From its first ominous notes, it’s quickly apparent Czarface’s collaboration with DOOM — Czarface Meets MetalFace — is here to shake things up. The sonically lethal combination of Inspectah Deck, 7L and Esoteric has historically produced studio magic — from 2013’s self-titled debut to last year’s First Weapon Drawn.
Coupled with DOOM’s dark, abstract aesthetics, Czarface Meets MetalFace brings the comic book underworld to the surface while unintentionally schooling the emerging rap generation at the same time.
“When we are starting a project, there is always one song that sets off the progress of the album,” 7L told HipHopDX. “I think everything we did after ‘Meddle With Metal’ was just what came natural. I don’t ‘think’ we are trying to school anyone, we just like to let things happen organically.”
Like on “Bomb Thrown,” Deck seems to put aspiring rappers on blast with lines like, “Nowadays they respect money more than power/ Money, power, respect, we all want some/ I ain’t waitin’, I needed it, one lump sum/ Made men trade hands with young guns/ They stopped manufacturin’ the cloth I’m cut from.”
Then, Eso picks up where Deck leaves off with, “Geez, I teach but I kill them when the class on/ So I got no pupils like Spidey with the mask on.”
Although the superhero/villain dichotomy is (unsurprisingly) represented throughout the 16-track project, each MC manages to invigorate the concept with an astonishing number of pop culture references and the kind of dense wordplay Wu-Tang Clan was birthed on. From lines about “Q-Tip’s Grammy rant” to Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s twins, they’ve got their fingers on the pulse of what’s happening.
Production-wise, The Czar-Keys (7L, Jeremy Page and Todd Spadafore) make sure the whole album is steeped in traditional boom-bap beats and effortlessly capture a raw New York sound. The driving rhythm of “Nautical Depth” hits like a sledge hammer while “Astral Traveling” featuring Vinnie Paz switches things up throughout the track, swinging from cadence to cadence.
However, this isn’t a simple listen. The lyrical punches fly faster than a speeding bullet, making it impossible to digest the staggering amount of content in a single sitting. It requires an acute attention to detail and several run-throughs to truly capture the brilliance of the project. Elsewhere, the multiple comic book interludes neither detract or add to the overall soundscape and frankly, start to feel frivolous when the continuity of the album is consistently compromised.
As Deck, Eso and DOOM declare on “MF Czar,” Czarface Meets MetalFace is their “antidote” to the commercial rap currently dominating the airwaves. As part of that remedy, they drop an abundance of knowledge along the way, proving they’re still unapologetically deadly with a pen — no weapon needed.
MF DOOM and Dr. Octagon already dropped the best albums of 2018. I like Dr. Octagons album more though.
DOOM and czarface just dropped the best rap album of the year
What the fuck is you smokin? Its March! The year aint done yet SMH!
Wow ur slow. So far this year I teenager
DOOM top 5 GOAT. This goes hard
I definitely got to cop this when it drops
6/5
Mathematically 5/5 is a 1
This album isn’t solid front to back. Could do without the interludes, but the beats, the lyrics, all grimes and classic. Harkens back to 90s boom bap, with a dark undertone. Not gonna be a Stan and call it a classic. It’s not mm…food, not classic wu tang releases but it’s a refreshing break from the alternative, emo shit we get these days. I’ll defintely go back to this release for months to come.
Entertaining yet very compelling and challening. Everything is on point here, 7L’s production is original and enjoyable, DOOM, Inspectah Deck & Esoteric all deliver great verses, but it’s not perfect in terms of replay value.
So WTF did u give it a 4/5 for then, BLOOD? lmao
This albums fire, top tier lyricists right there!
BESt album of the year so far. Hands down. If you don’t agree, eat a dick!
??
Antidote!
YOOOOOO its too early to call this album of the year lets be realBUT it stands a good ass chance. all 3 emcees go in, that Czarface chemistry is so tight, Doom blends in so fire….close call like new York / new jersey! so much fire shit on here, hip-hop ain’t going nowhere.
Esoteric is trash
MF Czar is the Antidote!!!. This album is amazing as all hell.
This album is fucking amazing and there isn’t a single bad track
I’m sorry but right now album of the year is SKYZOO CELEBRATION OF US and it’s a pure classic I’ve yet to hear any album to top it because I think Evidence WEATHER OR NOT album comes close then the PRHYME 2 album comes after that.
Elzhi and Khrysis on Jericho Jackson is fire. Evidence came with heat too.
You sleeping on Victory lap
I’m confused by all the 5/5 ratings as I find this really difficult to enjoy…
And I’m a big fan of Doom
Jk I honestly hate doom and hip hop in general, I just hate everything. Tupac is fucking trash and so is biggie. I just visited this website to let you all know how only bitches listen to hip hop. Come listen to real music like zedd and alok.
Lmaooo
That Zedd Guy looks like he likes it in the butt
Dr Octagons album is better
Album of the year. Don’t @ me
Great album spare a few cringe worthy corn bars from Esoteric and that Open Mike Eagle verse was just plain lame. Also, DOOM needs to refrain from beating a dead horse by way of rhyming wrestling with mescaline.
100
This is the second time I got a mf room album. And is the second time I’ve been mad af I wasted my money. The first time was the “mmm… food”. I played that shyt the my boys just laughed til I toke that shyt out. Mf room is the most overrated underground rapper of all time
U need to step your writing up too, but dude is trash
fantastic album…really well crafted
This album sounded very depressive. Boring beats. And don’tget me started this is underground rap or boombap rap. I heard much better then this. I fell asleep listening to MF Doom which is a very overrated rapper and Deck also sounded very tired. I have nothing against old rappers but talking about some superhero shit? Really? Please hang up the mic. At this point in hiphop we need new fresh and creative rappers not some 90’s rap copycats or traprappers or rappers only rapping for their pension.
WOW. You are definitely a Drake fan. Your opinion couldn’t be more off. Probably just trolling. Anyways, eat a dick. MF is one of the greatest to ever do it, hands down.
Allways dumbasses reacting with go listen to Migo’s or Drake.
Well go listen to Nas Illmatic or Biggie’s Ready To Die.
I don’t even k is how to respond to this. Doom overrated? Let me guess you think Migos “Culture 2” is a classic right?
beastin
It’s a dope album. I rank this one up there with the Mmm…Food, Danger Doom, and Madvillian albums. Bomb thrown has been on heavy rotation for a week. They dropped the video on YouTube early. I love the comic references and interludes. The lyricism over dope beats. Great album
I gotta say I am a big fn of Czarface. But this album I don’t get all the love for it. Its a cool album but its not better than Every Hero Needs a Villain. This is their best album the features production ….. This album has its moments. I can only think that people are caught off hype or its an album that grows on you. aybe I will wait and see
WU = GOATs
Superior album. Doom brings a unique aura to every project. Deck is still at the top of his craft and Esoterics word play is dope af. great project!
MF Doom + Mos def = Top 10 Emcees
Cmon! Its simple mathematics!
Fact is, Doom isn’t for everybody. That’s kinda the point with his dry humor and obscure references. Fans of Doom be hitting replay, deciphering different meanings; others don’t get or care to get the superhero/villain angle that has been Doom ever since his King Geedorah alias. (King Geedorah was an underground gem, “Take me to your Leader.’
I caught on the the Czarface train mad late, I didn’t even know Deck teamed up with 7L and Esoteric but this album with DOOM. YOOOOO, this album is just pure geeky hip hop euphoria. Its so nice to hear DOOM on the mic again, only downside is I would’ve liked to hear him produce more tracks on this but regardless the production on this thing was DOPE AF
just bought it today cannot stop listening to it highly recommended
Hip Hop at its finest!
Dis dat shyt…
Very disappointed. Big fan of the 1st Czarface LP. Didn’t get the 2nd, but I liked what I heard. This getting such a strong review on here helped persuade me to support this project. However, this is far from a 4.3. Never been a big fan of Doom, but I was interested to see if this collaboration may bring a different side of him out. The production is a snooze fest. Hardly any energy on the majority of the beats, which totally doesn’t compliment Deck’s abilities at all, but does fit Doom’s monotone bland delivery that I’ve never been big on. Aside from the beats, with 3 talented emceez, they should have been able to come with something more creative/conceptual/ or even just pushed each other more lyrically, but there are few verses that even make u want to play it back. Not calling this trash, but could have been better. In a time of garbage Hip-Hop everywhere you look, I’ll support this every time because it is that raw Hip-Hop, but after giving this repeated listens, this is lackluster.
There were only a couple of beats that immediately jumped out and made me take notice, but I felt that way about the other 3 Czarface projects for the most part. Nothing compared to the earlier 7L & Eso projects where the beats were the highlights and 7L’s style was heavily DJ Premier influenced. I will say, this project will grow on you so don’t give up on 1 or 2 listens. Also I thought Esoteric really came through with the punchlines on this and a lot that you won’t catch on 1 listen.
5/5