Making a record isn’t easy, that’s a given. Making a record along with six other artists who have their own albums dropping, tours and families—that sounds damn near impossible.
Somehow Doomtree, a Minnesota hip-hop collective, managed to do just that with their third studio album “All Hands,” which made its way to music sites and record stores Jan. 27.
The group’s last record, “No Kings,” made waves with its mix of heavy, in-your-face tracks, metaphor-laden tales and crew anthems.
It seemed hard to top such a strong album, but the crew spent the past three years working on “All Hands.” They even took to a cabin in the woods in Bon Iver-esque fashion to write the new album.
This record is not like its predecessor. Where “No Kings” had obvious themes that each emcee stuck to, “All Hands” feels more rogue. There are no blatant allegories, but rather more subtle references to world events and regional jargon (“Gray Duck,” I’m lookin’ at you).
Just about each track gets your adrenaline pumping to the point that you feel exhausted by the end of the record.
The group released three singles prior to the album’s release. Each one has its own vibe, with “Final Boss” as a slow starter, easing into the more grounded sound that is “.38 Airweight,” and finally moving into the faster-paced “Gray Duck.”
The hardest hitting song, arguably, is “Cabin Killer.” Dessa opens the song with Sims keeping the energy up, while producers Lazerbeak and Paper Tiger layer intricately simple synths and beats that change with each verse. Mike Mictlan may be the strongest presence on this song, with alliteration and internal beat poetry on high throughout his entire verse.
It feels as though the group has reached a peak level of artistry. Each member has been steadily improving their craft through solo records and collaborations, so it makes sense that this record goes full throttle. Most notably, it seems that P.O.S. and Mike Mictlan have the most energy on every track they’re featured on, as if they finally unleashed three years worth of pent up rhyme-rage.
The group celebrated the tenth year of their annual Doomtree Blowout, a festival of sorts that’s grown from one day long in its first year, to eight days long this past year. While Blowout 10 may be the last ever, it’s not stopping the group from pushing forward and exploring new artistic frontiers.
“All Hands” is available on iTunes, Spotify and Bandcamp.
