ALBUM REVIEW: Precipice – Dälek

The dystopian atmosphere that DÄLEK have been masters at since they first emerged from Union City, New Jersey is none more prevalent than it is right now with the world in such a chaotic and problematic state. Their new album Precipice (which means a very steep edge of a cliff and is used as a metaphor for where the world finds itself presently) is certainly the perfect record for such uncertain times. A lot has gone on in the world since DÄLEK‘s last album Endangered Philosophies and they aren’t backwards in coming forwards in addressing this head on.

The core duo of MC Dälek and Mike Manteca have returned after a hiatus which saw the initial ideas for the album scrapped and started again in favour of a different musical approach, but this is something that has definitely worked in DÄLEK‘s favour and this is evident it comes to the quality of the tracks on Precipice.

An atmospheric and stirring intro on opening track Lest We Forget starts Precipice off with a mellow approach leaving you in a hazy state before the beats start crashing in and the dizzying heaviness both sonically and lyrically kicks in – and kicks in it most certainly does.

MC Dälek shows throughout the album just how deft he is an emcee and lyricist especially on songs like Decimation (Dis Nation), Holistic and the album’s title track where he sounds even more focused in his flow and delivery. The results are stunning, with his lyrical approach sounding undeniably formidable and you can really feel how seriously he takes and is about his craft as he delivers a lyrical performance that is flawless throughout. His performance on the tracks on Precipice show just how formidable he is an emcee and that he can spit his rhymes over a multitude of sonic plateaus.

The beats on Precipice too are amongst some of the best that DÄLEK have ever produced and range from the tough but hypnotic Boycott, to a more funky but still just as hard hitting beat like Good, to the closing straight up brilliance of Incite and when the rhymes kick in, the results are nothing short of spectacular. TOOL guitarist Adam Jones even makes a guest appearance on the track A Heretic’s Inheritance and the results work very well with Jones‘ instantly recognisable playing interlinking with the beats brilliantly to give a trippy backbeat for MC Dälek to flow over.

This is an emotional record on a number of levels as well and it sees MC Dälek pour his soul out especially on tracks like The Harbingers and Devotion (When I Cry The Wind Disappears) and this only adds to the cathartic nature of the album.

Precipice is up there with the best that DÄLEK have ever done. It finds the duo firing on all cylinders with an album that is forward thinking and sees them perfectly capturing the mood the world is in now and has been for the past couple of years especially. Precipice is very much a record of our times and will no doubt stand the test of time as an assured and cathartic document of troubled times.

Rating: 8/10

Precipice is set for release on April 29th via Ipecac Recordings.

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