Backxwash
STIGMATA EP
Grimalkin Records
Montreal, QC
RIYL: JPEGMAFIA; Atrocity Exhibition-era Danny Brown; ditching Sunday School to listen to Black Sabbath

2020 has been a massive year for Backxwash. The Montreal-based, Zambia-born horrorcore rapper released her album God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It in May to widespread acclaim, and has now followed it with an equally exciting four song EP. The heavy sound of STIGMATA draws on Backxwash’s religious upbringing, sampling Christian metal bands Renascent, Antestor, and Saving Grace, while conjuring a nightmarish ambience that represents her artistry today. Continuing the collaborative approach of her last album, the EP includes contributions from various acts such as the (sadly defunct) Toronto noise-pop duo Black Dresses, Boston industrial rappers Camp Blood, and Montreal experimental artist Joni Void. Yet Backxwash’s voice is front and centre, spitting lyrics with a cathartic, emotionally-charged aggressiveness that has the power to heal all wounds.

Jesse Locke