Jul 25, 2024

this was my first impression review and I stand by most of what I said, but after sitting with it a bit I had to knock it down a point:

 

Jul 18, 2024

 

Jul 16, 2024

Eminem - The Death Of Slim Shady

Spoiler: TBT

Renaissance

What an opening, love the thunder and then prime Eminem coming in killing it. If we're being honest, there is nothing really new about this content wise. It's basically an alternate version of Premonition. But it was such a surprise hearing him rap like the old days. I do wish it as a litter longer though, it ends really quickly unfortunately. Would give it a 10 if it was longer. 9/10

Habits

Funny opening, but when Eminem starts rapping man I love it. Its modern em voice mostly and I really like his flow. I don't know how people can hate on this. The bridge is one of my favorite moments on the album (stuck in my head for days), especially followed by that South Park skit. 3rd verse is insane, Eminem and Shady going back and forth is dope. He couldn't resist to do a little fast rapping but honestly this didn't bother me. Then old eminem does a little fast rapping too, and Cartman has a cameo goddamnit. Great song. 9/10

Trouble

Nice skit, not gonna listen to this other than when I play the album but its fun and the beat is really cool. Would love a full song of this. 8/10

Brand New Dance

Bring different characters/flows back is one thing, but actually grab a song from 2004 and release it 20 years later really is something else lol. It's a b-----r, it's catchy and a very nice throwback to Encore. A Christopher Reeve song is a little dated but for nostalgia it works. The horse sounds made me laugh tbh. 8/10

Evil

This makes me happy and kinda frustrated at the same time. The opening is so cool, the beat and hook are both TES level. But then my favorite part of the song starts when he rides the beat so smoothly with a slow flow. I was so d--- impressed it reminded me of Stimulate and Sing For The Moment. Until he says 'bring it back'..... the part after that is not bad, but I don't get why he couldn't keep up that godly flow. The second verse, it is kinda impressive how he switches voices and flows but this works so much better on Antichrist. On this calm beat it sounds like a mess to me and I just kept thinking how great this could have been if he didn't use the choppy flows on the 2nd verse. Still 7.7/10

Lucifer

Godly Dre beat, amazing flows for the whole song. The 2nd verse is one of my favorites on the album, dude really kills it. Can't really say much more about this it's perfection to me. 10/10

Antichrist

Also perfection. Dude used a huge part of his different flows and styles and somehow made it work. From sslp to Mmlp2 So Much Better, ending it with the last album (mtbmb) godzilla flow. And just when things couldn't get any better, Bizarre comes in with a fun verse. Is it the early 2000's again??? 10/10


Fuel

So far we had throwbacks to Encore, SSLP, MMLP, MMLP2/Recovery, MTBMB... next up is Kamikaze, Not Alike flow. This song sounds like Eminem and no shady, so this is what we can hear in the future. And thats a great sign! I don't think this is his best verse on the album, but it sure as h--- is great. And JID does a very good job too. This could have been after GC2 imo to show even if Shady is gone we still have Marshall killing it. Very dope collab, really want more of this! 9/10

Road Rage

The most hated song on here. It's definitely one of the weaker songs, but I don't think it is that bad. I think he's not wrong about society cuddling/celebrating people that instead need help changing their ways. But to spend a whole verse and bridge on it is a little too much lmao. The last verse is a more fitting topic in 2024 and yeah it will probably get him some hate. It's definitely not a highlight but I like the beat, the flows (Good Guy comes to mind), hook is kinda meh. 7/10

Houdini

I dunno how long its been, but I STILL love this. It's literally the perfect single for this album, it captures exactly what this album is about and its catchy as h---. Almost everyone I know loves it even people that don't like modern em or don't like him at all. His flow/voice are flawless and the sample he used is great too. This may be my favorite of the album in the long run. 10/10


Guilty Conscience part 2 (and breaking news)

I see the skit as an interlude so I see it as one piece tbh. What else can we say about this? A great sequel to the first one but in this case its not Dre and Shady arguing but Marshall and Shady. This truly feels like a story within the album, a closure to something this album has been leading up to. Parts of this feel like the 3rd verse of Bad Guy, which I love too. Still amazing how he does both voices. Just for nostalgia sake I wish Dre did have a little cameo, maybe have him pick up the phone and say "f--- you" instead of Paul. Aside from the lyrics and flows its also a dope song musically. 10/10

Head Honcho

With GC2 still echoing in my head, we are moving on from Shady and Eminem is on his own. Let's hear it! ..... what we get is f---ing EZ Mil rapping in a foreign language. I actually feel sorry for the guy because he does fine, but this is a bummer after such a huge moment on the album. This works way better as an indivual song than on this album imo. However, when we do get to Eminem he absolutely murders it. If this is him post Shady I'm all for it. Riding the beat, calm flow no fast s---, good lyrics its great. I completely got over the let down once he starts his verse. I think JID is better than EZ Mil but other than that its close to Fuel imo. 8.5/10

Temporary

No matter what people say, this is something that could have been on Revival. It's basically another version of Castle/Arose, with Skylar Grey even. The theory that he wanted this on a good album might be true. Just like Castle and Arose though the flow isn't that important to me. The message and emotion are real and I appreciate that. It's a beautiful song even if it's not that good imo. Skylar also kills it. 8.2/10

Bad One

This one also suffers from bad placement. We just got another emotional moment about his family and now we get a random song. I think the first verse is kinda boring, but the second and 3rd are a lot better and actually enjoyable even the Kelly diss. Beat is fine, hook doesn't do much for me. Its filler to the album, but a good song. 7/10

Tobey

I have to say this fits more on the album than Bad One. When it dropped as a single I thought it was fine, but the more dark beat and theme I think it works. Baby tron and especially Sean have good verses and Eminem kills it too. Its not his most memorable verse but I love the energy he put in it. 7.5/10

Guess who's back

Yeah I don't think Ken Kaniff is funny anymore but it kinda fits when he wants us to give throwbacks I guess.

Somebody Save Me

I really like this song but feels so redundant after we already got the Skylar song. I do like this a bit more overall I think, though this also has major Revival vibes. But in a good way this time. 8.2/10

I've seen people say this album is just cheap nostalgia bait for his fans. Well, no f---ing s--- Sherlocks. This is based on nostalgia. But just look at all the reboots of classic movies, tv shows... nostalgia works. People love to hear and see the things they know they like because it's safer than to hear something you might not enjoy. No matter what he would have said on Renaissance, people would have gone crazy because of his flow and voice.

But this album is way more than that. It's like an autobiography and love letter of the history between Shady and Marshall Matters. From the Encore vibes, to his Mmlp and TES voices and even the throwbacks to his lesser praised albums like Mmlp2 and Revival. He gave us all. People have been asking Eminem to do this for how long now? And he finally did it, in a great way imo. Is it flawless? Of course it isn't, enough corny lines to be found if you look for it but does that really matter here? I don't think so.

But what he also did is to put the shady character to bed, telling us its over. He's moved on, but he noticed fans didn't so he gave us one last album as a celebration and memorial in one, so fans can also move on.

Unfortunately, he couldn't just end the album there, after GC2. It would have been a perfect album and hommage. Then his next album he could return as Eminem and drop Fuel, Head Honcho and Bad one. Good songs for a new, eminem only era. But he didn't and the album really loses its momentum after that song. Like you can see in the TBT review I like the songs after GC2 and even love some, so I'm glad we got those songs. I will definitely listen a lot to them as individual tracks. But don't think they should really be on here.

As collection of songs this is easily an 8 for me, but as an album I give it a 7.5 right now which is still great. The album is we could ask as fans imo and I'll be playing most of this a lot in the future.

@AOTWClub

 

Jul 13, 2024

@Justin Trudeau since this is a new album, what about we all do track by track reviews instead of a quick blurb about TDOSS. Of course overal thoughts as well but I think an album is more than the collection of songs as a whole.