BODY COUNT

Reviewed:
- Body Count (1992)
- Born Dead (1994)
- Born Dead (1994, EP sampler)
- Violent Demise: the Last Days (1996)
- Murder 4 Hire (2004)
- Manslaughter (2014)
- Body Count 6th Annual SmokeOut (2015, live album)
- Bloodlust (2017)


BODY COUNT           1992          (Warner Bros.)

- Standouts: The whole thing, even the skits! 

Is this a Marmite record (a love/hate affair)? A lot of people love this album, but those elitist metalheads on the Metal Archives forum will hate it because it was probably the first metal album to feature an O.G. rapper on vocals throughout. The rapper is Ice-T of course, and Body Count is his metal band. Even before he made this record, he made it quite clear that he was a fan of rock and metal music on previous rap albums - The Iceberg sampled Black Sabbath's title song and 'This Girl Tried to Kill Me' was a rap rock song written specifically for that album (Body Count lead guitarist Ernie C even recorded the guitar parts for that track). O.G. - Original Gangster had a song called 'Midnight' on it, which again sampled the infamous self-titled Black Sabbath song (at least the riff anyway) on top of John Bonham's drum beat on Led Zeppelin's 'When the Levee Breaks'. More importantly, 'Body Count' (the song) was featured on that album anyway, before the band even made this debut - they performed several songs live at Lollapalooza as part of Ice-T's rap set, and had a positive response...so there you go.

I didn't really check out Body Count at all until I was 20, probably because I didn't wanna listen to a gangsta rap-inspired metal album. It just didn't seem appealing to me until I actually became more interested in other musical genres outside of metal. Now however, I'd say this is one of my favourite 90's metal albums thanks to it's uniqueness. This is basically thrash/hardcore with a gangsta rap mentality. Well, for the most part anyway. Some of the songs are amusing lyrically; 'Voodoo', 'Evil Dick' (yep, that title is meant to be taken literally), 'KKK Bitch'...but they all kick ass musically. A lot of these songs however, do discuss some serious topics. The title song is all about the 'hood (South Central LA) and all the shit that goes down, 'Bowels of the Devil' is about jail and the Ghetto dudes that get sent there and 'The Winner Loses' (the only ballad here) is pretty much about crack cocaine addictions. Ice seemed to be fond of writing songs with the words 'Body' and 'Count' in the title too. You've got the title track of course, then you've got opener 'Body Count's in the House' as well as 'Body Count Anthem'. 'There Goes the Neighborhood' is basically just about the band too. All in all I'm really fond of this record. A lot of the time it's just funny, other times it's actually trying to get a serious point across. But the entire thing is great to mosh to throughout (except ballad 'The Winner Loses' of course). It's really an album that can't be compared to anything else, and is great fun to listen to from start to finish, which is what I love about it.

To be honest, I'm surprised it took as long as 1992 before the world even saw a record like this. Why aren't black people really associated with rock/metal/punk etc.? When you look at the history of music, black people played an enormous role in rock music - blues was, essentially, founded by African Americans, and this is what much modern guitar music is derived from. Then you've got rock and roll - I dunno if it's fair to say it was single-handedly invented by black people, but surely Chuck Berry and Little Richard (both of them black by the way...) are essential to that movement? And what about Jimi Hendrix? Arguably the greatest and one of the most radical rock guitarists of all time - also African American! Bad Brains? One of the pioneering hardcore bands because they played faster than anybody else at the time - all of them black. I guess hip-hop/rap/soul etc. will always be what they will be associated with most despite having a massive influence on rock music.
Adam's rating: 9/10

BORN DEAD          1994          (Virgin)

- Standouts: 'Body MF Count', 'Masters of Revenge', 'Killin' Floor', 'Necessary Evil', 'Born Dead' - basically the first half...

Faster, tighter and heavier than the debut album for the most part, yet not as good overall. Not that it sucks - in fact, the entire first half is just good-time moshing metal. In fact, 'Killin' Floor' exists purely for the mosh pit, with the Ice-man's only contribution to the song being when he shouts: 'it's the killin' floor!' and 'KILLING FLOOR!!!' . That riffing in 'Necessary Evil' is totally RAD! And the mid-section kinda reminds me of Urban Discipline-era Biohazard. The second half of the record brings the tempo down however, and doesn't really stand up to the intensity of the first half - I mean, did we really need a cover of 'Hey Joe'? It's not a bad follow-up to the debut by any means; the fast songs, if anything, are even better - it just takes itself much more seriously and isn't as fun to listen to. 
Adam's rating: 7.5/10

BORN DEAD (EP/SAMPLER)          1994          (Virgin) 

Vinyl four-track sampler to promote the Born Dead album. There's nothing here that isn't already on the album of course, but it's a nice collector's item anyhow. My best mate actually GAVE this to me (cheers Ad)!

VIOLENT DEMISE - THE LAST DAYS          1996          (Virgin)

- Standouts: 'My Way', 'Dr. K' 

This one, Violent Demise, doesn't do as much for me as the rest of the discography. There's some good stuff on here - the production is heavy, 'My Way' starts things off nicely, 'Dr. K' kinda sounds like late-80's, early 90's NY hardcore, 'Dead Man Walking' again, sounds a little like Biohazard to me and the skits are kind of funny, but it just doesn't really feel like a Body Count record. Ice isn't really telling 'hood stories anymore, nor is he sharing the most ridiculous sex story either. Make what you will of it. 
Adam's rating: 6.1/10

MURDER 4 HIRE           2004          (Escapi Music)

- Standouts: 'Invincible Gangsta', 'The End Game', 'You Don't Know Me (Pain)', 'Dirty Bombs'

I like a lot of the songs here (except for 'In My Head' and 'Lies', which are just dumb), the song-writing is definitely a lot better than on the last one, but one thing spoils it - Ernie C. Not his guitar playing of course, it's the fact he produces Murder 4 Hire. As a guitarist, he's awesome - one of the great things about Body Count's music. As a producer though, he sucks! Some Black Sabbath point their fingers at Ernie C when asked why their 1995 album Forbidden was a total failure. He produced Forbidden, and yes, the production on that record does indeed suck, big time. Murder 4 Hire's production is it's biggest flaw. The resulting mix almost sounds as if you're listening to a bloody demo, and not in a good way; the guitars are nowhere near loud enough, while the vocals are too loud. Shame really, because like I said earlier, there are some great, really heavy tracks here that should be played live more often. Ice-T apparently, was unhappy with it, mainly because he had little involvement with any of the album bar the vocals, and had no participation in the mixing or release. An Ernie C solo album then? 
Adam's rating: 7.3/10

MANSLAUGHTER          2014          (Sumerian Records)

- Standouts: 'Talk Shit, Get Shot', 'Pray for Death', '99 Problems BC', 'Get a Job', 'Manslaughter', 'Back to Rehab', 'Institutionalized 2014', 'Pop Bubble', 'Bitch in the Pit' 

It's ironic that someone largely associated by most people with rap has released one of the most enjoyable metal albums I've heard in a long time. Ahh man, they totally nailed it this time around, just like they did with the debut! Most of the traits that made the first album so great apply to Manslaughter as well - there's a serious point to be had with many of the songs, but it's usually delivered in a hilariously OTT way. 'Talk Shit, Get Shot' speaks for itself really. Act like a douche, you get shot. Well, I don't think Ice literally means that in REAL life, but this is Body Count after all. What else was he going to call it? 'Talk Nonsense, Get Told Off'?. On the title song, which is a total fist-pumping 'banger by the way, he pretty much asks the question 'at what point did manhood go away, and why do we care about so much pointless shit?'. 'Pop Bubble', which features Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta in certain verses and part of the chorus, he basically sums up why pop music is so shit and how pathetic the lyrics are. 

Their version of Suicidal Tendencies' 'Institutionalized' is obviously not as good, but it is hilarious. First Ice gets mad at his wife because she thinks he plays too much Xbox, then he gets mad because customer service won't give him his email password, and finally, he gets mad because a vegan tells him he shouldn't eat his pork sandwich and drink his Kool-Aid because it's bad for him. '99 Problems BC' is the band's take on Ice's classic - this version of '99 Problems' is NOT a Jay-Z cover. The Ice-man wrote '99 Problems' for his 1993 album Home Invasion - Jay-Z's version takes the line 'I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one', but the rest of his version is completely different. 'Bitch in the Pit' is a tribute to that one crazy female in every mosh pit. 'Get a Job', 'Back to Rehab' and, uh, 'Black Voodoo Sex' are self-explanatory. 

Honestly, like that first album, this is one of the most fun albums I've ever heard. What have I actually learned from this record though? I've learned that Ice-T is quite possibly the world's angriest man, and that he's also a lyrical genius and a natural comedian. Manslaughter is funny and heavy as fuck. I do wonder sometimes why he hasn't done a rap album in such a long time, and why he rarely does rap concerts these days. He stated on Twitter that it's because hip-hop has gone too soft these days, and metal is a better way for him to get his point across... 
Adam's rating: 9/10

BODY COUNT 6TH ANNUAL SMOKEOUT          2015          (Eagle)

A live album released on vinyl. Recorded at Cypress Hill's 6th Annual SmokeOut festival in California, 2006, I'm ashamed to say I haven't actually listened to this one yet because the needle on my turntable is currently fucked. What I do know is that this LP is limited edition and individually numbered (mine is no.665), but I don't know how many were made, and they can still be picked up at reasonable vinyl prices. I paid about 12 quid a year ago for mine. Here's hoping they will eventually reach obscurity and the prices will rise.

BLOODLUST          2017          (Century Media)

- Standouts: 'The Ski Mask Way', 'Black Hoodie', 'No Lives Matter', 'Walk With Me', 'All Love is Lost', 'Here I Go Again'

2014's Manslaughter was, for me, the best metal album to come out that year, so I was pumped to see what Ice-T would come up with next. Bloodlust is the result, and while Body Count have had their fair share of political rants on each and every one of their records, this one feels like the most politically-focused of the lot. Whether or not that's a good thing I'll let you decide, but past albums like the debut and Manslaughter also had some genuinely amusing numbers of them ('KKK Bitch', 'Institutionalized 2014', 'Talk Shit, Get Shot', 'Evil Dick', 'Voodoo', 'Black Voodoo Sex'...) 'cos Ice can be funny as fuck when he wants. Bloodlust is still over-the-top, but it also feels - dare I say it - more serious than a lot of the old material. Ice usually has a point to make in most of his songs however, it's just that sometimes he likes to deliver it in an unrealistic, humorous approach. Tracks like 'No Lives Matter', 'Civil War', 'Bloodlust', 'The Ski Mask Way' and 'Black Hoodie' deal with racism, political corruption, police brutality and drug trafficking, so despite the lack of humour this time 'round, this is still the BC you know and love.

Musically the album is tight. Real tight. Ernie C has written some pummeling thrash/groove riffs and impressive leads when necessary, and the production is excellent, on par with the superb Manslaughter. Ice knows his metal, and he got Dave Mustaine to perform the spoken-word intro to 'Civil War', as well as getting Randy Blythe and Max Cavelera to back his vocals up on 'All Love Is Lost' and 'Walk With Me'. Hell, he even pays tribute to Slayer - according to Ice, where BC's 'speed and precision' comes from, and one of his favourite bands - by covering 'Raining Blood' as well as a segment of 'Postmortem'. This cover isn't as fun as their rendition of Suicidal Tendencies' 'Institutionalized' from Manslaughter, but it's still cool all the same. For me, Bloodlust doesn't top it's predecessor as I felt it was lacking a spark in the lyrical department, but the music is just as good, if not better. It's one that gets better with every listen.
Adam's rating: 8/10