Emotions are powerful. When imbued into a story, they become captivating. While the story is a lengthy one, Death.wav has made something special with “For Knows No Bounds.” An emotional tour de force, this massive 27 track beast of a record may be intimidating to the casual listener, but the album proves to be a magnetic one right off the bat.
“My World, Soulless The Void” has an ambient static that feels contemplative in nature, with the spacey synths giving the track an ethereal quality that’s instantly captivating. The distorted bass and synths are overpowering and bleed into the vocal performance of the intro, giving it a surreal quality as the rap flows through the distortion. The surreal, otherworldly aesthetic is refined with the synth-laden backup vocal track that compliments the lead vocal flow well. The lyrics make the inspiration of the album clear, with lines such as “only my Mother is special enough to get an album made from the womb. The womb of my love, Allah sent from above” are poetically delivered with a flow that takes the emotion straight into the heart of the listener. It makes this intro track a stand-out one, as it’s gripping until its last moments before it leads into the next track.
“Japanese Flowerbombs” has a bass whose groove gives the track its buttery smooth flow and sense of forward momentum. The way it creeps throughout the track is hypnotic, which is enhanced by the background vocal track and the playful guitar licks that bounce about the melody. It gives the track an addictive quality that’s hard to not hit the repeat button on.
“Burden of Love and Care” is a track that’s easy to get lost in. The vintage soul vocal track in the background gives the perfect mellow lead-in before the bass drops and plunges the track into a trippy aesthetic that takes over the track. The bass is funky and easy to move to, especially when aided by the mellow percussion that gives the track an easy pulse to latch onto. The subtle funk of the guitar licks gives the track an edge that gives the track a dash of personality to keep it in line with the funky flow of the rest of the album. The lyrical flow of the vocals follows the beat perfectly, especially during the chorus, giving the track an aesthetic that you’ll find yourself vibing to before you know it.
“Ballet” has distorted synths behind the rap that creates a sinister flow right from the top, which is emphasized by the sludgy bass that takes over the beat during the intro. The track is a decidedly dark one, with the sludgy bass only giving way to spacey synths that add an even more ominous atmosphere to the disdainful track. The vocal track brings the atmosphere home and gives it punch with lines such as “it’s a dance of the Devil, no Immortal Technique, you do anything for it but it’ll never be your reach” and “how much money makes you dance?” These elements combine to create a striking listen whose ominous sound is related to the horrors of living under the almighty dollar that you won’t want to miss.
“Never Involve An Innocent In The Violence” is a raw and emotional track. After a vintage vocal sample and a harrowing news report, the spoken-word style rap begins. The distorted synths and keyboards create a trippy and unsettling atmosphere that gets flipped on its head around the 2:20 mark. Cutoff by wailing brass and creeping plucks of the bass, Death.wav slightly switches up his lyrical flow. The emotions turn from sorrow to focused disdain with the line “this has to stop. The blocks are too hot like a heatstroke off the top” is delivered with authority that hits hard when the sorrow cracks through in lines such as “we see homies dead every other day. Prolly left ’em at the pizza spot!” The track feels like a very personal one. It’s impossible to miss the feeling of mourning and the cry for change in a broken world within the emotionally intense lyrics. The impact hits the listener hard and makes “Never Involve An Innocent In The Violence” a stand-out track.
“For Knows No Bounds” is an incredibly impressive album. Death.wav delivers a deep and personal look into his mind and heart, bearing it all for you to experience. The flow is as raw as the lyrics at times, adding to the atmosphere of authenticity that only grows with each track. The transitions feel perfect, making it hard to put the album down in the middle of listening to it. “For Knows No Bounds” is an incredible lyrical hip-hop album whose emotional weight will lay heavy on your heart.
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