Posted By Reverend Leviathan on Sep 3, 2019 | 1 comment

Band/Artist: Kung Fu Vampire
Release House: Ultra Violet Entertainment
Genre: Rap/Hip-hop
One Sentence Synopsis: The long anticipated album since KFV’s last release, Look Alive (2016)
Series: Standalone
Single/EP/Album: Album
Release Date: 8-30-2019
Running Time: 49 Min
MSRP: $8.99
Discount Link: Click Here
Website: Click Here
Sample/Music Video: Click Here
Purchase Site: Click Here
Reviewed by: Reverend Leviathan
Final Score: 5.0 Moons (Out of 5.0)

Kung Fu Vampire (KFV) is a rapper from San Jose, California.   Known for his style of classic hip-hop fusing elements of Goth, funk and electro, he’s been rising in the underground for awhile now with fans from many different scenes.  Come Dawn is KFV’s fifth studio album.

Theme

I was first introduced to Kung Fu Vampire in 2016 when I heard him featured on Blaze Ya Dead Homie’s album, The Casket Factory.  I was so impressed by his verse that I went and bought his album, Love Bites.  That’s all it took to get me to buy his other three studio albums and remix compilation.  So three years later as a huge fan, I was really looking forward to Come Dawn and I gotta say this: the dude outdid himself.  Definitely his best album to date.

The album opens strong with his retro-sounding electro rap in “1986,” which took me on a nostalgia journey.  When I got to “My Turn” featuring X-Raided, I listened to that song five or six times before continuing on to the next track.  That song is full of bass and emotion, so I was feeling it in more ways than one.  It’s a very honest song about beating all the odds.  If you don’t hear the 80’s influence in the album (especially “Love At First Bite”), then you’re not listening close enough!  “The King” had a very strong, aggressive sound with a feature by Gorilla Voltage.  (Really anytime those three get together you can expect fire!)  “Be Alright” featuring Prohoezak and 1 Ton is more upbeat and on the positive side compared to the rest of the album, and the hook in that song REALLY hooks you.  “Hologram” featuring Bukshot, The Jokerr, Dikulz, C-Mob, K Daver, and Mars is a really good posse track, the electro influence strong and also the longest song on the album at almost seven minutes.  The whole album is just a banger, ending with the very strong bass-slapping “Neighborhood,” with some good cuts by DJ Clay.  Fans of the oldschool sound can’t sleep on this!

Presentation

The production on this album (see pic for producers names) was awesome.  Most of the album was very bass heavy, with simple-sounding beats at times comparable to those of Ghostemane, especially with the dark overtones present throughout.  They really got that 80’s influence down which lends to KFV’s unique sound.  The bass was strong enough to where you could literally feel each song.

Audience Fit

Kung Fu Vampire is a Juggalo favorite, though I have met other fans in both the Goth and metal head scenes.  Fans of oldschool hip-hop, 80’s pop, funk, horrorcore and electro all have something to take from this release.  Goths can appreciate the dark atmosphere, metal heads can appreciate the aggression, Juggalos can appreciate the style of hip-hop; he does a good job of not targeting any scene in particular.

Closing Thoughts

All the right beats and all the right guest spots, Come Dawn will have you hoping the sun never rises, as Kung Fu Vampire drops his best album and one of the best underground releases of 2019!

       Theme: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
       Presentation: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
       Audience Fit: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
       Final Score (not an average): 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)