Yo, what's good, Stenchers? I'm super hyped for the new Iron
Wind, which dropped back in July. Y'all ready for some realness themed around
samurai, discipline, martial arts, and cinematic storytelling?
The Wrath of Hanzo is Kill Bill themed, which fans of those
movies will feel hard. Not to sour the vibe, but Bog isn't a fan of the films.
That said, today we are breaking down the release for the music, which is fire
and has the lines to box your ears hard with the beats and bars.
The Wrath of Hanzo is full of atmosphere and mood. It's like
listening to someone narrating the action in the aforementioned inspirations,
or a combat team demonstrating sequences. Seriously sick, man.
Also, and this is good, it made Bog feel like he wasn't Bog
for a moment, riding the subway through Queens with his headset playing beats as he gazed ahead lost deep in his music. Another world, another time,
folks, long before the year 3032 when Bog became Bog.
Ok, time to break bread, Stenchers. Let's do this, and
imagine you are with the V8 Vanguard bumping the tracks as you tear up the
sands and dirt. Let's ride with Iron Wind.
1. Black Mamba – The opener has a good sample (maybe from the movies, I'm not sure, but that's one for the fans of Kill Bill). It starts with a beautiful cinematic Eastern string sample to really hook in the listener, and you'll be there for the ride for real.
The production is incredibly solid AF. It has really stepped up to present a fire joint. The flow is nice, and the breath control is excellent to set The Wrath of Hanzo off for us all.
The beats, timing, and layering are all arranged with structurally sound audio across all levels. The boom-bap boxing rhythm is evident and distinguishable.
The sample on the outro, which cleanly drops off, is a nice touch. Bog didn't stop nodding or banging his head. An impressive start.
2. Die Like A Samurai – Follows with another sample Bog thinks is from the Kill Bill movies again, but man, the tempo and flow keep it consistent. Shit hits the ears with the chorus line Die Like a Samurai, which is nicely placed alongside the outro line accompanying it.
Bog's head was nodding, counting the beats, repeating the verses, and striding around the dirt, thinking of the march and rides to 500 and beyond.
The beats are big-ass specials and land, the hooks are there, and the structure and bars are clean. The drops move smoothly, weaving in and out with no mess to set up clean transitions.
The track is on point and continues the cinematic vibe where you can see people dueling on a bridge in Tokyo or in ancient Japan. The theme would also vibe with a cyberpunk setting. Hear Bog out, y'all—musically it sounds different, but the tone would flow effortlessly with cyber samurai battling each other on a city rooftop.
Another smooth outro. Die Like a Samurai is a solid, strong track to follow Black Mamba.
3. Five Paces – Starts with another sample. Bog is still lost in the mud as to whether the samples are from the movies or other sources.
There is a blend of the Eastern/Western aesthetic in the music, just like cinema has done before. The flow remains consistent and the verses are delivered cleanly.
The outro fade out is smooth and nicely cuts off. The film vibe is still on point. It's not as hard-hitting as the first two joints, but brings more of a laid-back mood. Bog didn't quite feel this track. It's not a bad composition, and it carries the theme of The Wrath of Hanzo, but the pressure point reference in the bars was sick.
4. A Sword Called Vengeance – So real talk, Bog's head was back nodding along instinctively to the catchy beats. The sample and blending in of the Japanese instrumentation with boom-bap instantly makes your ears perk up, and Bog was popping off in the swamps. To be honest, Bog shit muck in his pants.
The constant string notes on loop fired up Bog's blood, and he was counting along. It's like shadow sparring, then moving into a natural rhythm with your combinations. Head movement, counters, bam, bam, straight bars, fire jabs, then a hook in the ears. Musically, it gives the track soul. Then add in the lyrics, and we just get fire shit.
The melody syncing with the beats gives A Sword Called Vengeance an instant sensation of reeling in the listener, not letting them go, and locking them in for the ride. Top-level references in the bars—it just flows.
Audio and production levels are super clean and mega balanced. The outro has a nice countdown with the string notes that serve as a great sign-off.
5. Banquet of Snakes – The flow is balanced and the audio levels remain even and very crisp. All on point AF. It's not Bog's favorite track, but it's a chill joint that is mid-paced with the classic 1-2 beat loop. Bog was counting again in his head and nodding to the tempo. A catchy track with both solid intro and outro sections, it steps into Track 6, Eye for an Eye, nicely.
6. Eye for an Eye – Stenchers, this joint made Bog shit muck again. The main note at the end of the beat loop is 100% fire. There is another instrumental drop on the track that just brings Eye for an Eye alive. Iron Wind no doubt broke bread on this.
The flow timing is nice, and with only two tracks to go on The Wrath of Hanzo, Bog isn't bored. The lyrics contain sick references again and match the track title closely.
The production is strong, the audio levels are clean and clear, and the beats punch home hard, man. Iron Wind has good breath control again. Very solid work.
7. Nothing Personal – Strong intro and beats; the loops and drops are synced and run on time. It is another hard-hitting boxing track. Bog can see the jabs and hooks on someone in the ring corners. It has that cadence and flow. A seriously sick track to skate to, and another one for listening while riding the subway back in another time, long ago.
The samples and structure are organized effectively, allowing each bar and section of the track to flow in and out cleanly, which achieves an overall balance.
The build to the outro emphasizes the beats, then drops out clean. Sudden, but effective timing.
Enjoyable, high-strength track.
8. The Silent Flute - Begins with a sick intro, which is heavier than the remainder of the track. It is Bog's least favorite and is too chill compared to the other tracks. The Silent Flute doesn't hit as hard and didn't quite have the same impact for Bog.
The production is still tight, beats drop in and out clean, the timing is well, and frequencies are balanced with nothing drowned out by the audio levels.
The lyrics remain relevant to the core concept, backed by strong, and sonically on point beats. It's just not Bog's preference.
For example, Bog didn't feel the Sewa Side Squad album featuring Block McCloud. A top-tier MC, but there was only one track Bog really vibed with, so it's just personal taste sometimes with flavors, and such.
Bog's Thought's - Iron Wind no doubt dropped straight-up fire with The Wrath of Hanzo. There were only one or two joints Bog didn't feel. It's not that they are bad; they are just not the muck beat preference. But the hardcore beats and Eastern elements fused with boom-bap are completely captivating.
The album runs so fast that you never get bored. The brief tracks Bog didn't quite feel aren't terrible. The Silent Flute is the only track Bog couldn't vibe with, so it's the only track we would skip past. The others are still completely listenable, but the harder tracks just get the body moving and the head nodding.
The production has noticeably stepped up even further to provide high-level audio for the listening ears. The lyricism and bars are on point with the central themes and influences. It ensures The Wrath of Hanzo is a rewarding experience. Another quality release from Iron Wind, which is sick AF.
He hasn't added the release to Bandcamp yet, but Bog has included the link regardless. The Spotify link where you can hear The Wrath of Hanzo is also below.
Good real hip-hop, Stenchers!
Links:
Iron Wind: The Wrath of Hanzo
https://open.spotify.com/album/4lEdJIhnw1NM7jgoKeza8M
Bandcamp:
https://ironwindmusicofficial.bandcamp.com/album/fear-the-shogun-part-2
YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@IronWindMusic
