it extra street cred. With the exception of the instrumental Koner all tracks follow the same blueprint which can get boring if it wasn't for the devastating impact this music still makes during repeated listens. Ever Somber is very close to a hip hop My Bloody Valentine-track. It's a grey and bleak album, as underground as they wanna be and totally and utterly fascinating.