2020 was a very good year for Twiztid fans, not only did we get three new albums from the demented duo, we also got the ‘free per view’ event Netfest as well as the digital experience of Attack of the Ninjas. I’ve been a huge Twiztid fan for a little over a decade and their music always manages to push the boundaries of the rap genre and continues to exceed expectations at every opportunity.
For those of you out there who aren’t familiar with Twiztid today I am going to go through my top ten favourite tracks by them, limiting the list to exclusively 2020 releases. By my count there are 36 tracks to pick from, comprised of the Mad Season, Songs of Samhain and Revelashun albums as well as the two singles released from their upcoming rock album Unlikely Prescription as well as their Christmas single featuring Boondox.
This list was difficult to pin down as there are so many songs I want to highlight. I want to give an honourable mention to the Hungry Like The Wolf cover for how many times I’ve played it (even if it was released as a single in 2019) but let’s get stuck into the top ten!
10) 9lb Hammer – Songs of Samhain
Despite being one of the shortest Twiztid tracks from 2020, 9lb Hammer pulls no punches. With a beat that immediately grinds its way inside your head and never leaves, along with the brutal lyrics, you feel all nine pounds of the hammer as Monoxide and Madrox’s bars smash their way into your soul, and this song into my top ten.
9) Never Change – Mad Season
Never Change is a great example to show someone who has never heard Twiztid before. Madrox and Monoxide deliver very strong verses on this track and make it one you’ll find yourself listening to over and over again.
One of my favourite examples of great Twiztid single cover art.
8) Never Be Nothing – Revelashun
The closing song of November’s Revelashun and easily one of my most frequently played from the record. Whilst featuring melancholic lyrics and sound design it’s in reality quite an uplifting track. Twiztid albums have always been excellent at bringing across positive themes just as competently as they can display the negativity the darker side of the rap genre is known for, and this song is testament to that.
7) Fuck Wit Us (featuring Blaze Ya Dead Homie) – Mad Season
Possibly the catchiest song on the album thanks to its hook, this is perhaps the best example on this list of a song that should only ever be played at max volume. Blaze’s verse is a formidable addition to this song, and his 2020 album, Cadaver, should definitely be on your radar if it’s not already.
6) Everything’s Cursed – Mad Season
This song is so chilling that it would likely be more at home on Songs of Samhain rather than Mad Season. The general feel of 2020, especially in April is so well encapsulated by this song that it’s almost as if Twiztid saw the effect Covid would have coming before anyone else and had this song ready in preparation for it.
‘Please don’t let me lose my head’ is used frequently throughout the track, a phrase millions of people were thinking as they were ordered to remain in their homes in a bid to halt the spread of the virus.
The sound engineering by Fritz the Cat and Young Wicked creates such a sinister aura around this song that makes it truly unforgettable and one of the very best tracks from Mad Season.
5) Rose Petal – Unlikely Prescription
This song was such a surprise as until listening to it I didn’t know a dedicated rock album was something Twiztid were actively pursuing. Their 2019 album, Generation Nightmare (my favourite all time Twiztid record), had a few rock songs on it, but even those pale in comparison to Rose Petal. Set to be released on Twiztid’s next album, Unlikely Prescription in April 2021, this song has me incredibly excited for the full release, and it is currently my most anticipated album of the year.
4) We Just Wanna Be Heard – Revelashun
‘If life’s a bitch then slut shame her’. This one line, coupled with the huge amount of times I played the song since it was released as a single in August, was enough to get this song into my top ten. A lot like other lines from 2020 Twiztid songs, this has entered the list of quips in my vocabulary that I use as often as possible.
One of the most solid Twiztid tracks of the year and with yet another incredibly catchy hook you that will embed itself in your head immediately!
3) In My Head – Songs of Samhain
The closing track of the Halloween themed album and by far the creepiest. I remember that after I had finished listening to the album for the first time, even though I loved it from start to finish, I still put just this track on repeat and listened to it for hours.
While all the tracks on Songs of Samhain capture the feeling of Halloween, In My Head is the very essence of Halloween in 2020. Most definitely a song that has to be heard to be believed, if only someone had thought to provide a link to it around here somewhere…
2) 4get U (featuring Ekoh & Young Wicked) – Mad Season
What can I say? Until the number one entry came along I had not doubt in my mind that this was my favourite Twiztid song of 2020. Released as a promotional single in January, I have been listening to this song regularly for almost a year and it still feels fresh every single time the gentle build of the instrumental begins playing.
Featuring guest vocals from Young Wicked and Ekoh, the latter of whom I had not heard of before but who delivers an incredible first impression on this track.
Monoxide’s opening line of his verse ‘I think you forgot what being honest is’ is my go-to response now whenever I suspect I’m not getting the full truth from someone, and there are so many other great lines in this song that you should just listen to it to experience them for yourself.
1) Twinz – Revelashun
Twiztid have released hundreds of songs in their careers, and while plenty of them have blown my tiny mind into bloody shreds, no other song has made me suddenly bolt upright while listening to it and loudly declare for no-one to hear: ‘This is their best song ever!’
The ‘whoop’ sound effect reminds me heavily of the ‘whoops’ from the ceremony at the end of The Phantom Menace (one of my favourite Star Wars films as it’s the first one I watched) and even now a couple of months after Revelashun released, even when I am not currently listening to the song, I still find myself bursting out with a ‘whoop’ at any time for no reason.
Until November, the 2014 song ‘Breakdown’ was my favourite all-time Twiztid track, but after the 2020 releases it has been knocked from that perch by several songs.
Thank you for reading my top ten favourite Twiztid releases of 2020. Let me know yours in the comments or on Twitter @MaliceVER and I hope I have convinced you to check out Twiztid if you haven’t before, and I know that you will not be disappointed.
I want to give another mention to Ekoh (@ekohmusic) as he is well worth your time as well, and I hope he collabs with Twiztid again in the future. Thanks again for reading and I’ll be back to speak to you again soon!
