The Dark Craftsmen - No Shadow On Your Sundial

No Shadow...' starts with a mock-intro to a 'Tekken'-style fighting game: perhaps a comment on the level of realism in the disembowellings, hangings, and assorted beatings that take place in the lyrics. For all the promised violence, it is hard not to laugh at MC Tekneek, mainly because of the lack of humour in the violence he portrays. Eminem's battle technique – drawing attention to the cartoonish nature of violence in his rhymes - basically made a joke of this style of rap, and it has been tough to pull off convincingly since then. Where it is convincing (on True Vandal, featuring Eastborn and Junior Disprol, or on the hyperspeed funk of T-2000), 'No Shadow...' is a great vehicle for a gifted battle MC. Where it fails, it seems like a caricature of labelmates Eastborn and The Mantis Chapter's more convincingly dark work. That said, scratching and production throughout are superb – this is a solid UK hip-hop offering. [Bram Gieben]