Disco de Army of the Pharaohs: “Army of the Pharoahs: Ritual of Battle”

THE GODS ARE BACK TO BLESS THE MIC, AND THEY DO VERY WELL. THIS ALBUM IS EVEN BETTER THAN THE TORTURE PAPERS. VINNIE PAZ IS ON MORE SONGS AND HE TEAMS UP WITH A GOOD GROUP OF MC'S. ITS A MUST BUY ALBUM. GREAT PRODUCTION AND RAW HARCORE LYRICS.

Their 2nd album is very good in my opinion, but it takes a small step backwards from The Torture Papers. The new emcees really don't do much for me...and they certainly don't fill the void from the lack of Apathy on this release. Realistically, I think AOTP would be just fine with Vinnie Paz, Celph Titled (my personal favorite), Esoteric, Apathy, Planetary, and Reef the Lost Cause. Remember, it's quality over quantity...and sometimes I have trouble distinguishing who's who outside of the previously mentioned emcees. Oh, and why the hell does Jus Allah sound like a really bad Vinnie Paz knockoff???

Regardless of the faults, this is still a very solid album and worth a purchase. If anything, pick it up for the Celph Titled verses alone; that guy is an amazing (and funny) lyricist.

It's difficult to comment on the beats, but I'd say they're about as good as the first album. There's a nice variety to them, but a couple border on sounding a bit too "commercial" for my tastes (like something Dipset would use, for example). Overall, the entire package is well put together as far as beat selection goes.

The cd is awesome. the torture papers was an awesome album and this album is a great follow up

Despite Jus Allah's terrible flows and the lack of Apathy I still give this album a 5 compared to the other corporate garbage out there. Every track with Planetary is ridiculous. Few people will appreciate this music however. I live in an isolated area where I can bump this stuff extremely LOUD. This is the only way to listen to AOTP. It's just a shame so many don't appreciate their lyricism. If Celph Titled weren't a rapper he be a great stand up comic. Celph was involved in more of the production and that DJ Qwestion's beats are heaters. I enjoy the beats from Ritual a lot more than Torture Papers. My only disappointment with the Pharaohs is that they're so underground it's hard to find info on tours etc. After hearing All Fates Have Changed by Jus Allah I expected a lot more from him on Ritual. His solo album has more than a few good tracks maybe he's just a better solo artist. IMO Planetary and King Syze have the best flow.

Standout tracks 1, 4, 11-14.

I bought this album because I am a fan of JMT, Celph Titled and 7L and Esoteric. What I found on this album is one of the best compilations I've ever heard. The tracks are masterfully produced and the lyrics are tight. Celph Titled pretty much takes over this album with fantastic verses from start to finish.

Only one reason this album is not a 5: Jus Allah. I can't begin to describe my disappointment with him on this album. His rhymes and flow are both rudimentary in the few tracks he's on. In fact, one of the tracks only gets play from me because Celph has a sick verse after Jus Allah takes a giant dump. Takes Jus Allah out of this album, and it becomes a 5 Star Classic.