Creature Box

After taking time to record their own projects, Savilion and Thought?Bug have finally joined together with Neptune Falling's Toad1 and Shazbot to release The Frantic Hunt for Shade, their debut release as Creature Box. Still, in many ways Frantic Hunt is dominated by Savilion and Thought?Bug, who work well together. For example, the album is produced almost solely by Savilion, with Thought?Bug co-producing one track and producing another, and two other tracks produced by outside sources. However, tapping Savilion for the beats was a wise idea, as he turns out his best work to date with hard, mid-tempo drums full of textured samples and plenty of changes. This translates into Savilion and Thought?Bug representing harder on the mic than on any release in the past. Vocally, Savilion and Thought?Bug also dominate the album. Thought?Bug's rapid-fire delivery and Savilion's sweet-flowing lisp are most noticeable among the braggadocio rhymes, reflections on current society and conspiracy tales of alien beings, but Toad1 represents nicely and Shazbot stands out most with his two verses of wacky rhymes and catchy use of word emphasis on the duo of meat songs ("Elephant Meat" and "Milk and Meat"). Shazbot's cuts on the former song are also a highlight, begging the question of why his talent wasn't used more as a producer, DJ or MC? All of which he's capable at. It would be interesting to see what new dimensions would have been added. But that's a whole other CD (perhaps their next one, maybe?), and exactly how this Megacity quartet put The Frantic Hunt for Shade together creates a great package perfect for anyone who hates using fast forward. Yeah, sometimes it's raw, but the sense of musicality, emphasis on drums and just enough experimentation to please the internet nerds should make this debut release a success with a variety of hip-hop fans.