Album Review: 5TH AMNDMNT by Homixide Gang
By Jacob Leavey
Homixide Gang released their 4th album, 5TH AMNDMNT, on all streaming services on October 26th. The album has its ups and downs, but it’s worth reflecting on the project’s merits. In the first half, HxG offers a melodic take on the dark, brooding style pioneered by Ken Carson’s A Great Chaos. Tracks such as “LexLuger” and “Gunz in SOHO” have a sound that coheres with and reflects the current sound of Opium– the record label and creative collective the duo are signed to– while maintaining a distinct musical identity, as I can definitely hear the duo’s more melodic Atlanta influences in the first tracks. However very few albums contain no misses, and 5TH AMNDMNT is no exception.
The project suffers from what I’d best describe as “2023 album syndrome”. After I listened to the album for the first time, I found myself thinking the same thoughts as I did after the release of albums such as Pink Tape, If Looks Could Kill, and MegaTron 2: the album is simply way too long. Unlike the previously listed examples, 5TH AMNDMNT clocks in at a mere 46 minutes and 19 seconds, in contrast to MegaTron 2’s 1h21m, Pink Tape’s 1h27m, If Looks Could Kill’s 1h23m and ( the even longer deluxe at a whopping 1 hour and 41 minutes!) These albums do have one thing in common, however: the project would be much better and more cohesive if the tracklist were cut in half. While too-long albums are certainly not unique to 2023, it feels as if releasing an album with as many “meh” or downright bad tracks as good tracks has unfortunately become more and more the norm.
The project definitely has its merits and will influence new music, but it simply, 5TH AMNDMNT would’ve been much better if it were cut down to EP length rather than allowing repetitive songs to swell the runtime for LP territory.