Artist: Depth Charge Album: Nine Deadly Venoms

Year: 1994
Duration: 0:0-1

A Critical Review of the Album: Nine Deadly Venoms by Depth Charge

If you’re on the hunt for music that triggers your adrenaline spikes and takes you on a thrilling ride of high-energy tracks, you’re at the right place! Depth Charge, a one-man act by Jon Saul Kane, has been delivering electrifying tracks since his time as DJ Depth Charge in the 90s. Nine Deadly Venoms, his fourth album released in 1998, is considered one of his best works. In this blog, we will be taking a closer look at this masterpiece of an album - the artist's history, the genre, the best songs, the innovative parts, and a critical review of the album.

Depth Charge has long been a veteran in the electronic music scene and Nine Deadly Venoms attests to that. The album is a mix of breakbeat, hip-hop, and electronics, while the artwork of the album is inspired by Hong Kong Kung-Fu films of the 70s. Kane's unique approach to composing the tracks involved experimenting with sampling techniques, which added to the music's unique flavor. The album is perfect for fans of high-energy breakbeats and hip-hop, as it offers an adrenaline-pumping mix of both genres.

‘Bounty Killer II’, undoubtedly, stood out as one of the best tracks on the album. The hard-hitting beats, sampled drum loops, and the vocal samples of the African American comedian, Rudy Ray Moore, made it a powerhouse of a track. Another standout track was ‘Goal’, with its funky bass lines, breakbeat loops, and hip-hop beats, and the samples of commentator Gus Johnson and the classic kung-fu movie Enter the Dragon.

One of the innovative parts of the album was the artist's use of samples. Kane's usage of extracting vocal parts from old black exploitation movies, such as 'Dolemite' and 'Shaft,' and adding them to the tracks, added to the unique feel of the album. The tracks also presented a style of bold experimentation, which is why Nine Deadly Venoms has been considered ahead of its time.

However, the only critique of the album could be that some of the tracks lacked the same energy as the rest. The tracks 'Narcotic Squawk' and 'Number 9' were considered slightly slower than the others and could have been better placed in the album's sequence.

In conclusion, Nine Deadly Venoms is an outstanding album that any electronic and hip-hop music lover should have in their collection. With its bold experimentation of samples, high-energy breakbeats, and hip-hop beats, the album stands out as one of Depth Charge's strongest works. Despite a couple of minor flaws, the album remains a classic of the electronic music genre and has rightfully earned its place as a cult classic.