[Album & MV Review] MONSTA X - 'THE CLAN pt.2 GUILTY'

AKP STAFF

MONSTA X � THE CLAN pt.2 'GUILTY'

Track List:

1. Fighter
2. Be Quiet
3. Blind
4. Queen
5. White Love
6. Roller Coaster

MONSTA X continues The Clan series with 'The Clan Part. 2 Guilty.' There's a strong lineup of songwriters for this album, including Giriboy and group members I.M and Jooheon. This is the second part of the story and their fourth EP, not to mention an awkward sounding title.

The title track, "Fighter," is a pulse-pounding devil of a track. Everything about this song is forceful and fierce. There's all sorts of elements in the arrangements, giving this tune a real meaty feel, from cacophonous horns to electric guitars and the obligatory synths. This is one of those songs you need to play again and again. The rush is intense.

I thought things were going to quiet down with "Be Quiet." I was wrong, and the song is anything but hushed. The song is a giant mess of chaos and noise, along with sounds that aren't strictly music. And I love it. There's a crazy energy to this club-banger that should have you up and dancing. They definitely didn't obey the instructions in the title here -- and that's a great thing.

"Queen" is a bit schizophrenic. It's got a little bit of everything in it: some EDM, some silky smooth harmonies, some rapping...and it doesn't quite work. It's like in trying to incorporate everything it comes off as awkward and not a whole song. It would have have been better if they dialed back some of the elements and focused on one.

The other half of the album didn't pop out at me like these. To be honest, it's highly listenable, with a range of styles. No song sounds like any of the others here, which is refreshing. I do miss some of the nods to trap on the 'Clan Pt. 1 Lost,' though. If you're looking for a little pop with your hip hop, then look no further. Did I like it? Guilty.

MV REVIEW

MONSTA X pull no punches with their new MV "Fighter"!

At first I saw a familiar collection of imagery, and if I hadn't been on Netflix recently I wouldn't have gotten it. Much of what we see in the MV is a tip of the hat to 'Stranger Things.'

Many things translate straight across with the lab and the bikes, but the dead giveaway has to be the opening titles. It's in the same font and everything. The plot is entirely different, but it's hard not to see the parallels.

Beyond that, what follows is an encounter with a doc with highly addictive (and apparently psychotropic) fruit snacks, and the boys escaping from a lab. The lab is space age, with some fairly dark and creepy imagery. Of course, you can theorize that everything that happened in this MV was a dream sequence, but I'm not sure if that's correct. Whatever. It was still a riot to watch.

I have to give them points just for sheer audacity -- and not to mention a good dose of nerd cred. I'm a fan of the show and a fan of this video as well (though the doctor with the addictive gummy fruit snacks was corny). The only thing that would have made it cooler is if they were playing Dungeons & Dragons.