Music Review: Swamp Thing, Planet Murk

By Tyler Hodg

Goddamn, Toronto is housing some insanely talented hip-hop artists.

Swamp Thing, a group out of the “6” comprised of Timbuktu, Chokeules, and Savillion, has been delivering out-of-this-world rhymes as a collective unit since their debut EP The Grindhouse in 2012. Swamp Thing’s latest release, Planet Murk, teams the group up with yet another Greater Toronto Area heavyweight, Peter Project, and proves to be a match made in heaven.

It’s hard to dismiss Planet Murk in any way. The undeniable chemistry that Swamp Thing possesses as a group goes hand-in-hand with Peter Project’s beats to create a soundtrack for any occasion. This is not an exaggeration: it is nearly impossible to take the album off of repeat.

Throughout its entirety, Planet Murk generally features an equal amount of verse time for Timbuktu, Chokeules, and Savillion. None of the three outshines the others, and their unique styles contrast to develop a flow that is ever-changing, yet parallel.

While Peter Project gets accreditation in the actual artist line (as he should considering his excellent work), he isn’t the only guest to accompany Swamp Thing on their new collection of tunes; More or Les lends his talents to “Firebots”, while Ghettosocks guests on “Lake Eerie”. The musicians featured across the album all play a major role in Toronto’s hip-hop scene, and the camaraderie between them has bled into Planet Murk in only a positive way. There is a certain energy and enthusiasm that each and every one of them brings to the songs, making the music as fun to listen to as they probably had making it.

It wouldn’t be fair to pick out any songs as standouts, considering the opening track “Welcome To The Planet” sets such a high standard that never dips or diminishes until the album is finished. Really, the best course of action is to listen to all of the songs as much as possible.

If Swamp Thing’s Planet Murk isn’t proof enough that Toronto rappers are among the elite, those who disagree will unfortunately remain ignorant. The work they created, alongside Peter Project, is a stellar compilation from start to finish.

Planet Murk, released on October 30, is available from Swamp Thing’s Bandcamp page.