Rap and metal together in modern times has a lot of solid bands to offer. From more outright hip hop-influenced artists like Ho99o9, Semetary, and Ghostmane, to the modern nü-metal stylings of bands like Tallah, Tetrarch, and Wargasm, there's plenty to enjoy. So it's a little confusing how the hell Lil Pump thought "Pump Rock x Heavy Metal" would be a god addition to any of that.
Look – we're not dumping on an artist here because they're trying to cross over into the rock and metal world. That should be welcomed and embraced as metal continues to grow and evolve. We're dumping on this because it's really, truly not a good effort. A few notes:
- Why does this start out like a punk song for 30 seconds and then completely change its tone and overall production?
- Dude, you're really using a chorus like "This that heavy metal shit, I got slits all on my wrist"? What is this, the '80s? Someone alert Tipper Gore
- I mean seriously, the punk part and the metal part talk a LOT about slitting wrists. Is Lil Pump okay, or does he just think that's all metal is actually about?
- What is that drum beat? It's like a sample of someone slamming a car door on a floor tom
- The attempt at the old-school Korn flanger guitar line is heavy-handed. Same with the "Blind" intro
- Don't broadcast a breakdown (leading up to around the 1:55 mark) if you're not gonna deliver
- Why doesn't this song go anywhere, come to think of it. There's no progression at all
And yes, the comments over on the actual "Pump Rock x Heavy Metal" are far more brutal than anything we'd say here.
Check it out below. Maybe Lil Pump will attempt metal again in the future and it'll be solid, but right now all we've got is a song that sounds like someone badly described what nü-metal is once. Come on man – if you're going to try and win over folks in a new genre, you gotta make a little more of an effort.
