The influence of the external world is often the cause and has been responsible for some of the most thought-provoking and substantive music in history. In 2020, a year like no other, it feels as if there was a unanimous call to arms, a sheer denominator that had altered the palette of artists the world over. Whilst the top 40 had long been reflective of the downward spiraling zeitgeist with its stylistic overhaul that defined the latter stages of the 2010s, it seemed the bubbling undergrowth of the industry would force development. A reaction to the societal wrongs of systematic unrest and oppression, that familiar gloomy, doomy palette would be reworked as the soundtrack to cries of those who had a platform to make a change.
One of the many artists who jumped at the opportunity to vocalise their concerns was Florida native Denzel Curry. Coming from a background that fused elements of SoundCloud rap and hip-hop’s more traditional roots, few artists thrived in quite the same manner. His latest track, ‘Live From The Abyss’ is the product of propaganda with the intent to revolt, as Denzel pours his guts into this ‘fuck you’ anthem directed at Donald Trump. Whilst criticism is no foreign concept to the President, I find that few have harboured such a raw disgust and berserk demeanor towards his reforms in the same way Denzel does here. Where the ‘trendy’ appreciation for change has died out, Curry refuses to stop advocating for a positive outcome, as ‘Live From The Abyss’ feels like the diabolical be-all and end-all of the world’s struggles.
Those familiar with the Curry discography are aware that these blistering ballads, where nothing if left off the table, are somewhat of a specialty. ‘Live From The Abyss’ is no exception, as everything here feels so unapologetically rough as Denzel shows no remorse to his foe. Vocally Denzel instills this haunting tone. Drenched in these grimy synthesisers, it sounds as if he’s been possessed with just how demonic his inflections are. Chanting as if he were the puppet of a demon, those meandering beginnings act as the cradling embrace that ushers in the beginning of one of Denzel’s most berserk performances to date. Striking a particularly harrowing chord with his splintering vocals and unhinged stature, Denzel, poised in his most explicit form, feels like a nuclear bomb just waiting to explode. Spawned from such an audacious stature, we really come to understand just how urgent and alarming Curry is with his message.
It is within the message he preaches, in tandem with his delivery, that creates the auditory overload that is ‘Live From The Abyss’. Bookended by reports that capture the state of rapture, Denzel throws us into the thick of the chaos. Concerned with police brutality and the racial struggle in America, the track is yet another chance, alongside Denzel’s efforts on ‘Pig Feet’, to mourn and brood over the rather dystopian reality we find ourselves in. Pampered with the particularly stomach-churning lines such as, “I don’t fuck with my president, tried to block all Mexicans If he hear this message, please don’t send SWAT to my residence” and “I’m screamin’ “Black is beautiful,” views are probably anti-race I can see the fear in your eyes when you look in my face”, we experience just a fraction of the daunting reality Denzel faces. We are left with food for thought as these torturous weeping calls cry in desperation for change as if the unregistered voices of millions are channelled in the wreckage of Curry’s warpath.
Where the track really sets itself apart from the usual Denzel Curry canon is via the detour it takes in its production. Though it isn’t leagues away from his preferred sound of nocturnally lit hellscapes, everything here has been amplified to give his awe-inspiring stance of opposition some real grit. Built upon a spine of these off-kilter, doomsday bells, and dusty percussion, the production feels as if it’s been put through the wringer to gain its filthy roots. Things only grow more intense as the song progresses. With the addition of these mumbling war cries, it feels as if I’ve been thrown into the rioting crowds. It’s astounding just how constricting the mix feels, without ever overstepping its boundaries and becoming messy. I feel claustrophobic and as if the weight of the world rests upon the violent thrashings of the arrangement. It is downright unforgiving and uninviting in nature, yet I find that is the only way this un-sugar coated portrait of society could be presented.
Whilst Denzel is no stranger to this whole guns blazing shtick, ‘Live From The Abyss’ feels like all the usual suspects of his brand multiplied tenfold. It’s honestly astounding just how much provocative material Denzel manages to condense into the track’s short-lived presence. For it’s 1:55 run time, the song feels like an atomic bomb. Short, and anything but sweet. It’s refreshing to hear that the industry still boasts figures willing to uproot the wrongs of the world and not join the masses in brushing it under the carpet now the convenience of the fiasco has faded. ‘Live From The Abyss’ really does feel like a dystopian wasteland, and Denzel treats it as an unfiltered snapshot of our world – the sentiment of which haunts me long after the song’s conclusion.
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