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Reviews > Album Reviews > Anybody Killa – Shapeshifter: Prelude

Shapeshifter: Prelude

Saturday 24th October, 2015 by Xanarki | 0 Comments

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It has been over three years since Anybody Killa released any solo material (the Perception vs. Reality EP), and much longer since a full length album (Medicine Bag). To appease the fans and give a taste of what’s to come for ABK, the new Shapeshifter: Prelude release is more than just a sampler. In actuality, it’s the start of a new chapter for ABK, and a fairly decent one at that.

1. Shapeshifter
2. The Middle
3. Warrior Wear
4. Call Me Crazy
5. Love Life
6. Oh My God
7. My Best Friends

For those of you that don’t know, the full length Shapeshifter album has been in the works for quite sometime. In order to prove that ABK is still hard at work, Shapeshifter: Prelude is a sign of things to come. The opening track “Shapeshifter” has already become a staple of ABK’s live performances. The verses has ABK use his low toned voice to create an eerie yet drastically different style than what most people have come to expect from him. It meshes well with the overall vibe of the song. The guitar riff which is unchanged throughout the song is hard hitting, to say the least. It packs a good punch and backs up the overall solid production of the EP.

Speaking of production, Shapeshifter: Prelude is a drastic improvement over the last EP. A lot of careful mixing and mastering makes this release one of ABK’s more solid and consistent releases in a long while. The consistent guitar riff idea in “Shapeshifter” is also present in “Love Life”. Both songs have a stop-and-go touch to them, and is a good direction for what’s to come for ABK.

If you’re a fan of ABK’s catchy hooks, then Shapeshifter: Prelude will not disappoint. “Oh My God” is a good example of this, with a haunting chorus line that can be repeated in a listener’s head for a good while. On this EP, ABK rarely fails to create a good melody, and just about every song proves that.

The lyrical content of the EP differs from song to song. “Warrior Wear” deals with pride, while “Love Life” is self-explanatory, and “My Best Friends” is a possible homage to that lone live exclusive Tha Hav Knots track (which may or may not be unrelated). As the title of the EP implies, this is simply a prelude to the upcoming full length album, and so the diversity of the topics is to be expected, and is a breath of fresh air for the most part.

Overall, each song has its solid moments, and ABK proves that his spot in the underground is still relevant and fresh. The weakest point of the EP might be “Call Me Crazy”, which comes off as a melodic lighter-flicking song, but doesn’t have the needed spark to be a staple. The strongest part might as well be “Shapeshifter”, as the in-your-face production and vocal style is both catchy and unique in terms of ABK’s usual style. Shapeshifter: Prelude is not an EP to sleep on, and for those that have been itching for new material, then this will surely be a great holdover until the full length album.