By Joe Zajac
It’s been seven years since the Insane Clown Posse released their landmark album, The Wraith: Shangri-La, in which the clown duo came out as closet Christians and successfully veered into cult-like territory with promises of an afterlife reserved for only Juggalos, the fans of ICP.
It was a savvy business move by ICP to cement fan support, but still, being of low IQ, Juggalos were baffled nonetheless, and the general public had long since dismissed the clowns as such.
More curious about this, is that it came in the tail end of a string of albums laced with profanity, violence and ham-fisted messages of murder and carnage. These themes resonated with only the most dimwitted outcasts and dredges of society, who form the Juggalo “family.” Such themes are the norm on most ICP albums. There is no light at the end of the tunnel with the ICP discography, only disappointment, and Bang! Pow! Boom! is no different.
Make no mistake, Bang! Pow! Boom! is still an abscess on music itself. It is a whole mess of wretched piled on top of decaying meat festering in the sun for days. Though it is unlikely that anyone who listens to ICP is also able to read this review, be forewarned that only childish lyrics, nonsensical violence and whack beats await those who dare listen. If you ever wondered where dreams, aspirations and positive life choices go to die, this would be the place to start.
Devon • Sep 5, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Heres a big [expletive deleted] you for thinking the afterlife is ONLY for juggalos.
You wasted your time talking about pointless shit cause your opinion doesn’t matter to juggalos what so ever.
Hope you realize that.
People fear which they do not understand, and what they don’t understand they try and destroy.
MFMez • Sep 5, 2009 at 12:05 am
How can someone write an album review claiming Juggalos have a “low IQ”, yet compose a sentence like “More curious about this is that it came n the tail end of a string of albums”……I’m a Juggalo, have a High IQ, and know that “n” is not a word and this sentence is lacking almost any knowledge of the English language. If you got paid for this review, then you WIN cuz dumb [expletive deleted] really can make a paycheck.
This dude is probably a RadioHead fan……..yet hates ICP fans…….wake the [expletive deleted] up doucher (and I meant “doucher” not “douche”).
austin • Sep 4, 2009 at 9:52 am
thank u Jesse im with you all the way WOOP WOOP
austin • Sep 4, 2009 at 9:50 am
this is not a good report im a juggalo and i have a high IQ
Jesse • Sep 4, 2009 at 12:57 am
Wow, you sure are pathetic.
I’m a Juggalo, I’m well educated, and open minded to all genre’s of music being a musician myself.
You’re talking quite a bunch of shit on something you don’t understand and while we’re on the subject….
You call that a review?
I mean seriously even if the cd sucks there’s a process to a review you nitwit.
1. Listen to the full cd and have a basic prior knowledge of the band.
2. Listen to it longer.
3. Find it’s pro’s and con’s, assuming you know a single thing about music and the complexity of beats.
4. Then…..If you’ve actually got a couple of brain cells that decide to flicker on you start to come up with your own opinion on the cd.
5. Then you write a review including the cd’s pro’s, con’s and your thoughts on the cd.
Fucking idiot.
Sam • Sep 3, 2009 at 8:56 pm
It is amazing how people out down what they dont understand. I myself did not understand ICP or what they stood for until recently. I have to say that I missed out on years of enjoying their music, message and underground family mentality. The fact that the Joe Zajac not only puts down Bang Pow Boom but the intelligence of all Juggalos and Jugalettes shows his complete ignorance to what ICP and all of the artists at Psychopathic Records represent. Joe, you need to really listen to the lyrics on BPB and attempt to understand the message that ICP has incorporated into this highly intelligent and articulate CD. Your attempt to pigeon hole ICP and their fans without trying to understand who they/we are is, in my opinion, equal to a bigot failing to understand a culture or race but slandering them anyways. I am in the opinion that you are a pseudo music intellectual who has no business in writing reviews on artists that you obviously have preconceived negative opinions on even before listening to their music. Stick to reviewing the mainstream garbage that is polluting our airwaves and leave real music out of your column.
To all Juggalos and Juggalettes;
WHOOP WHOOP!
eva • Sep 3, 2009 at 7:10 pm
hahaha
you gigolo juggalos are silly.
heres a tip: if you can’t even write coherent sentences with real words and without inserting “JUGGALO! YEEHAW” every time you take a breath, you really just prove any critics of this movement right. (particularly – ‘tyrone’, is it? you are just too good to be true.)
im neither for nor against whatever is going on with your whole christian clown cult thingamajig, but someone had to let you know you guys are coming off as moronic assholes. it may be redundant to point out, but any ‘fan’s of anything that defend it so crazily and erraticly without allowing for the possibility they might be wrong or any other point of view is feasible: thats what cult members are, sillies! blind followers with undying devotion to a cause who attack anyone who doesnt love it? yup.
you might as well stand in a circle shooting at the sky with seltzer bottles.
tyrone • Sep 3, 2009 at 4:54 pm
wat up wat up my fella juggaloes!
yall be right wit youre comments. this dude be mad trippen, cuz this cd is the BEST a da last centery. all dere rymes n beats is strate an da clowns is at da top a there game. aint no muisc guy gonna tell me difrent cuz they not down wit da clowns.
all yall hatas shuld go LISEN to da cd before yall talk smack bout it. joe aint nuttin spesial.
cody • Sep 3, 2009 at 1:26 pm
to joshua see thatz the problem people dont actualy listen to music anymore and its not like were mad if u dont like it its cuz every bodys has a apnion its when u get the bright idea like joe to go bashing on the JUGGALOS thats just dumn and why would any body do it period its all piont less even more soo since its over the internet its not like what he or any body has to say is going to change our minds cuz we r the few the one and onlys THE JUGGALOS
Joshua • Sep 3, 2009 at 8:31 am
To Casey, Cody, Marvin and Josh — I had a similar review of ICP album on my facebook page — and I reviewed this album the same as this reviewer did (although I didn’t make fun of and degrade juggalos). I had a fan hammer my review, told me I didn’t listen to it and get the “message”. I did the same thing, I had my mind made up before I even listened to the album. Once I got fans hammering my review, I pulled the review and decided to listen and take their advice and actually “listen” to the album (which im doing while writing this). Whether I enjoy it remains to be seen, but at least I’m making the effort to truly “listen” to the album, and my opinion could very well change. If it does (which im sure it will), I would advise this reviewer who hammered this album like I did to do the same, and maybe give it another shot.
Casey • Sep 3, 2009 at 8:04 am
Wow, I’m not sure that I expected any different from a useless music critic, but it still infuriates me to read the garbage that you have written. Josh, you nailed my sentiment exactly and beat me to the punch my man!
BPB is as good as anything the Clowns have ever released. Amazing music, lyrics, vocals, everything. Joe, you need to watch what you say about a group of people like us Juggalos. I am a diehard Juggalo, have been for many, many years. To have you refer to me as a dimwitted outcast or dredge of society is nothing more than shameless namecalling. I happen to be a college educated man with an engineering degree. I don’t believe any dimwit could have succeeded where I have in life. I am proud to support ICP and all of Psychopathic Records’ amazing musical talents. If you actually took the time to really listen to what these guys have to say you would know that Joe Bruce and Joe Utsler are among the MOST talented musical minds in the industry today. You, on the other hand, obviously don’t have a talented cell in your body. That is why you are nothing more than a music critic. Go listen to Fallout Boy or some other corporate garbage band. Asshole.
Cody • Sep 3, 2009 at 2:44 am
wow josh that was very well spoken u put him down for the count and i agrea i used to like a lot of main stream music but its all changed no matter what you listen to rock country rap it has all gone to hell its not like it used to be and i myself cant wate to get my copys of th cd
marvin • Sep 2, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I absolutinly agree with Josh.
And also you stated that there lyrics sent messages of murder and carnage, but there over all message is dispensing a form of justice by attacking racists, wife beaters, and pedophiles. It also teaches the listeners not to judge things they dont understand(something you should take into consideration before throwing your hate into the world). I personlly wanted 4 years ago to give the insane group a try, and Im glad I did, because unlike any other group out there, they take all the terrible things of the world and turn them into love.
(Juggalo love) Just being a juggalo turns a complete stranger into your best friend. Once again I agree with Josh I hope your editor reads this.
WHOOP WHOOP
Much clown love to all the juggalos!
Josh • Sep 1, 2009 at 11:27 pm
First of all , ICP never came out ass “closet Christians” , they simply said that God was a part of there music. God does not mean Christianity , recognizing Jesus as the son of God does.
But I am not here to point out Mr. Zajac’s shortcomings, they are plentiful but really not worth the time. It’s obvious this critic had his mind made up about the album before he even listened to it (if he did indeed listen to it at all) . By the way most critics are critics because they can’t do it themselves, they seem to have all the answers yet never seem to dive in themselves. The ultimate arm-chair quarterbacks. He also resorts to …make that stoops to.. characterizing the Juggalos as “dimwitted outcasts and dredges of society”. Sure Joe, tell Mommy & Daddy what a fine upstanding citizen you are 20 years from now when you are still living in their basement as an untalented and unemployed writer banging away on your keyboard with more meaningless rants. By the way Joe if you really want to know “where dreams, aspirations and positive life choices go to die”, take a look in the mirror.
Bang Pow Boom is a great album. ICP has always had a great sound, and this album is probably their best since Amazing Jeckel Brothers. It’s entertaining, has epic songs, and has the underground flavor you don’t hear on the radio. But Joe wouldn’t know that, he is still shuffling through his IPOD looking for a Beyonce song so he can tell us what REAL music is like. In the future Joe, if you really want to take this writing thing serious you should concentrate on an objective view of the album instead of spewing your hate for an album you had no intention of reviewing without dim witted personal attacks on the band.
I hope your editor is reading this , and relives you of your duties as a critic.