Thankfully raps inclusion into the world of heavy music has been greatly ignored in hardcore minus a few forays into the ugliest parts of New York City, North Jersey, and a couple sightings in California in the early 90's. Then came Cold World from Wilkes-Barre, PA with their cute little samples and lyrics lifted from various hip hop artists. Next thing you know people were talking about Nas/Jay-Z feuds on hardcore messageboards. Shows were starting to become a fashion parade of allover-print hoodies and limited edition skate shoes made by Indonesian children.
I surely can't blame Cold World for all this garbage, but sometimes you just have to blame someone. The goofy thing is that I like Cold World. This band can write some goddamn good riffs that are thick and visceral. The vocals are shouted and not rapped. And even though lyrics are on the tough guy bent they are never presented in a "Yo Yo bitch you tripping" type of nonsense.
Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First expands on Cold World's heavy as all hell sound with a soul crushing honesty that many bands lack in today's hardcore scene. The songs reach another level of heavy as they weigh down on you. It's almost like listening to a metal version of Quicksand trying to cover old Sick of it All in a pissing match to end all pissing matches in sheer bullshit free ferocity. Even the double-kick laden mosh parts are tastefully done and executed with precise carnage in mind.
The hip hop interludes are silly but not overbearing. My favorite song has to be the title track which comes as a slap in the face and one of the few songs that actually uses bits of sampling to propel through a fist-flying fury of metal-infused stompy hardcore.
Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First is what I expected from Cold World after I heard No Omega. Even the sung/grunge vocals don't throw me for that much of a loop since every band seems to be doing that these days. Cold World has never been one to stand that far outside of the trends. Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First is a hard album straight from the school of hardknocks. It's a punch to the gut and knee to groin, and sometimes you need that in your life.
