Solillaquists of Sound

No More Heroes, the sophomore outing from Orlando, FL's Solillaquists of Sound, is an album that's both looking back at hip-hop's past while also attempting to blaze a trail for the future. The Solillaquists' conscious lyrics and focus on African-American heroes hearken back to the likes of KRS-One and Public Enemy. The influence of PE becomes even more obvious on "Gotham City Chase Scene," where they borrow heavily from "Don't Believe the Hype." They're also clearly focused on lyricism as a craft, with each song brimming with complex rhyme structures. As retro as the Solillaquists may be on the mic, they're incredibly forward-thinking when it comes to production. While Heroes does feature some straight-up boom-bap hip-hop, like on "4 people," most of the album is spent experimenting with different sounds. "Gotham City Chase Scene" takes cues from the late '90s big beat sound, while "The Roots of Kinte" has a strong dubstep feel. On "The Curse," they shelve the tension and go for a sound that's outright ethereal. With its tendency towards serious subject matter and weird sonic experimentation, No More Heroes will most likely pass over a lot of people's heads, but for a certain group of hip-hop fans, it will be a welcome change.