With the release of his eighth studio album, “Sulfur Surfer”, Bladee has yet again satiated the raving throngs of his rabid fanbase. It’s not like there haven’t been Bladee releases since his prior album, with a smattering of singles, features, and remixes being released since 2024, but for the legions of “Drainers” who follow the Drain Gang swede rap collective, a new Bladee album is of utmost import. It is what the fanbase will inevitably coalesce upon, with entire personalities and cultures formed around each individual’s favorite Bladee era and release. Sulfur Surfer is now part of Bladee’s canon, and as such we must interrogate it as to see what it brings to the table.
When this album was suddenly announced on May 15th, with only 5 days until full release, I was fully engaged. As someone who’s been an avid fan of Bladee and Cloud Rap since my first introduction to his musical stylings in high school, I couldn’t miss this release for anything. Bladee’s quite near and dear to me, being my 3rd most listened to artist of all time, and what I find so enthralling about his music is the scope and range present. While those uninitiated may say that it all sounds the same, after a good few listens you begin to pick up the nuances of what makes each Bladee release stand out. 2014’s “Gluee” does not sound like 2018’s ‘Red Light”, and neither do “Gluee” nor “Red Light” sound like 2022’s “Crest”. I could go on, but these nuances are what drive my zealotry for this artist. There’s a Bladee release for virtually every type of situation, if you’re imaginative. With the advent of this release, I was on tenterhooks, imagining what type of camp this one would fall under.
What does this release sound like?
Upon my first completion of this album the morning of release, one of my first takeaways was that Bladee’s penchant for the arcane and occult had reared its head once again, and the fruits of its labor were quite fascinating to see. Benjamin Reichwald’s musical output has always flirted with these taboos, but it was just that, flirtation. This release seems to keep that facet of his tastes as a charm point, however. One easy way to identify this new shift is with the sole feature on this record, being Current 93 of all people. This was a huge shock to not just me, but almost everyone I know familiar with either musicians’ body of work. Current 93, David Tibet’s neo-folk project, is exactly the type of mystic music that you’d expect to go hand in hand with this new direction. While this might not be expected for a Cloud Rap artist, Bladee manages to make it sound captivating. The gruff and macabre cacophanies this off-kilter approach generates elegantly sublimate into ethereal soundscapes on songs like “Versailles Flow,” “Dolor” and “The Dark Mirror.”
This isn’t to say that this album is all about the seedy underbelly of life and the turmoil that comes with it. Yes, there are lines palpable with an edge that veers on corny, such as “to suffer is to be alive” and “cried when i was born, I’m crying in this life.” This critique is not without reason. However, this album takes measures to cater to those in Bladee’s audience who like his eccentric charisma. It’s not all pessimistic pedanticism. There’s a lust for life present throughout the record, with kinder and gentler lyrical stylings also present. Lines like “you are beautiful from afar, heavenly star” and I got my girlfriend upset, she said she wants me to be mean to her, but I can’t” insinuate a level of self-aware posturing. Bladee is cognizant of his bizarre approach, and relishes in his own ego and id. The expression of the artist is what paves the way for this release, allowing for an album divorced from much commercial trend to be possible.
Is this album worth a listen?
Bladee posits himself as a tortured soul with a heart of pitch, but even on his own curated release this cosplay cannot be upheld with strong intent. This album paints a picture of a complexly vulnerable man who picks and chooses which layers to shed, which topics are boastable and which are reproachable. This hypocrisy allows the listener to project themselves onto whichever appendage of the artist’s character they resonate the most with. It’s a large driving force as to why the audience for Bladee is so ride-or-die, this sense of connection that more stoic artists would never divulge. If you have a penchant for music that is discordant yet coordinated, indulgent and striking, I must reccomend this release to you. I am well aware that Bladee’s output is notoriously not everyone’s cup of tea, but I implore the curious listener to accept this with open ears. There’s much to be dissected from this release, and if it can serve as a gateway for a wider interest in Cloud Rap, all the better. I do truly hope you find it as engrossing as I do, and the only way for you to find out if that will be the case is upon listen.