In a record of this length and style, you’d expect IMMXRTALISATIXN to have some skits or interludes to allow the listener some breathing space and time to digest all the bile SCARLXRD is spitting. But no, it’s two dozen punches to the face in a row, all oozing venom and hatred for society, regularly telling someone to go fuck themselves (although he does bleep out the C-word in GXLD, weirdly).
The opening section of the album feels its most creative with the bass-driven XMG and the hell for leather GXING THE DISTANCE. But the real highlight comes in the form of ASK, harking back to old school U.S. hip-hop, and definitely feeling like the most accomplished track on the record.
And that’s the real difference between IMMXRTALISATIXN and what has come before: this is the record where SCARLXRD leaves those metal ties behind and fully embraces the trap and hip-hop side of his music. Those who were initially drawn to the industrial instrumentals on last year’s DXXM LP may be disappointed that he’s evolved over the course of two albums to focus his attention and aggression elsewhere. The rawness is still prevalent, the passion is abundantly clear, but it is an exhausting experience listening to the album in full, being beaten down by piercing shrieks of violence and depression. If you’re looking for a hooky chorus or something to dance to, then keep walking. This is an unrelenting, glitchy cacophony of noise, travelling at breakneck speed. It should come with a warning label.
Verdict: 3/5