Undeniably catchy hip-hop punk rock, but lacking variety and maturity.
Emerging from Orange County in 1994, Kottonmouth Kings shot to fame in the US after the huge success of the radio hit 'Suburban Life', but this self-titled album marks the band's first official UK album release.
'King Klick', 'Get Your High On' and 'Bottoms Up' all combine laid back rap vocals and heavy beats with smooth, catchy sung choruses; however, each track is unnecessarily long and full of clichéd rap lyrics, referring to smoking weed, 'bitches', the infamous 'West Coast' and urging us to 'dig this shit'. 'Make It Hot' has a slightly heavier, rock emphasis and is reminiscent of the Linkin Park Vs. Executioners track 'Goin' Down', but once again, coming in at over four minutes it is simply too long considering its lack of real substance and variety.
'We Got The Chronic' continues along the same vein; I'm not quite sure what 'the chronic' is, but in any case, when this song is through we are left without a doubt that these boys got it. 'Piece of Mind' begins to offer a glimmer of hope as it takes a step away from the monotony of earlier tracks with its almost ska, reggae sound and laid back summer vibe... but hope doesn't hold out for long; the sung vocals are not dissimilar to Fred Durst, while the whining melody is rather more irritating than catchy. The anti-war sentiments of 'Let the Sunshine' and, yet another homage to getting high, 'P-Town' are similarly full of summery laid back rap and more radio-friendly, infectious sung choruses.
The band describe themselves as 'psychedelic hip-hop punk rock', and while there is little evidence of any psychedelia on any of the tracks here, a slight punky influence seems to creep into the heavier, punchier sound of 'Revolution'; 'Slow Suicide' is perhaps the best track on the album, incorporating screaming vocals, electric guitars pumping out punchy hooks to create more of a fist-in-the-air anthem and coming in at a much more acceptable, hard-hitting two-minutes and thirty-eight seconds. 'Wasted' too begins with typically punk offbeat drumming and group vocals in the Offspring-tinged chorus before descending back into predictable hip-hop beats.
Whilst the ridiculous 'The Munchies' is perhaps reassuring, as it suggests that the band don't take themselves too seriously, however, it's still best avoided, as is the fairly offensive, 'Take A Bath'.
Much of 'Kottonmouth Kings' is undeniably catchy, full of dirty, heavy hip-hop beats and smooth choruses. However, throughout the seventy-one minutes and twenty-one (that's right, twenty-one) tracks on this album there is little progression, variety or maturity. Fans of the band who enjoy Kottonmouth King's light-hearted style and devotion to dope might find something enjoyable here, but you can't help but feel that after a decade in the business, Kottonmouth Kings should have made more progress than this.