Moodie Black is a hip hop/noise act that was based out of Minneapolis for many years but has recently relocated to Los Angeles. Last year saw them release a major album in Lucas Acid, which not only marked a shift in musical style, but also marked their first release since emcee/producer KDeath came out publicly as transgender. Now that they’ve navigated those waters, Moodie Black releases a four-song EP to start off the new year, simply titled M B I I I.

One of the major stylistic shifts that Moodie Black made on Lucas Acid was to slow down the lyrical delivery, and to bring the vocals up in the mix, so that more weight would be given to the words. This was in opposition to previous releases, where the vocals were somewhere in the middle of the mix and meant more to be taken in as part of the overall sonic experience. This style is continued on M B I I I, where KDeath’s vocals are very clear and deliberately delivered over the course of four songs. Of course, the music is still as punishing and challenging as ever, with a sludgy, pounding industrial style of production hits you right from the opening of the EP and doesn’t let up until you get to the end. It’s always been a make or break style of music for listeners, and it’s no different here. Either you’re open to something very distorted and dissonant and loud, or it’s not your bag and this just isn’t for you. For those of you willing to take a chance on music like this, you’ll really appreciate this release as a companion to Lucas Acid.

I don’t know where Moodie Black goes from here, but I do appreciate their shift in style that continues here. M B I I I is a solid EP from these noise rap veterans.