Yugen Blakrok Anima Mysterium

About a year ago, I was done with superhero films. I want to say Black Panther changed my mind. It didn't. The soundtrack though - that one was a pleasant surprise. A cornucopia of rappers, old and new. From that curated roster, one name stuck out: Yugen Blakrok.

Anima Mysterium is not a brag-rap album. It's a socially-conscious album that tells a story, weaved through mysticism and impeccable lyrical work. Play any track and you'll find esoteric rhymes grabbing at both pop culture and the supernatural, while still tackling issues from our dreary reality.

Yugen Blakrok's vocal delivery is punchy, but with the finesse of a well-skilled poet. 'Metallik Crow' feels like a vivid nightmare, one you might not wake up from. 'Monatomic Mushroom' re-invents trip-hop, transmuting it to the sociopolitical atmosphere of 2019. 'Carbon Form', the lead single, encapsulates a good sample of Anima Mysterium's essence.

The world's gone mad, hasn't it? People burn to death collecting petrol. Abuse of power is everywhere. Politicians segregate countries instead of uniting people. In these trying times, an album like Anima Mysterium is not only a punchy statement from a new artist - it's a necessity for a world as bleak as ours.

Sam J. Valdes López