If you’re not over Halloween yet, you should consider listening to Visions Of Bodies Being Burned, the newest release by Los Angeles based industrial hip hop trio Clipping. Though, it must be noted this album is not for the faint of heart. This record details gruesome and violent offences, and focuses on racial injustice, brutality, and oppression, through classic horror tropes and references, and incredibly abrasive beats, noise, and bars.

Daveed Diggs, who you may already enjoy as the original Marquis De Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the groundbreaking musical of the decade, Hamilton: An American Musical, is arguably one of the best storytellers in the rap game currently. On both There Existed An Addiction To Blood (their previous album) and VOBBB, Diggs raps stories of horror and injustice over William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes’ abrasive yet unforgettable beats, that heavily explore both members’ industrial noise obsessions. 

On Visions of Bodies Being Burned, Clipping. collaborates with other emerging artists in many subcultures, like Ho99o9 (pronounced Horror), from the industrial scene, Chicagoan jazz musician Jeff Parker, ambient musician Greg Stuart, as well as others. While such an amalgamation of genres may come off as unorganized, Clipping. manages to pull such variety off while sounding incredibly articulated and unique. 

The lead single of the record, “Say The Name”, explores an urban legend known as the Candyman. Supposedly, Candyman was a former slave, who’d had a child with a white woman, and was lynched by her father. Diggs talently hides the story so well, it takes a couple of listens to fully understand the true intent behind each word of the song. This isn’t the first song of Clipping.’s discography to address racial injustice, nearly all of the group’s music addresses some aspect of oppression, and the brutality of it all.

All in all, I would give this record an eight out of ten.  To put it concisely, this record is a grand commentary for the politically concerned and socially aware. While I do prefer There Existed an Addiction To Blood, VOBBB is an incredible sequel to TEAATB, and it is still a beautiful concept album.