Everyone’s favorite heaven trap group (primarily because it’s more or less the only heaven trap group), Slander, just released a brand new EP, Nuclear Bonds. It’s a four track collaborative effort between the duo and NGHTMRE, their frequent cohort. And, best of all, it’s completely free, with 11 remixes of the tracks thrown in to boot.
While Slander may be best known for heaven trap, the first three songs are a descent straight into hell. NGHTMRE’s influence on the release is clear, with reverberated, industrial kicks juxtaposed against gritty synth onslaughts. Slander’s trademark melodic progressions are present, to be sure, but only provide a brief respite before plunging back into darkness. It’s not until GUD VIBRATIONS that the EP really sounds like anything remotely familiar.
However, Slander and NGHTMRE are still young, developing artists, and it shows. The first three songs, YOU, WARNING, and Power all reek of RL Grime. Though the EP is rhythmically novel, and features some fantastic stop-time drops, much of it is eerily reminiscent of RL Grime’s Core. The frequent onslaughts of melodic percussion sound more like the work of Botnek than either Slander or NGHTMRE as well.
Taking inspiration from the greats is fine, and is instrumental to the progress of music, but there’s something to be said for innovation. When all is said and done, it’s a solid (and free!) release, just not one that lived up to the high expectations. Do you agree, or are we a bunch of hyper-critical elitists? Hit us with your opinions in the comments, Facebook, and Twitter.
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