Silver Bullet , Bring Down The Walls No Limit Squad Returns

Starting his Rap career with the short-lived Hip Hop crew: Triple Element, UK emcee Silver Bullet soon got noticed on the underground scene with the release of his first solo single 'Bring Forth The Guillotine' in 1989.

London-based independent label Tam Tam (who had been responsible for the first single) realised the potential of this harsh new sound, and had soon signed the young rapper for another 12". The second single ('20 Seconds To Comply') came shortly after the first and broke new ground for UK Hip Hop, soon becoming a classic slice of early 90's UK Rap. With it's intro sampled from the film 'Robocop' and it's title that referenced the same snippet, the single became the track that would eventually start the new album.

By mid 1991 the Rapper had moved to major-label Parlophone and released his debut album (preceeded by the single 'Undercover Anarchist', which Parlophone used to test the waters).

Writing and spitting his own lyrics with a trademark sneer and breakneck speed, Bullet was amply complimented by the production of long-time cohort deejay Moe.

'Bring Down The Walls No Limit Squad Returns' may only run at 10 tracks long (four of which had already been released as 12" singles), but the raw power and punch of the content more than makes up for it.

Opening with the sound of the guardian robot ED 209 (from the movie 'Robocop' ), the album blisters through it's order with no apology for itself.

Even 16 years of Hip Hop since, have not bluntened this rapier of Rap. The lyrics (from what can be understood of them) are harsh, quick and sharp, owing more to death metal than the rhymes of the time.

Silver Bullet defined his own machine-gun delivery by doing it better than anyone else had (and ever has since), twanging his London accent amid a style of horror movie growling and deep reverb.

Deejay Moe's production is something to admire throughout this work, and the one instrumental track that features here; 'He Spins Around' (originally the B-side to the 12", 'Undercover Anarchist' ), only serves to make me want an instrumental version of the complete album (sadly an instrumental version was never released).

The overall musical atmosphere is one of subtle samples and distorted drums, horror strings and funky loops. 'Bring Down The Walls...', sounds unlike anything else that came before or since.

Classic tracks like: '20 Seconds To Comply', 'Bring Forth The Guillotine' and 'Undercover Anarchist' are present on the album, but it's the lesser known cuts like: 'Legions Of The Damned', 'Raw Deal' and 'Guns Of Mind Alone' (complete with it's 'Back To The Future' sample) that stand-out for me.

The production remains tight and enveloping throughout, and the rapping is on-point and unique (even today). It's an andrenaline-rush of an album, that gave more than a few idea's to future generations of Rap.

For full appreciation of this body of work, one may need to have a particular interest in UK Rap (the sound often being too harsh for many people). If it interests you though (and if you can find it ), give it a go!

Once you get into it, I guarantee you will love it!