More about: ho99o9

Ho99o9 (pronounced Horror) and its Deathkult leaders, Yeti Bones and theOGM are an all-American nightmare whose genre-transcending sound—an anarchic mutation of hardcore punk, death rap, and industrial metal—is as unpredictable and undefinable as it is infectious. And like a parasite burrowing underneath your skin, their sophomore LP will fuck you up!

Since their formation in New Jersey over a decade ago, Ho99o9 have kicked the shit out of genre boundaries, pissing off gatekeepers in equal measure. Following a decade of relentless noise, including their 2014 debut EP Mutant Freax, the 2015 mixtape Dead Bodies in the Lake, their 2017 debut LP United States of Horror, and the illicit 2019 EP Cyber Cop [Unauthorized MP3.], the mad scientists of self-expression have found a co-conspirator—blink-182 drummer Travis Barker—to assist them in the lab/studio, mixing heavy elements into a hyper-intense compound known as SKIN.

Opening with 'NUGE SNIGHT', the vampiric trio sink their fangs into the neck of murderous, incarcerated Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight; extracting his brutality (his reputation as CEO of the groundbreaking hip-hop label has always been synonymous with violence) and layering it into a complex instrumental. Add Yeti Bones and theOGM's guttural lung-work over the unnerving electro-grindcore and the track perfectly captures the essence of fear Death Row once evoked. It's a vibe that permeates throughout SKIN. They set the tone and you're either going to welcome it, or fear it...

Sampling Iggy Pop's infamous "I fucking hate that fucking techno shit! I will fight you ’till you die!" rant, thou shalt not fuck with Ho99o9 on 'BATTERY NOT INCLUDED', an Al Jourgensen/Ministry-esque cataclysm of abrasive thrash riffs and punishing percussion. 'BITE MY FACE' hits just as hard ("She said my knife too sharp / She said my clothes too dark") with distorted industrial savagery and an unhinged performance from Slipknot's Corey Taylor. Taylor's involvement came after embracing an earlier track Ho99o9 released on the Cyber Cop [Unauthorized MP3.] EP, that sampled Slipknot's 'Tattered & Torn' and 'Only One'...without the band's permission. The risk paid off.

'SLO BREAD' (featuring UGK's legendary Bun B) provides listeners with a moment to breathe before the menacing 'THE WORLD, THE FLESH, THE DEVIL' and maniacal 'PROTECT MY BITCH PT.2' intimidates with scuzzy doom-laden beats. At the halfway mark, Ho99o9 show restraint during the swirling distortion of '...SPEAK OF THE DEVIL' before kicking into high gear with 'SKINHEAD'; a hypnotic spoken-word verse from hip-hop poet Saul Williams punctuating the Bad Brains-style punk energy Yeti Bones and theOGM exude.

'LOWER THAN SCUM' is an aural assault of whiplash-inducing "hardcore, psychopathic material" grinding into the sinister groove of 'DEVIL AT THE CROSSROADS' before bopping into anti-establishment rager 'LIMITS' (with guest vocals from Jasiah). Closing with the bone-rattling, skull-shattering 'DEAD OR ASLEEP', Ho99o9 spontaneously combust with style; their nightmarish LP annihilating mediocrity. “Titties out for Jesus, bitch/keep the same energy.”

Unapologetic about who they are, and unafraid to get confrontational, the Ho99o9ific rap-punk duo's uncompromising creative freedom has resulted in a cathartic record that deconstructs hip-hop, punk rock, heavy metal, and "that fucking techno shit!" Like a slasher flick, they stalk their prey, cutting through the metaphorical flesh and bone of established genres. This is the Ho99o9 ethos and they demand your attention.

SKIN is out now.

Issue Three of the Gigwise Print magazine is preselling now! Order here.

More about: ho99o9