Horrorcore and nu metal rapper Ghostemane (Eric Whitney) has returned from a five-year hiatus with the track "Zero Day". The track was produced by Kenneth Blume (fka Kenny Beats). Blume has also worked previously with bands such as Geese, Weezer and Idles. The music video is co-directed by concert photographer and music video director Quietcam, as well as Whitney himself. The music video was shot earlier this month, featuring a packed crowd at secret Houston and Austin venues.
The song so far has been critically received by fans. However, it's really this YouTube comment from user geteavnroc2250 that sums up my feelings.
"Zero Day" as a Ghostemane track doesn't have any essence of what makes Whitney's music so great. No harsh industrial electronics, very bland guitars, stock drums, and lyrics that are somehow little of substance or meaning. The track is what makes Korn great but with an dying Soundcloud take on it. The song builds to nowhere in the breakdown and the trap metal drum break just seems to be fitting space in this music salad.
This, coupled with a vocal delivery of a teenager discovering swears from the playground, shows that Whitney's basic flow feels like it's coming from a "real rapper" 101 class. Take the following:
You motherfuckers think you know everything / what
You really know is nothing / I felt the pain but I turned it into something
I see everybody screamin' fuck this and fuck that /
Well now it’s time to do something about it, something violent
These are just some of the examples of the track's flat, one-dimensional, and hollow lyric writing.
Not the best I've heard from Whitney, but I'm glad he is back... albeit with hesitation. Perhaps the next Ghostemane track will be better.
Watch the music video below:
