(hed)p.e. - Only In Amerika :only in amerika:

I suppose that we should give California quintet HED P.E. some credit to sticking to their rap-metal (or G-Punk, as they like to call it) guns when everyone else in that relatively short-lived trend has either gone away or thrown that style overboard. But on the other hand, what HED has to say on its fourth album, "Only In Amerika", is so exhausted, so cliched, and so downright dumb in places that the record sounds dated almost as soon as it starts playing.

Slimmed down from a six-piece with a new drummer (former OTEP skinsman Moke) and guitar player, HED still centers around the schizophrenic vocals of band leader Jahred, whose lyrics often attempt to sound threatening or dangerous but come across as faintly ridiculous. His over-the-top use of "fuck," "bitch," "pussy," and various other golden oldies may still seem shocking to him but now come across as juvenile or petty. Most nonsensical of all may be "War", which veers from lyrics about splitting the atom to fucking someone "doggy on the stairs." Most of the rest of the tunes spend their time railing against enemies ranging from the corporate music industry to Al Qaeda to the many other "sluts" and "faggots" who make Jahred's life miserable.

There is a certain raw energy and frenzy to the music here that was missing from the band's slicker "Blackout" (2003), although the necessarily low-budget production renders a lot of the sounds quite thin as well. That leaves most of the burden on Jahred's shoulders, but his rants just begin to all sound the same after a while.

Jahred likes to paint himself as some sort of martyr at the altar of corporate rock, claiming that record labels are too afraid of his brand of illicit-drugs-sex-and-violence-drenched music, and he may have a point there. There's also the possibility that much of the material carries a satirical edge, but that's hard to discern amidst all the chest-beating, latent homophobia, and misogyny. It could also just be that less and less people care about the tired, overwrought, woman-hating, gay-bashing stupidity that makes up HED's view of the world. Jahred should at least appreciate the fact that only in America could someone have so little to say and still find a venue to say it.

- Don Kaye

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermo...px?reviewID=226

damn all these OIA album reviews were hatin like shit on OIA! well fuck all of those reviewers cause i love OIA!

headbanger

Well, even though I do think OIA deserved more than a 4, the review is completely accurate. I mean, when you think about it, there really is nothing appealing about the album what-so-ever. Terrible lyrics, atrocious production, etc. For some reason, I do still like it, because it's (hed), but from the view of a casual music listener, this album is a piece of shit. I don't expect anyone other than the most hardcore (hed) fans to like it.

Also, Blabbermouth sucks at reviewing 90% of the time. There's only one reviewer that really knows what he's talking about, and even he fucks up sometimes.

:only in amerika: is raw, it has power. This first time I popped that disc in my player I was so happy; I loved how wrong and dirty it came across, right from the opening Foreplay. After a few months the profanity and dirtiness lost it's satirical edge for me and I began to take it too seriously; that is the worst thing you can do with this album. If you like at it as a satire of hip hop lyrics and themes, it is a great listen, but if you tale Jah seriously with what he's saying here, then the listen suffers. At this time I take the album for the way it is, and I love it headbanger

word nigga i just say if someone talks negative about OIA they shud stop doing anything what they doing with music and go change their diapers cuz ill shit in theirs !!! fuck them i mean oia is a fuckin great album and people that are in the bussines theirselves cannot say that OIA is a terrible album if so they just suck hitlerballz this is not an opinion this is a FACT fuckers !!

hell yeah, that shit was like in your face dont give a fuck! i loved it!

and LMAO at what DJ Hex said hahaha!

ah well some mofos bring out the worst in me !!

:o :P :lol:
lmao lol hahahaha funny niggaa lol

:only in amerika: imo, is an album u shouldnt take seriously
it's all taking the piss out of typical american stuff lol
and its absolutely hilarious and awesome headbanger

anyone who takes OIA seriously, really needs to get help
Parental Advisory headbanger

in my opinion OIA is by far the weakest (hed) album.

i loved oia its just not very acceptable to most people its just feeled with profanity u have to be angry to like it and iam one angry mofo lol