MUSIC REVIEW: Horror driven rap album We All Fall by Cohesive!

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

Intro: We All Fall is the first album in a proposed trilogy from Cohesive, the collective artist title of rapper Instant Legend and producer Mindflash. It is supposedly the darkest of the three albums, and after a few listens I totally believe that. It’s a collection of ten tracks, clocking in at a relatively short 33-minutes, that cover all manner of human weaknesses and violence, from the fear of being a bad parent to the glee of dismembering young people just for shiggles. As with most rap albums, there are a slew of guest rappers, of whom this lily-white boy has never heard.

Review: We All Fall is a pretty solid rap album. I’m a casual fan of hip-hop, but not so much the MTV, Top 40 Radio variety. I’m more of a Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Ice-T kind of guy, and like those artists, the tracks of this Cohesive album feel more like written songs, as opposed to three and a half minute hooks to snag the Facebook crowd. Instant Legend’s cadence is reminiscent of Aesop Rock and the beats put me in mind of Pam the Funkstress from The Coup, and neither of those are bad things. Also, in a strange way, We All Fall reminds me of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Both albums try to shine a light on all the dark corners of human nature.

When I was told We All Fall had a horror element, I was a bit worried. On the one hand, I am a huge fan (duh) or horror-themed music. The Misfits, The Accused, The Groovie Ghoulies, The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black – these are all among my favorite bands. But when I think of horror-themed hip-hop, the first thing that comes to mind is Gravediggaz. And while they’re fun to listen to, it is hard to take them seriously. I’m happy to report that Cohesive has a better handle on how to incorporate genre themes into their music.

My favorite songs on the album are the ones that deal with a more human horror element, the ones that are more Brad Anderson than Wes Craven. The opening track, Paranoid (ft/ Kid Crusher) is about just what it sounds like, along with a vague INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS VIBE. “I can feel them staring at me, with their jaws dropped open and screaming.” Solo Deep is a standout, with staccato synthesizer ala Mindless Self-Indulgence, and is about a man who realizes one day that he’s pretty much a piece of crap, using and abusing everyone he knows, and takes a ride out on his car’s exhaust pipe.

Love, Divorce, or Just Shoot Me hit a particular note with me, being about a man who hides in his work whenever he’s faced with an emotional situation, and ends up alienating both his wife and child and paying the price with loneliness. “And I know, and I know that you hate me…and I know that you know you can’t save me.” The Shipping Line is another personal one, again about having the epiphany that there may just be something seriously wrong with you. This one also has a vague Isaac Asimov/Philip K. Dick feel to it. “I know waste, I’m familiar with reflection, ‘cause I can see the monster through the eyes of intention.”

Secret’s Out (ft/ Hopsin) and Massacre (ft/ Kung Fu Vampire) are both about the strong desire to kill people, with the former being more serious, specifically taking out an ex-girlfriend, and the latter tongue in cheek, where Kung Fu Vampire (best rap name ever) terrorizes a group of stereotypical slasher film teens. “At this point he’s only severed the one head; that was the jock, for acting like a c*ck, and everybody just applaud.” Maneater (ft/ Mars) is a pretty funny song, obviously about SPECIES (“I’m not gonna be fooled again, f*ck around and get raped by an alien”), however the vocals in the chorus annoy the hell out of me.

Paper (ft/ Bizzy Bone, Sly Dog, and Colin Smith) is my least favorite track. It’s a song about how women want your money, and Bizzy Bone is singularly irritating, which is too bad, because the violin sample used throughout is creepy and reminds me of Frau Blucher’s playing in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. My Saw (featuring Baby V) has a catchy chorus – probably the most Coup-like moment on the album -, but I’ve listened to the song many times and still don’t know what it’s about. Sounds like maybe it’s referencing a Columbine-type situation, or at least the mindset of the kids who might engage in such an activity, but I really couldn’t say for sure.

Finally, there’s In The Ear, which I only heard for the first time today. For some reason it didn’t sync to my iPod originally. It is more in the personal horror vein, so it appeals to me. It’s yet another song about realizing one day that your life sucks. In this case it’s about a man who feels misunderstood, from his friends to his wife. “On the real I’m an average dude; I write for Fango and chow down food; fix some shit around the house when it’s broke and get bitched out when I buy some smokes.”

In the end, We All Fall is a solid album full of densely-versed songs, which aspire at best to connect to your more visceral, brutal emotions, but is not afraid to splash you with buckets of blood. It is not an album that really sticks with you after you’re done listening;I think it needs several plays before you’ll really start to uncover the more clever lyrics. It has its hits and misses, most notably in the guest rapper department, and while it does have an overarching theme, the songs never connect to each other in the way I wanted them to. I’ll give it a tentative recommendation, depending on the price for which you find it. But if it means anything, regardless of faults, I’m sure glad I own it.

RATING: 7 on 10

VISIT THE COHESIVE WEBSITE HERE