ALBUM REVIEW: The Adventures of Mountain Man by Klive Kraven

Reviewed by Jamie West

 

Album Overview

After giving this album a thorough listen to over this last week, it is safe to say that Klive Kraven and The Adventures of Mountain Man really hits the mark hard, bringing a unique blend of story telling mixed with real life experiences. Definitely leaving a scar on the face of the industry with both his and Goldminded Records 1st hand forged release. A definitive top shelf 1st label release and is sure to leave you with a feeling of self realization, hindsight and understanding of what sets us apart from the people who are quick to exile with no real attempt to understand what makes us become the Mountain Man.

Klive Kraven managed to amalgamate this story telling with that dark and unique beats. The producers used definitely add their own individual twist on what the Mountain Man means to them, displaying this through their beats and the guest spots on this album combined with the producers truly make this an album to be reckoned with.

I personally rate this album with all factors combined an 7.5/10.

Track 1 • Tell The World (ft. Absoulut Karnage & True Grit)

A fantasy beat with haunting bells and eerie female vocals go hand in hand. Starts with a steady but barbaric flow, which True Grit brings with a very poetic verse touching on which appears to be about religious, political and social inequities with mislead youth as an outcome. He is “Telling The World” who is at fault and the outcome of this, truthful and gritty reality.

Then the chorus kicks in and it has that very religious, altar like eerie-ness to it, it goes really well and fits the verse that came before. The instruments used for the chorus prompts a sense of urgency to “Tell The World” about the cost of consequences of religious, social and political leaving this message as urgent as the title.

Absoulut Karnage’s comes in heavy and remorseless, i feel that his lyrics resemble that of the extremists urgency to “Tell The World” their views. very chaotic, powerful and anarchaic in his poetry. Ironic really as he lives up to his name of Absoulut Karnage.

After Absoulut Karnage drops bombs on his verse over that eeirily haunting bells and church vocals, it all paves way for the Mountan Man; Klive Kraven himslef. After Klive going for an unorthodox approach for a solo album opener by allowing True Grit and Absoulut Karnage to spit first. his voice bares down on your ears, a culmintion of the two previous verses that came before as Klive brings his savage, brutal and aggressive flow really closes the lid and nails shut the coffin.

You can truly feel the passion in this first track and can clearly see that klive was angry with the people who created the mountain man that lives in us all.

Track 2 • Shadows on The Ground (ft. Absoulut Karnage)

A more sombre beat is used, mixing it up with various stringed instruments. appears to be a Violin or Cello with a Harp string pluck, whether it was  a beat machine or real instruments it brings out that misguided and misunderstood feel to the album title of Mountain Man, leaving me to believe that this was a direct follow up to track 1.

Then after a 20 second intro Klive jumps in, on the mic; the first verse starts with heavy and strong building blocks of wordplay, as each bar seems to roll from the last one to the next. Touching on subjects of political and social segregation, again he is portraying a man who we can relate to in one way or another.

Then the chorus kicks in with a slightly broken voice as a catchy 1,2/1,2,3 beat carries on through the chorus, leaving a haunting feeling and a shiver that creeps down your spine.

Directly after this beautiful haunt, begets another slaying from Absoulute Karnage; once again he brings that on the rise state of mind that confirms that both the album Mountain Man and this song Shadows on The Ground is a very realistic view on personal and mental inequities brought forward by this segregation from social perspectives.

Leading back into that shiverous chorus which seals the end of this beautiful chaos of a tune. Brutally bashing out bars of a realistic quantity, which being sombre but serious. Finally being sealed shut by a welding of a slow turntable scratching that brings out that Hip-Hop feel.

Track 3 • Decades of Devastation

The first thing i noticed was unlike track 1 and 2 this song starts with a more upbeat guitar riff, very similar to that of AC/DC or Boston; giving an 80’s rock feel to the track.

Klive opens this track up with a little vocal speech on both him and GMD between the instrumental and the 1st verse. Klive starts spitting with instantanious bars, hitting 12 straight of the bat; showing that both Klive and Mountain Man have a lot to say. The lyrics are a powerhouse of wordplay and rhyming capability, bar after bar hits more hard than the last.

Then that chorus kicks in and even though it is partially distorted by that guitar it doesn’t have any less effect, in fact it actually adds to the mystery and the ominiousity of what has been portrayed thus far.

That being said, it all comes together, hand in hand perfection with the title of “Decades of Destruction” staying true to the Decade changes, Klive has subtly refined each part with homage of bands and samples of different decades.

Klive comes back with yet another high level verse starting with 8 bars, pacing them with different syllables and when that chorus creeps back in, it just fits so well. which leads us to the final verse from The Mountain Man, by know Klive has made it known that this isn’t a game; his seriousness mixed with his brutal bars and how he comes correct with his flow, ensuing that each follow up rhyme has more power to it.

Track 4 • Industrial Warfare

This song starts with a monologue directing a strong and opinionated slam towards the mainstream “Hip-Pop” and how they are producing a poor quality and weaklyrical content and yet making millions whilst the hard working real rappers struggle to get by. pointing out these whack rappers poor work ethics, philosophy and principles.

The first verse comes with Klive on a smooth steady beat with that traditional Hip-Hop piano and mellow beat from kick drum to snare it accompnies that Hip-Hop feel. Then you get this hair raising screetch from an electric guitar, which i believe to be a nod to The Crow in my opinion. this all mixed with a flow Kraven’s savagery, which at this point is expected. Lyrics of a timeless quality and a flow that carries through the beat with steady bars.

Cutting to a different style in the song now, as there is no chorus but another monologue on his detestment for mainstream music and the lack of morals therein.

The second verse leads with that story telling flow synonymous with that Mountain Man construct, Klive brings it with them personal digs toward the mainstream; briefly. continuing with a short verse as if the time in this “Industrial Warfare” is running out. Klive has produced this in a way that is catchy but serious, an entire satirical metaphor that is the Mountain Man.

A steady beat and lyrical structure have been cooked up together for a unique blend of Hip-Hop and Horror.

Track 5 • The Day I Die (ft. Absoulut Karnage)

The intro on this one track has a slightly different feel to it, being that of the homage to the Old-Skool Hip-Hop; with the slow turntables and the slight to personal negatives that come with the de-socialization that accompanies this type of exilement portrayed in Mountain Man all on a slow scratching of turntables.

The 1st verse comes with a meloncholic beat and piano piece combined with Klive’s trademark slow but brutal wordplay, touching on subjects of “even though we have had it hard with nothing at all to our name; we will keep striving”. Feelings of anger and misrepresentation often accompanied by the social segregation that is the Mountain Man.

The chorus has a rather static and sad flowbrought to you by Absoulut Karnage; short and aggitated but strong and complacent.

The 2nd verse continues straight from the chorus with Absoulut Karnage jumping in with a verse just as complacent as the chorus before. also staying true to the title and being consistent with that ” Nothing’s gonna change, even in the hard times”. solidifying this verse with his outstanding chorus.

Paving way for one final verse from Klive Kraven, the 3rd being a bit shorter, whilst keeping true the integrity of the song. Bringing that sturdy flow that is synonymous with Klive Kraven and GMD, ending with one final blast to the ears with that chorus; slowly breaking in that message “even if you are hating, we just gonna keep on; keeping on… “Till The Day I Die”.

Track 6 • Standing In Line (ft. Internal Mental)

This starts with a short but powerfully spoken intro, the words being that of the subject of anger and “how isn’t it obvious on how any man can be angry being locked up; whether mentally or phsycally, an excellent metaphor for Mountain Man, his problems and what he stands for.

Klive Kraven starts the 1st verse with a story about a guy, a loner; the Mountain Man if you will. Starting off with a simplistic yet to the point style, as each bar hits it steadys the flow and as more rhymes are layed down seemlessly, bringing an in-line formation to the structure of the song.

Klive’s chorus has a rather sombre string whilst maintaining the beats consistency, it brings with it a darkening yet invasive meaning. Leading directly into a 2nd verse from Klive Kraven, maintaining his flow from the 1st verse whilst changing up the examples of how we are all “Standing In Line” for something in one way or another.

Slinging straight back into the chorus, it seems to hit every subject mentioned in this song. By this point you can really feel for both Klive and the Mountain Man.

Leading me to Internal Mental; He really shows at this point his name is more than just words. His lyrical content matches every thing Klive has brought forward before in his previous perfomances in this song. Internal Mental brings his own unique style to the plate with his verse and is clear to see why Klive picked him on this track. Intenal Mental brings a subtle uniquity and his verbal delivery definitley belongs on Mountain Man.

Finishes on that immaculately finshed chorus, slowly closing with an intstrumental; that is sure to leave you standing in line for the morgue.

Track 7 • Darkside Of Reality

The first thing i noticed with this song was the beat, and this ones a tricky one as the moment i heard it i knew i heard it before and that was from Psych Ward with The Undisputed and that would be kudos to Al’Tarba. I don’t know whether there was a wager or an agreement on the lease of the beat. None the less back to the track at hand.

The 1st verse Klive makes this beat his own with his unique style which is no suprise when the machinations of Mountain Man are evident in his lyrics. conquering the 1st verse with his blend of wordplay and strong construction. I feel this is where Klive is most at one with the Mountain Man’s persona. At this point all of the issues that come with today’s age of social inequities taking it’s toll, you can really feel that, pain of segregation flowing through Klive’s mind.

I noticed his Vocabulary hits hard, using multi-syllables and descriptions. Although this track doesn’t have a chorus, instead Klive chose to leave the album destruction with a haunting snippet from Rambo, not too sure whether it was part 1 or 2, none the less the as the album closes you realize that the whole time both Klive Kraven and the listener are, in fact, the Mountain Man.

Although this track has the same beat as Psych Ward’s The Undisputed. Klive definitely has left a footprint like no other to use the beat; past, present or future.