By Ethan Hofer, Staff Writer
[YEAR 0001; 2022]
Rating: 8/10

Key tracks: “I AM SLOWLY BUT SURELY LOSING HOPE”, “BLUE CRUSH ANGEL”, “HAHAH”

Bladee is arguably one of the most creative music minds of this generation. From the bizarre, yet intriguing album covers to his ever-changing sound with his Drain Gang collective, there has always been something unique about Bladee. Spiderr’s fascinating cover which features a deified picture of Bladee with a spider in his hand and a Hebrew symbol meaning “truth” on his forehead. The cover truly is as captivating as Spiderr’s sound.

Read more: Single Review: Bladee – DRAIN STORY

“I AM SLOWLY BUT SURELY LOSING HOPE,” one of Spiderr’s most interesting tracks uses a pop-punk influence mixed with some electro synths. He pulls off the influence well for never doing so, in fact, extremely better than contemporary pop-punk artists like Machine Gun Kelly. While the production itself may be upbeat and hopeful, the lyrics are quite the opposite, as he sings about his mental darkness, and losing his mind. The track in its fast-pace, springy energy makes its fellow, slower tracks all that much more special.

“DiSASTER PRELUDE” is one of those slower tracks that features Drain Gang associate Ecco2k, who he shared an album with earlier this year with Crest. The track starts with somebody on the phone talking in Thai, which ends up roughly translates to “come and get drunk and fuck.” The person is also sampled throughout the song with a kind of a squealing sound and serves as the bridge in the song. Though this person does not set the theme for the lyrics, both Bladee and Ecco2k follow a similar concept from Crest where they talk through imagery about illusions and myths.

Possibly the most chaotic track on Spiderr is “HAHAH.” Bladee begins the track with a soft, yet psychotic laugh followed by him saying “I’m crazy” quickly and repeatedly for about 30 seconds on the track. The track, which seems perfect for going through some sort of psychotic breakdown, is all about his mental health and how he feels like he’s losing his mind. It definitely feels as though he is and he illustrates it perfectly on this album. Its energy is even more chaotic than the one on “I AM SLOWLY BUT SURELY LOSING HOPE.” The track ends with Bladee saying “I’m doing great” repeatedly which could be a sign of mental grounding, considering the lyrics beforehand entailing that he is indeed not doing great.

To say Spiderr is interesting is an understatement. It is spellbinding at its core and with the wild cross genre influences, it really is one of a kind. Despite this, Bladee does not seem to be doing OK and sheds light on his own mental health struggles. Thematically, Crest seemed to be more interesting, while sonically, Spiderr was more captivating. Bladee’s creativity continues to be one of a kind, and Spiderr is a shining example of that.

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