The Voices of Terror is a name that inspires fear, dread, and, well, terror. It’s not an emotion that I look for in music, but because they claim to be an alternative rock and hip-hop music duo, I decided to give their debut album, Rock-Rap Dynasty, a try.

Mike Walker and Zero, both from New Jersey, have created, written, and produced a strong set of songs, released at the end of the summer. The terror they claim to be the voices of is not the mind-numbing, emotionally exhausting, and apathy-encouraging type. Rather, they discuss matters we should be afraid of in a way that inspires.

There are 11 tracks on Rock-Rap Dynasty including a bonus one. Strings are featured throughout the album, from the wonderful cello opening in the album’s first track “Warning” and the strings-supported melody throughout the same song as well as in “Lethal Weapon”, “Insane Lyricist”, “Warrior”, and “Dynasty”. The drumming almost seems like a third singer in many parts of the album, making for a strong opening in “The Old Gods” or an attention-grabbing feature such as in “D.E.A.T.H. of RAP”. An electronic keyboard also makes a couple of appearances in the album, namely, in “Problems”, where it both opens up the track and accompanies the other instruments throughout, as well as in “Save Me”.

The rapping is tight throughout, with a special mention of the intertwined rapping featured in “Insane Lyricist” and “Warrior” where Mike Walker and Zero alternatively rap. Theirs voices and styles are just different enough to create a healthy contrast. Both songs also feature a strong drum-driven melody, great guitar support, and an interesting twist courtesy of strings.

The Voices of Terror have created catchy songs that bring together old school gangster rap, electronic and rock rhythms. Each contribution to the album fits a certain formula unique to the band, but even the most formulaic songs on the album, such as “I am The Beast”, are worthy of a listen. The bonus track deserves special mention: the acoustic “Voiceless” – quite the à propos name. It features a string opening, notes plucked on an electronic keyboard throughout the song, and sections with big percussion that add a unique dimension to the album. If this is where The Voices of Terror are going, I look forward to hearing what they are going to come up with next.

More information about the band is available on their Facebook page and on their website. The album can be streamed on SoundCloud.

Pictures provided by Independent Music Promotions.

First published here on Blogcritics.