There are few things in life you can depend on, but one thing you can be sure of is getting a new Swamp Thing album each Halloween. The Toronto group made up of Backburner artists Chokeules, Timbuktu, and Savilion have made sure to release a horror/sci-fi-themed hip hop album for eleven straight years now. Last year, they gave us World War Swamp. Now, we’re getting Noise Machine.

Swamp Thing has been nothing if not consistent over the years, but there is always room for some variation within their general style of hip hop. For this go round, the trio went up to Timbuktu’s cabin in northern Ontario with a bunch of beats from Toronto producer LRYBRDBTZ this past summer. The difference here is that while they are still working in the general boom bap school of hip hop, the beats are a bit more laid back and West Coast-sounding than previous albums. Don’t get it twisted, though – there is still plenty of eeriness to the beats, and timely samples from B-movies and horror soundtracks to set the mood. On the mic, you get exactly what you want from Swamp Thing as Chokeules, Timbuktu, and Savilion all deliver plenty of horror and sci-fi references while also talking plenty of trash, delivering punchlines, and making pop culture references. On top of all this, they keep it a Backburner family affair by including guest spots from More or Les, Ghettosocks, Ambition, Jesse Dangerously, and Wordburglar. They also expand the Swamp Thing Universe with the inclusion of Winnipeg artist Pip Skid, best known for his releases on Peanuts & Corn. More than anything, though, Noise Machine is about three veteran artists coming together to have fun and go deep on some nerdy horror-themed hip hop.

Noise Machine marks the eleventh year in a row that Swamp Thing has released an album on Halloween. That in and of itself is reason to celebrate, but also maintaining a consistently high bar and finding subtle ways to switch things up and challenge themselves and let others in on the fun makes it all the more special.