Black Sunday

Q - Included in Q's list of `The 50 Best Albums Of 1993' - "...the swaying, slurry beat concocted by DJ Muggs rides roughshod over all reservations...." NME - Ranked #8 in New Musical Express' list of `The Top 50 LPs Of 1993' - "...The first crew to take the gangsta shit to a student audience...achieved the all-important compromise-free crossover from the hardcore audience and into mainstream consciousness...." Q - 3 Stars - Good - "...dope hasn't brought [Cypress Hill] much peace: the bulk of [BLACK SUNDAY] are the usual threats and slanging....Thankfully absent from their hardcore stance is the brute sexism that normally goes along with such a tough guy routine..." Entertainment Weekly - "...BLACK SUNDAY might as well be titled MORE SONGS ABOUT GATS AND BLUNTS. And that's just fine, because [Cypress Hill]'s basic formula--wacked-out Spanglish tough talk, deep bass & DJ Mugg's trademark squeals and sirens--is such a winner..." - Rating: A- The Source - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...a darker sequel....this album is definitely worth buying as it easily rips the frame out of all those Cypress bandwagon jumpers..." Rolling Stone - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...it's the Cypress combo of stark grooves and cinematic gangsta fairy tales that allows them to rule the streets, a formula not messed with on BLACK SUNDAY..." Spin - Highly Recommended - "...BLACK SUNDAY is a consolidation of power for Cypress Hill, tending more toward perfecting a solid formula than toying with invention..." The Source - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...a darker sequel....this album is definitely worth buying as it easily rips the frame out of all those Cypress bandwagon jumpers..." Musician - "...B-Real's sinister nasal rhymes still grate and delight....BLACK SUNDAY has enough tracks to keep any rap fan with decent woofers head-nodding..." Melody Maker - Ranked #35 in Melody Maker's list of the `Albums Of The Year' for 1993 - "...A smoking record, in every sens'...." Entertainment Weekly - "...BLACK SUNDAY might as well be titled MORE SONGS ABOUT GATS AND BLUNTS. And that's just fine, because [Cypress Hill]'s basic formula--wacked-out Spanglish tough talk, deep bass & DJ Mugg's trademark squeals and sirens--is such a winner..." - Rating: A- Melody Maker - Ranked #35 in Melody Maker's list of the `Albums Of The Year' for 1993 - "...A smoking record, in every sense'...." Melody Maker - "...[BLACK SUNDAY]'s laid-back songs simmer with a violence just barely held in check...Cypress Hill capture that humid, heat-hazy unreal feel where walking the streets is like being inside a bad dream.." Melody Maker - "...[BLACK SUNDAY]'s laid-back songs simmer with a violence just barely held in check...Cypress Hill capture that humid, heat-hazy unreal feel where walking the streets is like being inside a bad dream.." Rolling Stone - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...it's the Cypress combo of stark grooves and cinematic gangsta fairy tales that allows them to rule the streets, a formula not messed with on BLACK SUNDAY..." Q - Included in Q's list of `The 50 Best Albums Of 1993' - "...the swaying, slurry beat concocted by DJ Muggs rides roughshod over all reservations...." NME - 8 (out of 10) - Excellent - "...a record that gets better with each successive play..." NME - 8 (out of 10) - Excellent - "...a record that gets better with each successive play..." NME - Ranked #8 in New Musical Express' list of `The Top 50 LPs Of 1993' - "...The first crew to take the gangsta shit to a student audience...achieved the all-important compromise-free crossover from the hardcore audience and into mainstream consciousness...." Spin - Highly Recommended - "...BLACK SUNDAY is a consolidation of power for Cypress Hill, tending more toward perfecting a solid formula than toying with invention..." Q - 3 Stars - Good - "...dope hasn't brought [Cypress Hill] much peace: the bulk of [BLACK SUNDAY] are the usual threats and slanging....Thankfully absent from their hardcore stance is the brute sex

Black Sunday made Cypress Hill's connection to rock & roll more explicit, with its heavy metal-like artwork and noisier, more dissonant samples (including, naturally, stoner icons Black Sabbath). It's a slightly darker affair than its groundbreaking predecessor, with the threats of violence more urgent and the pot obsession played to the hilt (after all, it was a crucial part of their widespread appeal). Apart from those subtle distinctions, the sound of Black Sunday is pretty much the same as Cypress Hill, refining the group's innovations into an accessible bid for crossover success. In fact, it's a little startling how often Black Sunday recycles musical ideas and even lyrical catch phrases from the endlessly inventive debut. And the rock-derived, verse-chorus song structures start to sound a little formulaic by the end of the record (how many choruses feature Sen Dog repeating part of whatever B Real just said?). But in spite of that, Black Sunday still sounds vital and lively, since the group has a surer sense of craft. Most of the tracks are fleshed out into structured songs, in contrast to the brief sketches that punctuated Cypress Hill. The album benefits immensely from the resulting clutch of excellent singles (and songs that could have been), and while a couple of tracks feel redundant and underdeveloped, Black Sunday is overall a consistent, engaging listen, especially the flawless first half or so. Unfortunately, it's also the group's last great album, thanks to the musical recycling operation that began here and would handicap much of their subsequent work. ~ Steve Huey|