*Important notes
I will be reviewing the version with the bonus tracks, not the original plain release
I also have the version with the comic - I might talk about that at a later time and include it in with the graphics section, but right now I will not be discussing it
I do not have the version of W.I.C.K.E.D. with the enhanced disk, so I will not be speaking on it.
Released in 2009, W.I.C.K.E.D. is Twiztid's top-selling and most widely-received album of all time! To date, of course. This makes it a very important entry in their career by default, and this is also shown by the fact that there are four different versions of the album: There is the original fifteen-track version of the album, as well as the version that came with a comic book and was sold exclusively at Hot Topic. Then there is the version that came with an "enhanced CD" which contained some music videos, and lastly the version with three extra bonus tracks on the CD.
Graphics:
This CD has a lot to it. I'll be posting the cover art below, it's a picture of Jamie Madrox and Monoxide Child set against a solid black background. They're rocking suits, Paul is chilling and Madrox is looking ferocious. It's neat, has their logo and the album title on it.
On the back is the track listing, of course, and differs from other versions of the album only in that it has three more tracks listed, since this is the version with three bonus tracks that I will discuss in more detail. The CD cover is a booklet, it has some art in it, and a crap ton of pictures of Monoxide and Madrox. All the production credits are near the back end of the booklet, and there's a cut-out activity on the back of the booklet. I'm not really into those kinds of things, but if you feel like having a paper-mache coffin then you can do that. I'm not sure if the art is consistent across both versions of the CD, though. These CDs also come with one of those Psychopathic trading cards - I'm not really into that, but I think they're cool. Each one comes with a different card potentially, I got Monoxide this time around.
The CD art looks like someone's face, ashen and lips stitched together, with lifeless red eyes. In the CD rest there's art of an old-looking door in a deteriorated house, blood oozing out from the crack between the door and the frame. Wicked is written stylistically on the wall, probably in blood.
Content:
This CD is excellent. It's also really different in comparison to other works by Twiztid, even given that all of their work is unique. This is some heavy shit ninja, the CD has some tracks that are just noisy and loud and smash. Killer production, some of these tracks just really get you really excited and belligerent, ready to rip someone's throat out. Of course, a good Samaritan like I would never really condone such violent acts in real life.
Another great thing about the CD is that while there are many tracks here that are very horrorcore in sound, this album also contains a lot of guitar and heavy guitar, even going to the point where it might be mistaken as metal - screaming and all. Admin isn't the biggest fan of metal - I actually dislike metal quite a bit, but here it seems like a welcome addition among all the murder and madness. Expect some rock and heavy-rock influenced songs. It's one of the factors that helps paint W.I.C.K.E.D. as a very unique entry in their career.
Like I said before, this is some heavy shit, and not just in the sense that it's really loud and belligerent. There's a real sadistic and unholy presence on this CD, going from torture to the celebration of hell and back, they really let loose on the dark morals this time around. I absolutely love the blatant display of human evil here, and every little detail they added really helped to amplify that feeling of despair and madness. The lyricism goes all over too; songs about suicide, being alone, insanity and so forth; it's not just an hour of mindless murder music. Every song on this album is blessed with great production, and Twiztid went all out on this CD - it shows. I could easily peg this as their darkest release, and that is a really special thing to be able to do.
There are three bonus tracks on this CD: Catch The Show, Gothic Chick, and It Don't Stop. They are a welcome addition to the album, but there's an issue present here that I think most albums with bonus tracks also suffer from. The end of the album is very conclusive, and the bonus tracks can feel glued on in that respect of things. This is something I think can only be helped so much, since bonus tracks aren't actually structured into the actual content of the original album. Cases where bonus tracks meld in seamlessly with the rest of the album are few and far inbetween, and this isn't one of those rare cases. While it doesn't take away from the ability to enjoy the original tracks on the album, it can feel pretty tacked on, though not exactly to the point of disappointment. On top of that, the extra songs don't really fit in with the rest of the album. The bonus tracks themselves are all good songs musically, even in light of everything else, and are still enjoyable to listen to. You can very much feel the fact that they are additions to the album, and aren't part of the original work.
There are also four versions of the album, so which one is the best? You decide. But I don't recommend getting the plain release, since the other versions aren't much more expensive or hard-to-find. With that last note, I'm going to conclude this review, fams.
I highly recommend this album! It's an absolutely stellar release and deserved all the attention it got! On top of that, it's a unique entry in their career and has a great sound!
"W.I.C.K.E.D." by Twiztid recieves a: 3.8/5!
(It's all good pizza, homie!)
Strong points:
- Strong production with a variety of noise; lots of rock and heavy-rock influences that make the album stand out in Twiztid's career.
- This is a very dark, demonic, and murderous entry in Twiztid's career; moreso than most of Twiztid's other works. It's another reason that the album stands out heavily in Twiztid's career.
- Loud, bumping, and smash as fuck! Belligerent and noisy, this album is really heavy.
- Cool graphics with lots of content, while also being a bit simplistic
Weak points:
- While the bonus tracks are good songs, they don't really fit in with the rest of the album, especially since the outro feels so conclusive. They're tacked-on, but that's not really that big of an issue here.
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