Posthumous releases are generally a bad idea, but this album was apparently almost finished when Chino XL died. He killed himself, which makes one wonder if his Darkness is meant as a sort of suicide note. There are certainly enough references to suggest so.

XL, like Canibus during his 2000 peak, is best when he’s rapping because he’s one of “the greatest lyricists of all time”. Things only falter during the breaks. On Lumps Of Silver, for example, he makes the mistake of singing in the same melody as the guitar riff.

Or was that bit added after his death? That’s always a question with these posthumous releases, but there are some savers nevertheless. They include Words In The Color, which conjures Biggie’s Suicidal Thoughts, Sermon In Crimson and Blue Obsidian.

my rating : 3 of 5

2024