Cypress Hill - Rise Up Metro album review

Here's my review of Cypress Hill's new LP, Rise Up, which ran in Metro today. To be fair Rise Up is alright, but it's a little disappointing that they're doing exactly the same thing as when I first fell in love with them, 17 years ago. Tracks like Insane In The Brain, Hits From The Bong and all of the Black Sunday LP (1993), were the soundtrack to my days at University. This is going out the caning Liverpool crew - Knoxy, Dennison, and the ethnic house man dem Das, Payno and Boulis.

CD

Cypress Hill: Rise Up (THREE STARS)
EMI

Los Angeles’ blunted-rap trio Cypress Hill’s first LP in six years, Rise Up, sees MCs B Real and Sen Dog, and DJ Muggs, rediscover their mojo. Despite their obsession with ‘smoking trees’, Rise Up is lively and in your face, and traverses fiery rap-rock, guitar-funk and Latino rap.

The contrast between B Real’s languid, raspy delivery and Sen Dog’s punchy, urgent flow, works as well as ever and the interplay is bustling. Highlights include Rise Up, charting L.A.’s ‘hood tensions, featuring Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)’s blazing, unsettling guitar work, the swift psych-funk of Bang Bang, and Pass The Dutch, a reworking of Musical Youth’s Pass The Dutchie.

The weed-fixation becomes repetitive, especially when sombre moments such as Carry Me Away and Take My Pain strike a chord. Nevertheless Rise Up will satisfy existing fans and provides a new generation of stoners with a soundtrack to get high and giggle to.