Coming to prominence with their caustic, underground shattering debut mixtape Dead Bodies In The Lake in 2015, it’s been a wild decade for New Jersey gone LA alt punk duo Ho99o9. With two studio albums and heaps of mixtapes and EP’s released in between, the band caught the attention of a wide berth of folks, touring with everyone from Slipknot, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Ministry to The Prodigy, Cypress Hill and Ghostface Killah. With new album Tomorrow We Escape, the intentions are clear at reaching a wider audience as the duo team with MNRK Heavy for their third studio album.
The intention behind Tomorrow We Escape is to take it in as an album experience, with plenty of mixtapes and single focussed releases prior, it’s the most focussed the band have been thus far in their career with presenting a cohesive and flowing album. The material within is focused on more personal exploration from Ho99o9, still retaining the unbridled fury and chaotic edge from earlier material but mixing it up throughout. Even from the opening track, “I Miss Home (feat. MoRuf)”, a different energy creeps its way in; spoken word poetry over a low-key beat, dreamy instrumental and thought-provoking lyrical content.
“A sentiment which extends throughout the album’s run as one smooth experience, even with such a range of sounds and styles on display; the band’s prolific reputation for genre mash-ups and experimentation still holding true.”
The following “Escape” eases the chaos in, hitting more of an alt-rock territory, evoking Deftones goes punk energy, an attempt to appeal to a more mainstream audience that works well enough but feels a bit thin, starting things off on a bit of a strange footing. Thankfully, from the erratic synths and pounding beats of “Target Practice” onwards, Ho99o9 let loose their grizzled bars and caustic screams, showing off some of the best material of their career so far. The flow is seamless straight into “OK, I’m Reloaded” for a The Prodigy inspired industrial electronic hammering, big beats and big bars.
A sentiment which extends throughout the album’s run as one smooth experience, even with such a range of sounds and styles on display; the band’s prolific reputation for genre mash-ups and experimentation still holding true. From the psychedelic lo-fi synths and atmospherics of “Psychic Jumper”, the zero bullshit political hardcore punk fury of the aptly named “LA Riots” or the abrasive metal inspired guest production from Yung Skrrt on lead single “Upside Down”. It all indisputably works, where some older material may have felt like ill-fitting jigsaw pieces punched together at times (adding to the charm of it), Tomorrow We Escape is the functioning formula.
It wouldn’t be a Ho99o9 project without some features, either, and the album has plenty. From the aforementioned production from Yung Skrrt, poetry from Mo Ruf on the opening track, a synth beat cooked up by Charlie Russel and Sam Matlock of Wargasm for “Target Practice” and being more subtle touches; the more overt features make for some of the best tracks on the album. Big single “Incline” featuring instrumentals and vocals from Nova Twins that feel massive and in line with the gritty mash-ups of their first album, a verse from long time collaborator Pink Siifu and Yung Skrrt.
The duo that features at the tail end of the album couldn’t contrast each other any better. “Tapeworm” features a vocal from Better Lovers/ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan frontman Greg Puciato, supposedly recorded back in 2018. The opening sample is reminiscent of “Eyeless” from Slipknot, the song locks into frenetic beats that steadily become more unhinged, with both Ho99o9 and Puciato’s vocals deteriorating into demonic ravings and almost touches into grind core. Followed immediately by the soft ethereal vocals of Chelsea Wolfe introducing the much-needed breather with the introspective intimacy and down tempo “Immortal”, with her samples being manipulated throughout the track to add to the soft but unsettling vibes.
Much like with their lauded chaotic live shows, Ho99o9 want to close with a bang, which they do with “Godflesh”. Inspired by the band of the same namesake, the industrial beatings laying a foundation for challenging the lyrical spirits of older material, middle fingers to the American climate and the band cathartically unleashing bedlam in a finale furore. Whilst starting in a bit of an odd place for some old-heads, perhaps, it’s well worth sticking through for some of Ho99o9’s best work to date. Whether getting away from disorder, addiction, pain, suffering, this album is intended to be an escape from any of it, a feat that Tomorrow We Escape nails.