(hed) p.e. Albums (7)
'New World Orphan'
Release Date 10/13/2008
Tracks 26
Label Suburban Noise
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Whenever a trend becomes hot, major labels will likely milk it to death and flood the market with a glut of releases that are either mediocre and pedestrian or flat-out embarrassing. We've seen that with everything from bossa nova to disco to gangsta rap, and we certainly saw it with rap-metal in the late '90s and early 2000s. Not surprisingly, there was a major backlash against rap-metal (or "nu-metal," if you prefer) in the mid- to late 2000s. But let's not forget that when rap-metal was great, it was really great -- great as in Rage Against the Machine, great as in 24-7 Spyz, Living Colour, Run-D.M.C., the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ice-T's Body Count, great as in Tommy Lee's Methods of Mayhem. And (hed) p.e. have also made some fine contributions to rap-metal, which they continue to embrace on their 2008 recording/early 2009 release New World Orphan. If rap-metal is dead, you wouldn't know it listening to this 66-minute CD; (hed) p.e. still play rap-metal with plenty of conviction. But then, (hed) p.e. have been combining metal, hip-hop, and punk since 1994; they weren't among the faceless bandwagon jumpers who picked up guitars and started rapping the first time they heard Limp Bizkit or Korn. New World Orphan always sounds organic rather than contrived, and it also sounds angry. Except for a few tracks that thrive on raunchy sexploitation, New World Orphan is an angrily political album. (Hed) p.e.'s incendiary political rants can be quite rhetorical, but there are plenty of specifics as well. "Middle Class Blues," for example, is about the economic assault on America's middle class, while "Tow the Line" attacks the treacherous neo-cons who lied the U.S. into that foreign policy disaster known as the Iraq War. And even when (hed) p.e. are being rhetorical, their hooks are always infectious. The fact that this album comes long after rap-metal's commercial heyday doesn't make it any less exciting; (hed) p.e. are on top of their game throughout New World Orphan. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'Back 2 Base X'
Release Date 5/16/2006
Tracks 13
Label Suburban Noize
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The album starts off quietly enough, a bit more somber than most (hed) pe records with lead vocalist Jahred, and things are more introspective than usual with the band. With the album's opener, "Listen," Jahred abandons the raunch that was so abundant in Only in Amerika, and in its place gives his perspective on the current state of world political affairs, with the result sounding more like former Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha than his own usual venomous rap-metal delivery. This anomaly is just that, as the rest of the band brings back the crunchy, detuned guitar licks and vicious percussion that are part thrash, part hip-hop. But Back 2 Base X suffers from the same problems as Amerika: it tries to be conceptual in thought à la Tool and vicious in its political commentary à la Fugazi or System of a Down, but somehow falls short by sounding like an angry stoner on a soapbox. It won't win any new fans, but existing fans of (hed) pe's work won't be turning their backs away from the band in anger anytime soon, either. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
According to no less an authority than band point man Jahred, getting the boot from Jive was the best thing that ever happened to [hed] pe. "Finally we've been released," he wrote in January '04 to fans on [hed]'s official website. "Now it's time to get back to some real dirty-ass sh*t!" And he wasn't kidding. Only in Amerika is the Cali combo's 2005 debut for Koch. Raunchy and abrasive, its thrash-hop spew takes cues from Anthrax, Korn, Dirty South, pre-acting career Ice-T, and the uncompromising Psychopathic Records collective. The powerful melodies and layered production of 2003's Blackout are gone -- Amerika features the relentless half-time pace of ex-Otep drummer Moke, stabs of enormous guitar, and drop-ins from DJ Product. Jahred's choppy, half-yelled rhymes are ever defiant, but they're also chaotic to the point of ineffectiveness. In the space of just a few lines he promotes marijuana, insults women and homosexuals, condemns Al Qaeda, defends the first amendment, and calls out the record industry. The rap-metal hybrid "War" is nationalism at gut-level. "Don't you want your freedom?" Jahred asks in the rallying chorus, and then lists club-going, casual sex, and smoking weed as American points of pride. (And for the evil-doers, a message: "We got guns and sh*t/You're all lame.") "Box" is one of the album's more cohesive tracks, driving the swagger of its hip-hop verses through a giant guitar-driven chorus. And the slinky, pounding percussion and call-and-response lyrical structure of "Raise Hell" is a bludgeoning amplification of Lil Jon's crunk style, its tag line even cribbing from Jon's 2002 single "I Don't Give A...." Late-album entries "Amerikan Beauty" and "Chicken" are interesting musically, but they're overrun by social apathy and misogyny. And ultimately that's the issue with Only in Amerika. It wants to be a confrontational megaphone in the ear of conservatives, but Jahred's torrential rhetoric is too messy and blatantly offensive to incite anything but superficial anger, and the music -- though occasionally explosive -- takes a backseat to the ranting. [hed] pe diehards will love this Amerika, but it speaks only to their niche. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Despite arriving in the midst of rap-metal's popular apex, (hed) pe's 2000 LP Broke was slow to catch on. It took months of grueling tours with established acts like Deftones and Korn for the hard-hitting Huntington Beach, CA, "gangsta-punk" outfit to make a dent with the kids outside their modest but dedicated following. (hed) were grateful for the belated recognition, but still puzzled. How could their record have missed the nu-metal train to the top taken by contemporaries like System of a Down? Jeez, Broke had even featured a guest shot from System vocalist Serj Tankian. This uncertainty tarnished the success (hed) did find, but it also fueled vocalist/brain trust Jahred's desire for his band's next record to be even better. (hed) pe enlisted the aid of Machine for their third album. Having worked with Pitchshifter, Vision of Disorder, and Shootyz Groove, the hope was that the producer would add the intangibles that had been missing from Broke. But when they emerged, it was without longtime member Chad "Chizad" Benekos. The guitarist had departed after recording the new material. Fortunately, Jahred, Wes (guitar), Mawk (bass), BC (drums), and DJ Product 1969 found fellow traveler Sonny Mayo (ex-Snot and Amen), who was performing with (hed) almost immediately after getting the job. The product of this diversity was Blackout, released through Zomba/Jive in March 2003. While it expands on melodic elements that had previously played a supporting role in the band's sound, Blackout also delivers truckloads of crushing guitar and pounding rhythm. And whether or not it is the presence of a top-line producer, (hed) pe have figured out a way to imbue their aggressive mix of heavy rock and hip-hop with some serious hooks. The rap-metal genre will always include homogeny. But the narrower its stylistic contours, the easier it is for more groups to share a piece of the pie. This point isn't lost on (hed) pe, who consistently channel Korn, Limp Bizkit, and System of a Down throughout Blackout. But ever since their self-titled 1997 debut, it's been the group's penchant for brazen, Ice Cube-style raps and Jahred's own unique blend of charisma, anger, and astonishing vocal talent that set them apart. Blackout's "Crazy Life" finds Jahred channeling the bravado of vintage N.W.A, while crafty production throughout the album allows the vocalist to harmonize with himself, often in different vocal ranges and styles. The album's aggressive first half is particularly strong, with the title track/single being an obvious high point. When (hed) decide to slow things down, they achieve the dub reggae of "Get Away" and "Carnivale" with some degree of success. Unfortunately, Blackout ends with two of its weakest tracks. "Fallen" hovers too close to Linkin Park without offering anything unique to (hed) pe themselves, while "Revelations" is an embarrassing retread of Nine Inch Nails. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
(hed)pe's debut outing, their self-titled Jive debut, bloomed during the years when fans and record labels first began noticing that this rap and metal fusion was a readily marketable commodity, and though as an album it was only average in sales, the band rapidly gathered a dedicated cult who found inspiration and a unique perspective in the group's music. When the time came for (hed)pe to enter the studio once again and begin setting the groundwork for what would become their follow-up album, 2000's Broke, they found themselves emerging as one of the premiere rapcore groups in the United States while remaining quite underground, relating to groups such as Limp Bizkit and Incubus, who had begun finding acceptance on the national platform. Broke is essentially (hed)pe's answer to mainstream radio appeal, finding the California quintet modernizing their sound for mass acceptance while still retaining the spark that made their debut so independently accepted. From the rabid lyrical attack of vocalist Jahred and the Dead Kennedys' East Bay Ray on "Killing Time" to the laid-back, thought-provoking beats of "Jesus (of Nazareth)," (hed)pe still proves beyond a shadow of a doubt they remember their roots; overall, Broke is the album that should have pushed these men to the forefront of the genre, yet didn't. Much of the group's intensity was lost on Broke, which opted for slick production and mundane verse/chorus/verse formatting rather then continuing to blaze a path as the hip-hop-influenced hardcore band (hed)pe's debut album proudly announced they were. Despite this drawback, Broke is a much more accessible album for interested fans, and even features a few respectable guest appearances from System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian and Kittie frontwoman Morgan Lander on "Feel Good." "Crazy Legs" attempts to skirt the line between pure street rap and gritty crossover, yet fails due to its inept lyrical content. "I Got You," with its thunderous bass thump and gritty guitars, stands out as one of the album's best songs, as Jahred alters between a remarkably relaxed tone to a more intense bellowing that does the rapcore scene supreme justice in merging the two musical styles into one cohesive unit of sound. Likewise, "Boom (How You Like That)" displays a hip-hop signature, biting other songs' recognizable lyrics with references to the green leaf and kinky sex. (hed)pe also moves to the other end of the musical spectrum on Broke's closing track, "The Meadow," abandoning the aggressive guitar riffs and instead toying with acoustic guitar melodies and saccharine-sweet programming. Jahred opens up and finds his more soulful side, and this revealing aspect ends the album on a high note. Broke may have not found as much success in the competitive mainstream market as some would have liked, and even despite its distinct departure from the group's debut, it is an album that shows more vision than other rap-tinged rock albums to come out in 2000. ~ Jason D. Taylor, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Southern California's (hed) pe attempt to fuse the area's two dominant musical styles, melodic punk and hip-hop, on their self-titled debut full-length. They're rhythmically looser and funkier than many similar rap-metal bands, although comparisons to Rage Against the Machine are still apt. There are some slow and/or unfocused moments on (hed) pe, but overall, its aggression will probably play well with late-'90s metal and punk fans. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
