A Musical Identity Crisis: CMH's 'MUDBLOOD'

CMH: MUDBLOOD

SCORE: 70/100

MUDBLOOD is a solidly approachable mixed-genre project that blends Euro-Trance, Trap, Hip-Hop, and Hardstyle into one album that has been made particularly iconic through the third track on the album, jackass, which features a collaboration with Dutch Hardcore artist Joost. 

This short Russian album is particularly strong when the Hardstyle influences shine through the hardest - and some of the bulk of the album unfortunately suffers from not meeting the same standards as other material in both the genre and the album itself. 

Unfortunately for this album, CMH seems to see himself as something he is not. This album is advertised as intense hardstyle with a dark aesthetic; whereas the resulting album is something that feels incredibly soft and light. The songs are mainly palatable and highly mainstream in their bubbly sound - and it's a complete contrast from what most might expect from the album.

MUDBLOOD suffers strongly from some structural choices that make the album run at a very strange pace, with songs that do not go together and a mix of unfamiliar genres to one another being commonplace throughout the 28-minute runtime of the album. It feels more like a high-level mixtape than anything linear, and consistency is clearly not key when it comes to CMH. 

Using "edgy" imagery and desires is where CMH truly stumbles in his sound - as it's clear to see how inauthentic it truly is for the artist. Instead of getting something that feels like a genuine piece of expression like most electronic music, MUDBLOOD is all over the place, poorly paced, and strongly faltering in style. 

Despite the slightly disappointing overall sound choices, MUDBLOOD is a solidly fun album that is highly danceable and enjoyable in its sounds. It has big production and a lot of charm in the shine that it has - but it's a shame that CMH seems lost as to what he really wants to be as an artist. It feels like an identity crisis unfolding through a turmoil of genres and sounds that clash with one another - and although the songs here are all enjoyable in their own right, it's an odd album when it comes to structure; or lack thereof.