Crazy Town – “The Brimstone Sluggers” [Album Review]

Having flitted in and out of the music scene since their hit single “Butterfly,” LA boys Crazy Town are one of those bands who, during their time, flirted with both the nu-metal and hip-hop scenes while never quite committing their loyalty to either. That being the case, despite “Butterfly” being a massive hit worldwide, neither true nu-metal devotees nor the hip-hop scene really called the band one of their own although, when the band returned to the UK last year at Download, there was a fair bit of interest to see how they would fare.

Well, we’re now well into 2015 and listening to The Brimstone Sluggers (the original name of the band), it seems Shifty and his cohorts are very much distancing themselves from the “Butterfly” single and their nu-metal persona with an album that is pure hip-hop. Well, when I say hip-hop, it’s not what I would class as real hip-hop.

Imagine Hollywood Undead without the gimmick and you’re not far from the heady heights that Crazy Town are hitting on this album. On tracks like “Born To Raise Hell” you get a better insight into the alternative hip-hop vibe that Crazy Town are trying to achieve with The Brimstone Sluggers. Sadly though, it’s only one of a few bright lights in an album which could have really done so much more to show off the hip-hop side to Crazy Town.

Tracks like “Ashes” don’t have that bite or edge that hip-hop really demands, especially hip-hop that is trying to be alternative. I don’t want to go as far as calling them bland, but there is very little on this release that really raises the pulse rate and probably not a lot on here that pure rock fans are going to have even the slightest of interest in.

Track Listing:

01. Come Inside
02. Light The Way
03. Born To Raise Hell
04. Ashes
05. Megatron
06. Backpack
07. A Little More Time
08. The Keys
09. Lemonface
10. Baby You Don’t Know
11. My Place
12. West Coast

Run Time: 47:06
Release Date: August 28, 2015

Check out the album ‘The Brimstone Sluggers’ here.