The Wolf Magazine

Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: Music and Entertainment

The Green Album

After a group of marijuana activists released nine full-length studio albums fighting for their beliefs, one would think that they would run out of things to talk about. The Kottonmouth Kings, a seven-member psychedelic hip-hop/punk rock fusion group from Orange County, Ca., proved they still have it in them with the October 28 release of "The Green Album."

The independent group has spent the duration of their careers speaking up about legalizing marijuana and blazing through America, touring in intimate venues for their specialized fan base. Although they rarely have little to talk about besides getting stoned, they're letting their actions speak louder than their lyrics by donating a percentage of the profits from their album to environmental causes.

The 20-track album released under their homegrown label, Suburban Noize, contains the Kings' trademark sound and includes a song featuring Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne. The lead single, "Where I'm Going?" has an old-western guitar riff looped over psychedelic guitar shrieks with the typical KMK bumpy trip-hop drumbeat as the members reflect on their pasts and look forward to their futures in their respective verses.

The slow paced song, "Stand," seems aimed at critics of the group's agenda as the chorus refrains "if you don't stand for something, you fall for anything" over a reflective synthesizer and light-hearted guitar strums. Overall, the album is what fans should expect from the crew - their predictable and unmistakably unique sound that can be heard on all of their preceding albums. The Kottonmouth Kings' message still manages to go beyond marijuana advocacy to include standing up for your rights, freeing your mind, and being true to yourself while still giving listeners a diverse musical mixture that will get their audience both physically and mentally active.

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