I’m not sure anyone was quite ready for Denzel Curry’s TA13OO. The dark and aggressive hardcore rap artist’s third studio album takes a deep dive into the most tortured levels of his subconscious, dividing the project into three shorter acts – Light, Grey and Dark, which signify the degree to which he gives into and accepts the violence and hatred surrounding him, as well as his own personal paranoias and anxieties. Curry’s lyricism is top notch here, stringing together complex wordplay and extended metaphors that are only bolstered by the sheer force behind his delivery. His confusion and mood swings are additionally represented by his greatest show of versatility yet, mixing his trademark scream-rap style with some extravagant, soulful and jazzy material closer to the “Light” side. This is one of the most essential hip-hop albums of the year without a doubt.

Although the album is broken up into three acts, distinguishing between them isn’t so easy – Curry introduces “Light” singing “welcome to the darkest side of taboo” on the title track. Even at Curry’s most optimistic, trying to distance himself from the issues he speaks on throughout the album, they still weigh heavily on him – specifically as he worries about a friend who had been abused as a child on this track. The sound of most of the Light section, on tracks like “Black Balloons” and “Cash Maniac”, is a complete sonic deviation from what we know from Curry, as he raps in a much clearer, expressive voice and even sings over some dreamy and funk-influenced instrumentals. These brighter instrumentals really allow Curry’s technical skill and lyricism to shine through in a way they never really have before, when we’re not so focused on how hard the beat knocks – this is still saved for later, of course. Curry runs through various characters and alter-egos, as they contradict each other and emphasize his mental chaos – his wordplay seriously verges on an early Eminem level at times here. Not only that, but “Cash Maniac” rides over this old-school 90s West Coast instrumental as Curry delivers a bouncy singsong flow accompanying Nyyjerya’s uncharacteristically catchy pop-rap hook – he does almost everything under the hip-hop spectrum right across the whole album.

Still, Curry might be at his best doing what he knows best, and there is certainly no shortage of disgustingly grimy hardcore rap tracks here. Single “Sumo” is classic Curry, grit creeping into his voice as he yells his words into the mic, somehow keeping his breath going as he puts everything he has into a quicker-than-expected flow. Charlie Heat’s instrumental comes with fuzzy, industrial bass that injects the track with energy – it’s so hard to write this out as I’m listening right now, because the track just makes me want to get up and move, maybe knock some things over in the process. This transitions into the Grey area with “Super Saiyan Superman”, Curry speeding through the track that comes closest to a modern trap banger here. There’s something about his delivery that makes him stand so far above all of his contemporaries – he’s so present on the track, sounding like a man possessed by some spirit that absolutely needs to get these words out there. The track is punctuated by blood-curdling screams, ending too abruptly.

The Grey area is where we start to see some doubts and worries creeping into Curry’s lyrics, wondering if he’s already subsumed in the cycles he tries to escape from. “Switch It Up” is yet another absolutely searing track, the instrumental sounding like a horror movie as Curry’s flow becomes more stuttered in response to the irregularly cascading hi-hats. The way he switches flows so seamlessly just goes hand in hand with Curry trying frantically to fight off his “mean” persona creeping into his words just as the gravel creeps back into his voice and he starts fantasizing about indulging in his darker thoughts, desensitized to gun violence and expecting his own life to end as a direct result. “Sirens” is the most politically charged track here, getting an assist from similarly grim rising indie pop artist Billie Eilish on the hook and one of the most lyrical current rappers in Dreamville’s J.I.D., making direct references to the presidential election and the resulting state of America, comparing the negative effects of the political divide, the reach of the media and violence in his community to some seriously twisted and decidedly non-politically correct extended metaphors. The passion in his voice makes you understand that he fully believes every word he says.

The final “Dark” section is some of the most disturbingly nihilistic material I’ve ever heard, but it’s incredibly compelling all the same. He addresses the effects of rappers romanticizing drug abuse on “The Blackest Balloon” and “Percz”, the instrumentals at their most ominous and anxious, menacing bells and deafening bass punctuating Curry’s distressed, mournful voice as he predicts terrorism and the continued deaths of those close to him. The final two tracks, “Vengeance” and “Black Metal Terrorist”, find Curry channelling the hardcore genre, recruiting JPEGMAFIA and ZillaKami for some verses that are somehow even more aggressive than his own. It’s some very shocking stuff, and I’ve certainly never heard anything like it, but I can’t deny how much the music takes over my body and senses completely. Curry’s inflections on “Vengeance” are something else – I have no idea how he manages to take his voice to so many different places with such a fast flow.

Curry truly has the full toolkit of a great rapper. It’s so easy to get lost in one of the great aspects of this project and completely miss one of the others – I certainly didn’t understand the importance of most of Curry’s lyrics on the first listen. TA13OO is the most experimental and unique rap record of the year – and is one of the most insane listening experiences I’ve ever had.

Favourite Tracks: Switch It Up, Vengeance, Sumo, Cash Maniac, Super Saiyan Superman

Least Favourite Track: Clout Cobain…?

Score: 9/10