What better way to come off Hallowicked than Key Largo, Floridian emcee Darby O’Trill releasing his 7th LP? Emerging in the fall of 2018 off his full-length debut Blood, Guts & a Whole Lotta Love, would go on to follow it with Fester almost a year later & has extensively been working with Chapter 17/Psychopathic Records in-house producer Devereaux by bringing him into the cut to fully produce his 3rd album Piecemeal to critical acclaim during the COVID-19 pandemic. Darby’s eventually signed a 1-album deal with Lyrikal Snuff Productionz & fulfilled it over a year ago with Gully, which is a modern day wicked shit classic. Amputate was a solid prelude to The Tomb, the latter was even better. Darby’s official C17 debut Creek became his best since Gully & had a feeling GARDeN could join them in the ranks.
“Diet Root Beer Shampoo” is a 100 second demonic trap opener that Devereaux of course laced talking about the portal to Hell’s Pit in the basement of his apartment whereas “The Sound of Suffering Trapped Skin” works in some hi-hats & guitars feeling murderous. “Quit Lookin At Me, You’re Making My Shadow Nervous” wants to know what the fuck you want over another trap metal beat while “Hell Been Callin’ featuring Shaggytheairhead & produced by Mythic Mindz recaptures the aura of 10 Bandz from this spring.
As for “Dick Down in a Bucket Fulla Beans”, we have Darby delving further down the trap metal rabbit hole feeling the fire burn around him just before “Crooked Pastor Blaster” serves as a sequel to “C.P.K. (Crooked Preacher Killas)” by the Insane Clown Posse & one that does the original justice. The bassy “Fiery Fish Pizza TMDWU” has some cool Memphis undertones throughout feelin’ like something’s talking in his head, but then “The Omen of the Body Bag” is another trap metal head-smasher.
“Multicolored Mood Ring” keeps the heavy guitars & hi-hats in the fold reminding us all that life & death is alchemy while “Blistered Hands Wipe the Sweat From My Brow” maintains a trap metal flare paralleling “My Axe” by ICP except he refers to a shovel instead of an axe. Shaggytheairhead’s only singular production credit lands on Skull Bone Soccer” giving a standard trap vibe so Darby can caution his disgustingness while the lively “A Man Made of Scabs & Guilt” asks why he even tries
Ouija Macc appears for “Baptized in a Vat Acid” aggressively leaving their opposition in the dirt while “Smokeless Tobacco Spit is Gross, Just Like You” goes trap metal again to spit the wicked shit. “Curse of the Ancient Skin Tags” infernally suggests a sign towards the end being close while “The Burden of Being” remarkably mixes trap metal & emo rap. “Close the Gate, Don’t Let the World In” heinously finishes his C17 sophomore effort by talking about being dead.
Being familiar with Darby since Piecemeal, he’s come a very long way in these past 4 years & GARDeN a lot like that introductory body of work alongside Creek & of Gully further proves further in addition to Chapter 17 embodying a new generation of juggalos. It’s more trap metal sounding than his previous material aside than the emo rap undertones, colliding that style with horrorcore in a tasteful manner.
Score: 9/10