Psychosis Holochaust – End Game (Album Review)
Sheffield rapper Psychosis Holohaust has recently dropped End Game, his long-anticipated debut solo album.
The album’s sound is characterised by video game samples chopped up with heavy snare and bass hits. Though its soundscape is saturated in sci-fi imagery, the Zelda-esque fantasy game aspect is toned down in comparison to his more full-on Adventure Rap EP which was almost exclusively set in a mythic quasi-Medieval video game realm.
Songs like ‘Gia War’ however, are still highly reminiscent of the stylistic thrust of ‘Adventure Rap’, with Psychosis lyrically plunging himself in an immersive Halo-esque space shooter narrative. The album’s final track ‘Turrican’ featuring OhPityMe and Tenchoo, similarly conjures that adventure-gaming vibe with its heavy synth-metal sample and sword-slashing poetics.
Psychosis’ flow on tracks is brutal and focussed; in fact he practically devours each instrumental. In tracks such as ’Futureworld’ he pummels listeners ears with devastating double-time flows and relentless polysyllabics set to lush and ornate sample-driven beats courtesy of Faceraper.
Overall, the album proves PH’s effortless ability to flit back and forth between themes and styles – mixing hardcore boom-bap sensibilities with Ghetts-style rawness and aggression. Seamlessly bridging the realms of grime and hip-hop and aestheticising them within a retro-futuristic gaming cyberspace, End Game is totally unique.
Purchase ‘End Game’ for £5.
psychosisholochaust.bandcamp.com
