Insane Clown Posse Album: “The Tempest [PA]”

I know ICP has been gettin dissed a bit for this one, but I love it. I love music, all kinds of music, but the psychopathic family tops it all. Some people are saying a few of the tracks are too slow, but I dont think so. Sometimes it just makes them funnier. ICP doing a rock ballad (If I Was A Serial Killer)? Hilarious. I always liked that they could do all types of music and do it well.

I like News At 6'Oclock because its true, Alley Rat cause the bumps are great and its how I feel, Hum Drum Boogie cause I'm a perv, and What About Now? because the beat is just wonderful. I will agree it in not their wickedest, but I've been down with the clowns since Ringmaster dropped, and there has never been a CD I didn't love.

I'm gonna start by saying ICP is growing... Growing older, growing mature, reaching and experimenting with new tunes and effects, yet still keeping a bit of their horrorfying acts and diabolical and mischevious humour along with it. But along the years, their serious lyrics and emotional vibes on everyday life, the world around us, and relating to each and every one of us has been intensified since the early jokers cards. It defineteley shows their becoming more developed and realistic in their approach, and can carry out their humor and dark comic in a broader, attention-grabbing way.

Anymore, I'm seeing more and more of juggalos nowadays, ranging from the typical scuffed up street punks, to ghetto thugs, to people right out of the farmlands, suburbia, and even everyday teenagers and adults who hold respectable jobs. And I think they're doing a damn fine job opening up the carnival doors and creating a unity between people who typically wouldn't have anything in common... in an almost near "Let's Go All The Way" feeling.

And while I feel "The Calm" may have not been their best album, it defineteley was much better than alot of music I hear out there... and it was defineteley a gateway into a promising future. I mean seriously, think about Beverly Kills, Dog Beats, and even Carnival of Carnage... good alblums, but it wasn't until Ring Master, Riddle Box, Milenko, and Jeckel brothers that the music really did take on a unbeleivably gripping and compelling tone and story. So I can see something forming here, and quickly.... another series of masterpieces. For a new era and time.

You have to give them credit for doing it on their own... and what it's done so far, it's done well.

With the post-Joker card generation and era, I think the new alblums still retain enough old, but really do a great job of travelling into a rather unknow future... There's no goal this time... no 6'th card to reach... any CD released now doesn't have to follow a beaten path, and yet, while its interesting to see it pan out, its definetely going somewhere and thats why Juggalos and newcomers continue to listen... it's inspiring, and even off track, it still feels like it's a whole if you want it to... very well balanced.

Mike E Clark is back, and you can even tell his style has changed for the new age, into a more serious approach, yet when you really sit down and listen to it, you know its still Mike E Clark, and it makes you feel right at home... theres still enough old to fill the loathing inside for all the new.

It's unbeleivable that this group has outlasted all who have put them down, and have grown even better throughout the years, gaining not only strong bonds with other great artists, but the ability to stay strong and honest to the long time juggalos, but reach out to everyone who's willing to listen on many other musical levels.

"The Tempest" may take a couple minutes to get adjusted to the first time hearing it, but a couple tracks in and your hooked.. You know its defineteley worth the wait and contains all the pumped-up and epic'isms that you've come to know and want from ICP, while still kickin' humour, and dark hate against the evil and greedy. It's worth each and every of the 5 stars that amazon will let me rate it, plus a whole many more.

I was fairly sure that the "The Tempest" was never actually going to be the name of the so-called "Storm" that was directly after "The Calm", rather a piece of the what I beleive to be the "storm" series as accordingly it passes over the lands leaving deadly yet majestic devices from the pure and relentess power of the storm which cahnnels its energy into these constructions, officially as of now appears to consist of 3 "known" alblums (you find out about the alblum titled "Eye of the Storm" if you purchase this one, a smaller EP due out in June of this year), and will indefinetely be many more than 3 in its entirety. I knew that this mammoth storm would produce something sinister and mysterious on its way, such as this ride, and if you listen closely, you can see it fits the tale perfectley... in light of the storm, things arise... deadly, but amusing contraptions that mortals just HAVE to play with, out of our own curiousity of the unknown... and each who rides or interacts with anything that has come from the passing of this mighty storm will likely be doomed. And there in lies the the true devistation... curiosity of thrill, fear and the fact that most are wreckless, careless and thoughtless about anything that may happen to them will eventually consume or kill you.

That's been my theory on how it will follow out, and as I've mentioned, the "Storm" is still happening, more deadly and disturbing rides and vices will rise as the storm rips through the lands, and that only those who can face their own fears and respect the dangerous realities of life will survive, just like those who are smart enough to get out of town before the hurricane hits. It's human interest in deadly things, and the all-to-soon fate that may follow if you snooze and abuse.

It's fresh, its f'ed up, it's inspiring, it's here... "The Tempest", and its awesome.

Do yourself a favor, don't listen to anyone dissing it... They're either fad juggalos, trolls, or haters that have allways had something against ICP. Listen, and listen hard, and you won't be disappointed... it's ALL still there homies.

MCL!

Very solid yet different release by the Clowns this time around. No more Joker Cards to keep you guessing what's next, just The Tempest that thankfully is way better than The Calm. Now that Mike Clark is back on the boards, the wicked ones are noticeably back at home. This one is filled with songs that are sure to make anyone's head bob.

Now, all you haters of this album, come on if you don't like it then you're not a real juggalo. Mike E. Clark provides ICP with some different funk and sounds, it's got it all-the wicked rhymes,the happy rhymes,the storytelling,tight beats,rock beats,and shaggy scratching it up. It's another classic in ICP's catalog!!! I'm going to the show in Norfolk at the end of May biatches it's gon be tight!

Tightest Tempety Temp Tracks:

-Ride the Tempest

-I DO This

-Haunted Bumps

-The Tower

-The Party

-Play My Song

-The Sky Is Falling

-Mexico City

So here we FINALLY are with the long-awaited, first full-length album from the Insane Clown Posse since the dropping of the final Joker's Card! (Sometimes I wonder why ICP even announces street dates for their albums.) Not many Juggalos were thrilled with "The Calm", myself included. Many were wondering if Psychopathic Records was a sinking ship...so now that the Calm before the storm has passed, how devastating and wicked is the storm? And was it worth the extra waiting?

I was first inclined to give "The Tempest" 3 stars. This is partly the fault of the Wicked Clowns. They have been hyping the devastation and terror that "The Tempest" was supposed to be bringing. Many (myself included) were disappointed with "Hell's Pit." Although it was not garbage (It did have some hot tracks on it), it was NOT the wickedest album ever. "The Calm" was forgettable, and for many, "The Tempest" was supposed to be the return of the Wicked Shxt.

But if you're waiting for ICP to put out the wickedest, hardest music they've done in a long time...you're gonna have to keep on waiting. The Tempest is NOT a devastating storm or a tsunami. It is a rollercoaster ride. (See the cover) And it's fitting, because the album is more of a rollercoaster ride (ups and downs) than a ferocious storm of wickedness. "The Amazing Jeckel Bros." is a much harder album than this one is. But I wanted to judge it on its own, so I decided to give it a few more spins before passing judgement.

And I'm glad I did. I'm an old-school Juggalo (prolly since right before Jeckel Bros., I have all the Psy-related cds and dvds, been to all the Gatherings but 2, countless shows and in-stores, many Hallowickeds, Big Ballas, etc.), so the album grew on me quickly. The Clowns go solo on this one: No guest appearances from outside the fam or even from the Psychopathic artists. And of course this is the long-awaited return and re-uniting of Mike E. Clark with ICP. The production is solid. There are definitely tracks on here you're gonna want to bump with the bumps in the trunk. And every track listed is a song. There are skits, but there are 16 full-length tracks on this one. But go in with an open mind. And don't expect the wickedest album ever or you'll be disappointed. Here's my humble opinion:

1)"The Sky Is Falling"(3:39) 4.0/5 -This is the "intro" track. Here the clowns tell us the ride is gonna be fun. If you're a Juggalo & follow the mythology, then you know they're referring to Judgement Day. It's a nice lead-in track. Some nice scratching near the end, and Willoughby Rags from "The Terror Wheel" spits a quick intro at the end.

2)"Ride The Tempest"(2:52) 4.5/5 - They spit lyrics about The Tempest roller-coaster ride on this one. Of course, any ride in the Dark Carnival may cause you to lose your life, and the clowns are eager to find you a spot at the front of the line. This is an up-tempo track with J and Shaggy alternating lines in the verses. This one has a fun, carnie beat with some scratching near the end. (I really like the way they're incorporating a lot more scratching in their music.) This one reminded me a bit of "Tilt-a-whirl."

3)"Alley Rat"(2:11) 3.0/5 - I'm not sure where I've heard this guitar lick before. Sounds like something from the beach boys. This is one of those simple tracks that sounds more like talking than rapping. The chorus is sung. "I'm an alley-rat, I only wanna be where the scrubs be at." I don't know, it's alright, but I ain't feelin' it that much. Definitely not wicked sounding.

4)"Haunted Bumps"(3:24) 4.0/5 - Like the title says, this is one you're gonna wanna bump in the trunk. "There's somethin' from the beyond in my trunk", the Clowns proclaim. The verses are laid back, but the beat is tight. If you remember the way J rapped in "The Marsh Lagoon" on the Green Book, that's how he sounds on this one...but not rapping as fast. It's mostly J on this one too.

5)"Growing Again"(4:45) 2.5/5 - A fantasy about wanting to be big. Then growing too big and not being able to stop. Sounds like a nursery rhyme, huh? So does the song. It's kind of wack to me. Kind of a southern, Boondox-type beat. Definitely not wicked. I could do without this one. Too much singing.

6)"Hum Drum Boogie"(3:39) 3.0/5 - Begins with yes, more scratching! But then J singing again :( Man, will someone please tell J he is not a singer! I mean, every once in awhile is alright, but this is another track that sounds the opposite of wicked. This is a song sung about their balls. (Yes, the ones in their pants.) The lyrics are cool though.

{Then a quick skit for ICP's Spazzmatic Energy Sauce}

7)"I Do This"(3:28) 4.0/5 - The first single? You've probably heard this one already. This would have been a good track to end with. I like the theme of the track though: having your homie's back. The only thing is that this is another "happy" song. It's a Juggalo anthem though; I see them ending shows with this one. What's with all the drug references though? More than just the green is mentioned in this one. If you're a Juggalo who's into family love, you'll be feelin' this one.

8)"What About Now"(3:24) 3.5/5 - They start off reminiscing about the old days in this one. They're talking about the old days of music, and then they ask what the f- is happening now? This is a more up-tempo track with some cool electronic sounds and guitar licks with piano. Finally the clowns show more of some lyrical flow and faster rapping instead of singing. It's not bad, but nothing that stands out a lot either.

9)"Watch My Ride"(2:42) 5/5 - Yeah, I like this one. J raps about someone asking him to watch their ride while they go inside the store..."chirp, chirp" then they f him up: F him up, f him up, f him up!!! Finally a wicked track. Some nice guitar licks in this one too. A more up-tempo track too. One of the best but shortest tracks on the album.

10)"News At 6 O'clock"(4:06) 3.5/5 - Starts with news clips about murder and such. This one is about the "News at 6 o'clock and again at eleven." The clowns rap about the devastation and horror contained in the "horror show", "...the real wicked shxt where the wicked at!", Shaggy raps. They are talking about the nightly news of course. This is a slower track, but more with the wickedness. (Except for J trying to sing in a high-pitched voice during the chorus...please J, stop singing!)

11)"The Tower"(4:14) 4.0/5 - This one is about being a sniper. (Think "Truly Alone" from Hell's Pit at the end when J's rapping) It's a more up-tempo track with good lyrical flow. The chorus is kind of weak, but it's a decent, more wicked track. I like it more though when we hear about why the people deserve to die rather than just killing to kill. Sniping someone from a tower is kind of cowardly if you're just capping at innocent people.

12)"The Party"(3:13) 5/5 - Yeah this one is hella dope. (When DJ Clay cuts in "who's the new dude", it's referring to "New Dude", the Soopa Villainz track when Eshan & Lavel were dissing...I like that Shaggs can joke about that.) This is a DJ scratching battle between DJ Clay and Shaggy 2 Dope. Anyone who listens in to WFKO on the internet to Shaggy's show knows the devastation that this track holds. The story is that Shaggy crashes a party and challenges the deejay to a battle. Then they rip it up.

13)"B%tch I Lied"(4:08) 5/5 - Yeah, another WICKED track! Basically it's J telling a beeyatch he lied to her face and he don't give a .... Yeah, this is one you could dedicate to an ex. One of my favorite tracks on the album. {Then another skit...ICP on a radio station, telling them they suck!}

14)"Play My Song"(2:55) 3.5/5 - ICP telling the deejay to play their song. The verses are J and Shaggs taking turns with lines and repeating the first word in each line 3 times. It's kind of weak. And then J sings AGAIN "Bloody, bloody, bloody"...and in a high-pitched voice! Man it sounds gay...sorry. (No offense to any homosexuals, really.) Man I wish J would put out a solo album of only singing and get it out of his system. It's an alright track. It doesn't completely suck, but it's not hot either.

15)"Mexico City"(3:32) 3.5/5 - This one is talking about hiding out in Mexico City after you commit some murder. Think of ICP as travel agents for would-be serial killers. A slower track...kind of like C.P.K.'s but with more music. Lots of Mexico references. Maybe they traveled there recently? This one's kind of boring.

16)"If I Was A Serial Killer"(7:30) 2.0/5 - Okay, I thought ICP was made of serial killers?!?! The first minute of this song is J singing over piano....is it over yet? Nope, he sings all his parts on this one. It just doesn't go with Shaggy's rhymes. But the rhymes are what confuse me... "That's if I was a serial killer, but I'm not...", Shaggy raps. Haven't the clowns been killing with their axes for over ten years now?! "I wanna run with this hatchet", they sing at the end. Sounds like this one was the "Juggalo anthem", but it's a really weak track. And again, more and more singing. And this one is definitely the opposite of wicked. Of course, not everything has to be wicked, but after "Shangri-La" AND "The Calm" AND "The People", I think the Juggalos are ready to go back to the Wicked Sh%t, not J singing over a piano. Maybe they tried to remake "Thy Unveiling", I don't know. I could do without this one though.

So there you have it ninjas! If you're a Juggalo, I'd usually say you're gonna go cop the album anyway, but ninjas have been falling off with each sub-par ICP release. Some haven't been feeling them since after "Jeckel Bros." I thought "Shangri-La" was dope, you just had to be open to the lighter theme. But I agree with many that "Hell's Pit" just didn't live up to expectations. And I'm sorry, but I thought "The Calm" was garbage. I wasn't expecting much from "The Tempest." It's a good album, so go ahead and lend the clowns your earhole again. If you're down till your dead in the ground, you're gonna get it anyway, but I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's a good effort and there are some quality tracks on here.

I only wish J would give up on the singing already. It just kills it sometimes. Actually a lot of the time. And some tracks too sing-songy. You can be carnival-like without being goofy. Think "Murder-Go-Round". I hope ICP will cater to the Juggalos on their next release and really bring back the Wicked Shxt. If Justin Timberlake can bring sexy back, why not the Wicked Shxt? I know ninjas would be feeling it..