ARTIST: Army Of The Pharaohs ALBUM: The Torture Papers AUTHOR: Mrs. Grudge RELEASED: March 21st TRACKS: 13 RATING: 4/5

Before we get down to reviewing the tracks. I'll share a few comments. One disappointment to the album was Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind who is Jedi Mind Tricks producer did not produce a single track on the album. Instead they used a lot of no name producers from Europe; however this album is still filled with crack beats. The album cover was rather disappointing; I felt they put to much random crap in there. Very amateurish, I give the album cover a 3/5. The title for the album is crazy, the Torture Papers; Sounds raw as fuck. One thing about this album, it's very diverse, 11 emcee's make up Army of the pharaohs.

Track 1: Battle Cry (5/5)

This track is fucking bananas. This was AOTP's first single for the album. The beat is done by Shuko. The sample was flipped very well, and has a very epic feeling. 9 out of the 11 emcee's in AOTP just rip it; you could say its sort of a wu tang style. Apathy starts it out with an ill ass verse, "I throw more blows then boxing doctor octavious". Then King Syze drops the best verse I've ever heard right after, "Plus I, testify, that it's best you find the truth/ deep down under a mountain of lies", Followed by Crypt who comes with that ill delivery. Planetary also drops a sick ass verse. Paz, Des Devious & Celph Titled did not bring the heat in my opinion.

Track 2: Gorillas (5/5)

This is another great 5/5 track on the album. By now your thinking this is going to be the greatest album ever. The beat is great, Crypt starts it off strong. Esoteric then comes up with very nice flow, though hard to understand what he's saying as usual. Vinnie Paz comes swinging through with a ill ass hook. Apathy comes through to, but his verse isn't nearly as good as the other three. And Plantetary fucking kills it at the end.

Track 3: Henry The 8th (4.5/5)

Based on the song title, you know Paz is on it. Many people think this is the best track on the album. At first I didn't really like it, I though the beat was kinda lack-luster. But its actually raw as fuck. Paz starts it off with ill delivery followed by kamachi and a energetic hook. Reef fucking kills this track.
Reef the lost cause:
double crossin some abominable bitches
you a fuckin fruitcake like what my aunt serves at christmas
my darts relentless and we ain't tryin to be friends
my gun attached to my hip like a Siamese twin

This track also ends with Planetary.

Track 4: Pull The Pins Out (3/5)

A lot of people felt this track might have been the worst on the album. It's a let down because it only has two emcees which are Esoteric and Celph Title who have worked together a few times before anyway. The hook is alright, esoteric has good flow but his speech impediment gets annoying. Celph Title has a pretty nice verse but no real good quotables, "You hear the Wu Tang torture skit and start having seizures" is one line that sticks out from his verse. The beat is pretty good though if you ask me.

Track 5: Tear It Down (4.5/5)

"Tear It Down" is the "The Torture Papers" 2nd single and first music video. At first listen you think what the hell this doing on the album is. It has that 90's boom bap feel with an ill scratching chorus. What you see about this, is Torture Papers isn't some Jedi Mind Trick Dark type of rap. It's suppose to be very diverse, and a throw back to the 90's style. Tear It Down has a very good beat, with hard hitting drums that get your head rockin. Reef, Planetary and Paz all just flow to the beat. One line that sticks out is when Planetary goes "You soft like underhand pitching".

Track 6: Into The Arms Of Angels (3.5/5)

Here we have a softer track. It's a concept song where Faez One, Crypt & Vinnie Paz all talk about life and family struggles. The track is pretty deep, though most people believe this didn't fit the albums theme. I liked the way they flipped the sample. One line that I like is crypt goes "Put my son on my back and walk through the obstacles". Paz talks deeply about his family. The end is priceless, I literally laughed out loud because at the end he goes "Beat you down and then hug you, then tell you I love you daddy".

Track 7: The Torture Papers (5/5)

This is also a fav track of mine. The beat is pretty crack, it's sampled from a rock song it seems. I believe Apathy produced this track. Celph Title, Planetary and Apathy all flow to this shit. Celph goes "You don't need alcohol in your system to be feeling the shot".

Track 8: Listen Up (3.5/5)

Celph Title and Crypt make up this track. The beat is kind of annoying, and esoteric gets kind of boring by now. Celph starts off the track and ends his verse with "I'm smiling while holding my gun, im trigger happy". Crypt ends it with his amazing mic skills. The beat is what really killed the track though, it could have been a lot better

Track 9: All Shall Perish (4/5)

This track at first was a decent filler track. But this track is actually pretty nice, the beat has a nice "splash effect". My guess is Shuko produced this track. Kamachi sounds raw as fuck. King Syze is a big disappointment on the whole album if you ask me, on battle cry he murks it. But on his other tracks his voice sounds so weak. Vinnie Paz comes through with the best verse, in the beginning he just goes "were killing everyone, Gods next". I believe Crypt is on the hook also.

Track 10: Wrath Of Gods (3/5)

This track starts off with Apathy rapping his "demigod" style. He comes off pretty nice, "I make green like chlorophyll". Esoteric comes with the worst accent ever, sounds like he got a shit load of salvia in his mouth. It has a pretty decent scratching hook. Planetary comes correct as usual, "You crying like little bitches like new borns that are teethin". Des Devious ends it, I though it was kamachi at first because Des sounds raw as fuck on this track. The beat is probably the worst on the album though. lot.

Track 11: Narrow Grave (4/5)

Chief Kamachi fucking kills this track. His verse is pure flames, "Underground like where the dead bone marrow lays". Really though this track is worth it just because Kamachi rips it a new ass hole. King Syze comes off weak though, and Planetary doesn't come as strong as he did his other verses.

Track 12: Feast Of Wolves (5/5)

This is another fav track of mine. The beat for this is pretty insane. Paz starts it off strong followed by Apathy. But my God, Celph Titled fucking kills it. He probably has the best verse on the whole album

Celph Titled

"Is there heaven for a gangsta? No, but there's hell for a faggot"

"Put stairs in my rap booth, now we stepping our rap game up"

"I don't need to say Gods name in vein to get my soldiers to Blast-for-me (blasphemy)"

Track 13: King Amongst Kings (4/5)

I'm not positive, but I believed 7L produced this track. There's a little growl that makes me like this beat. All emcee's kill this beat though. Paz probably spits his best verse on the album on this track.

Paz kills it:
"Hey yo my flow is pain, I feel nothing im bleeding Novocain"

"I cobra clutch mics put your fucking soul in flames/ Take a hold of you and scold you with Jehovah name"

"The only thing that makes me happier is bleeding cops"

Celph Titled ends it the track and the album nicely. "I open my mouth flames come out/ you're a snitch when you open your mouth names come out", "I do the work of the devil, I'm a hell of a guy".

And that's the Torture papers. Finally after 8 years, they got together and made it. Paz says there will be a sophomore album. Anyway this album was pretty good. It's def an album that grows on you, after a few listens I have about 6 or 7 songs that I really liked from the album, which is a lot so it was def worth the listen. Every time I listen to the album I find a new track that I really dig. So def get this album, give it 2 listens and you should enjoy it.

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