Raise The Black Flag | Album Review
12/10/21 was the day Teminite released his pirate-themed bass album. He had been preparing and working on this project for a while now.
Lots of the tracks were very long with lengthy buildups that consisted of multiple sections. There was a lot of dubstep in this album along with a handful of tracks exploring other genres. Lots of brilliant melodies, riffs, instrumentations, and blend of pirate samples/lyrics in this entire album. I thoroughly enjoyed it and literally like all the songs are so good. All of them.
Instead of reviewing this album chronologically, I will review it from worst-best.
11. The Kraken - I love the drop, it's so clean. The inclusion of the organ synths and literally the entire first 1:45 is all build-up. The thing about this track that makes it my least favorite is probably just the progression and melodies. It doesn't really intrigue me. The strings are so pretty in the second verse. I want to stress that this song is so high quality. Putting it last is simply through taste
10. Thundering Typhoons - This is the album closer and I love the drums and vocals. Why is this album so stacked? This doesn't deserve the second-to-last spot but all of the other songs are better somehow.
Teminite is just so creative. He treats his production as an art, and the vocals reflect the "plunder" elements previously in the album and the hook is so good. The outro is AMAZING. This song is just crazy in the vocals and the final outro is seriously one of the best outros/closures I've ever heard. It's absolutely amazing. It feels emotional. It's a perfect way to end an amazing album.
9. Electroctopi - An insane track full of jazz, ambient, chill vibes. So many different effects and noises that bring this track together. The reason why this isn't ranked higher is because there isn't really any catchy melodic hook or anything that pops out of the blue. There are just scattered samples everywhere. It's a great fit in the album though. I love the creativity in this track.
8. The Deep - A 2:40 second calm orchestration to take a break from the dubstep of the album. I love it when artists do this. It's a transition from one half of the album to another and provides depth and a mood to the album. It's literally a cinematic masterpiece. All the mixing, instruments, and ideas in this track are so lovely. I love this song and what it serves in the album. How does Teminite do it?
This song takes lots of midsections from other tracks in this album and puts it into one full track in a way. The last section of Raise the Black Flag has very similar concepts. I could go on listing but there's really no point.
7. Raise The Black Flag - The opener of the album. Lots of dubstep and an insane storyline. What an epic intro with the storytelling in the beginning as it really sets the mood of the dark pirateness that succeed it. I love the chanting in the second build-up. The instrumentals provide such an epic atmosphere throughout the entire song and there is so much variety that happens everywhere. I can't even document all of it. It's just absolutely insane, it's over the top. One of the best dubstep songs I've ever heard. The transitions/cuts are flawless and fit the scene. EVEN THE VISUALS OF THE YOUTUBE VIDEO ARE STUNNING. The animating style is great.
6. Sail Away - (feat. SeungMin Lee & Jonah Hitchens) - Every EDM album needs a vocal track and it's clear that this is the one. I love the melodies everywhere and the drop. The contrasting between female and male vocalist is lovely, I would love it Teminite made these vocalists return together in a bridge, it's always so satisfying. Either way Teminite absolutely nailed this one. I really like the transition from the first break to the second verse, the duration makes me full of emotion. It's just such a beautiful track at this point. Great melodic dubstep track, reminds me of what Teminite can truly do in this genre.
5. Plunder - The overall rhythm of the drop and build-up is so high-quality. It's quite addicting. The break is just so creative in how the glitch hop is preserved and also the pirate elements. The synths blend in super well. I don't know what else to say
4. Ghost Ship - As we make it to the top 4, these are songs that will likely enter the OC Hall of Fame. That's really how stacked this album is. Teminite has such a unique style. Sail Away could also make it because I think it's so versatile.
As we take around 90 seconds to build to this drop, it all ends and the break is self-explanatory. HOW DO I DISSECT THIS??? ITS AMAZING.
THE SWIRL OF EFFECTS ALONG WITH DIGITAL SYNTHS AND BASS/ELECTRIC GUITARS IS PHENOMENAL.
The second verse is practically nonexistence. It serves to build suspense to the second drop. I love how short it is compared to the first build-up.
Honestly, the first drop is just stunning. Without that, it would move down this list a lot. It's just so creative and it fits my taste perfectly.
3. Sesh The Seven Seas - Jonah Hitchens - The lyrics are so fitting and just perfect for this track/album. The traditional stacking is exactly what we need in this song. I love the stacking.
2. Pirate Afterparty - What a traditional song from Teminite. This is what I love from Teminite. His striking melodies and support are just sensational. The drop is just so fun and the synth break is even better. This is exactly what I love about Teminite. It captures everything. It's a song I would play as a signal for freedom. I would experience euphoria listening to this song after taking an important test or finishing a semester strong. The melody makes me want to be free and it's so light and loose. I absolutely treasure this song. Its melodies, syncopation, and mixing. Teminite knows how to pace his songs and I'm glad he does because this song is now optimized to the brim with this melody. AHHH I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
1. H*ll Raiders - Omar Varela - We've come here. Teminite's brilliant orchestration and high quality progression all leads to the best song of the album: H*ll Raiders.
Teminite absolutely ROCKS the bass in the synth break which is the main attraction. This brilliant and dark drop deserves a proper buildup, and Teminite does so through the pirate samples, chants, pressure synths, and organs/waves. Just such a balanced buildup into a mindblowing drop and pulverizing synth break.
The synth break is something that's just impossible to grasp. It's so complex and the bass liners are drawn out so well.
Through these synth breaks rise a second verse, which is a dark and scary monologue from a dark creature from the sea. It sets such a spooky mood and builds up from the transition of the "battle" from the chorus. This whole song begins to hold a shape, there's a story building, a resolution that needs to be solved.
As the buildup continues, the percussive elements are perfect to my taste. I just love how everything dissolves in these drops and the bass arrives so bad*ss.
And the outro is SOMETHING ELSE. I HAVEN'T MENTIONED IT UNTIL NOW BUT ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I LOVE ABOUT TEMNITE IS HIS SIGNATURE OUTROS.
I first heard it in "Highscore" with Panda Eyes. The final synth break takes the main melody and shifts it so that it's a bass, and he adds a synth lead over that as the new main melody. This refreshing finish is simply astonishing and overwhelming. It's absolutely insane and so satisfying when mixed properly, and Teminite has mastered that.
My favorite song from Teminite, "Break Free," is the best example of this. The synth pad high-riser turns into a low-riser and it's just such a new concept. Nothing fits this new shift more than the synth lead, as it just burns passionately among the flurry of instrumentations. It is truly a moment, especially when the song is so emotional.
And here, Teminite does it. I was hoping he would do it for at least one track in this album and he delivered. He introduces the synth leads in one transition and they fade in to lead the song into a new moment. It represents a new beginning in an end of a thrilling track and there is no debate around this song being #1. It has everything.
Lyric(s) of the Post: Sail away with me
You know your heart belongs at seaI'll take you to a land where you will understand
What it means to be free
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