Jam Faction

Apparently there’s a comic book of the same name to accompany this CD. My curiosity is certainly piqued by the few drawings that make up all of the CD’s artwork, as well as by the sample interludes used throughout to string the album together with a common theme. The Jam Faction quartet — Rummage, Jimmy Greek, Coligreens and Carl Kavorkian, the latter most notable for rapping alongside MF Doom on "Dope Skill” from VV2 — mirror the tale of the Curse of the Left Handed Boy with their raps about alienation and living outside the norms of society and the industry. Each rapper has their distinct style and flow, although they all sound comfortable (but pissed off and fed up!) over these dark beats, which are a mix of unique and interesting instruments manipulated around a backbone of hard, industrial drum samples. The whole thing comes together most effectively during the interplay of metal with hip-hop on guitar-heavy tracks "10th & Arch,” "Picture Perfect” and companion piece "Perfect Picture,” and even when slowed down, as with "Latest Dish.” Plus, "Write to the Left” marries a memorable bass sample to a catchy flute sample and ends up as the song most likely to get played by DJs, while "Bloody Attitude” wins most experimental with Jam Faction rapping over a beat that constantly changes tempo. This is a great example of dark, industrial rap.