Pumpkinhead – Orange Moon Over Brooklyn

Always thought this was a majorly slept on gem. If you're familiar with Pumpkinhead's battling history you'll know his delivery and complex delivery/punchlines could go toe to toe with the best. It seems all too common that when a "battle MC" decides to drop a solo that it just goes south from there... this is not the case at all with Orange Moon Over Brooklyn. This album displays the same skill level of his battling cred but displays a more focused ability to story tell and address some deeper issues without being as heavy and/or serious as let's say Immortal Technique. Marco Polo's production is top notch as always and perfectly compliment's Pumpkinhead's rhymes without being too overpowering or over the top (I think someone like Stoupe from Jedi Mind Tricks style would be too overbearing and clash with someone as technical as Pumpkinhead) Marco can always craft a perfect mix of soulful airy type beats with grimier street style as displayed on the whole album. The stand out beat for me would be the beautiful "Jukebox". Throw in a great sense of humor/jabs aimed at the battle scene specifically (at the end of "I Just Wanna Rhyme") and you've got yourself an all around heater of an LP.