Today’s submission is ABiCA’s album Numb.

So, these guys are sort of from my hometown, and I recognized their pictures on their website after I was assigned the story. I was also told about ABiCA from a guy at a hip hop show I was running a week ago or so. They have thousands of Facebook fans, and have played all over the country. I truly am happy for them. It’s hard to gain respect these days as a hip hop group from a predominantly affluent suburban area. In that sense, Numb is a success.

With that said, this is the kind of hip hop that I just never could get into. Their songs are full of angst and hostility, and in that sense, it is the perfect suburban album. I can see these kids driving around Algonquin, writing songs about how everything and everyone sucks. I can respect that, as I think artists are directly influenced by where they came up, and in a town where everyone has money but nobody has culture, its not hard to feel isolated.

Unfortunately, the worst part of this album is the music. It might just be me, but hip hop with heavily distorted electric guitars playing power chords has fallen out of favor with people like me. They spell their name with capital and lower-case letters, and I felt like a 13-year-old kid again, sneaking in my Limp Bizkit CDs into my parents house because they had “parental advisory” stickers on them. The cuts on Numb remind me of the music I listened to in junior high, and not in a good way. I feel like these dudes might have a chance to play the Gathering of the Juggalos this year, and I believe they would fit right in with that crowd. “Take This Way” is essentially an Insane Clown Posse b-side.

Obviously, I am in the minority of people that have listened to ABiCA and not liked it, as they appear to have a modest regional following. In that sense, I really am happy for them. However, the songs aren’t very good, and I felt like I was a “tween” again, rebelling to the sounds of white people rapping about feeling alone. If you’re into horrorcore rap, or the hybrid nu-metal/hip hop genre, Numb is right up your alley. However, I’m not into either of those things, and I have a feeling my high school reunion is now going to be five times more awkward than it was before.