OBNOX - Savage Raygun 2LP

A sprawling double LP, Savage Raygun distills everything Obnox excels at into a potent potable and even adds some new spirits to the concoction. As always, Obnox (aka LAMONT THOMAS) supplies a heavy brew smoky with an intense flavor and bright with a zest you can’t forget.

Obnox’s fourth full-length for Ever/Never, Savage Raygun is twenty songs thick, and each one is primed for maximum damage. This double-shot is a veritable Whitman’s Sampler of multiple methods to slay the discerning listener.

Soulful cuts such as “Supernatural” and “Blessed Black Soldier” are like ‘90s R&B turned on its head and spun til it can’t tell down from up. “How To Build A Bum” is a hip-hop slammer, a golden age throwback, a basketball jersey that gives you confidence when you sport it. “Return Fire” utilizes scratchy funk to approximate the aftermath to a shoot-out, blazing towards the state line. “Misery” continues with the ‘70s vibe, sounding like the lull between disco bangers.

“Hawkwindian Summer” is more than yet another award-winning pun by Thomas as it cruises by like a Ford Escort blasting psych rock from in-the-red and shredded speakers. “She (Was About That Life)” adds a vintage sheen to Obnox’s trademark lo-fi scorch and throws an extra dollop of swing on top. “Cut Me A Switch” is another hip-hop cut that dumps a mess of noise in Run DMC’s lap and updates both genres for circa now’s paranoid style.

“Party Starter” lives up to its title, coming correct with a case of malt liquor and strafing suckas left and right like EPMD. On “Scenicide,” Thomas channels his rage with electric eels-level guitar damage and still manages to float a lovely melody on the chorus—Kids, try this at home!