About a year ago, I was done with superhero films. I want to say Black Panther changed my mind. It didn’t. The soundtrack, though, that one was a pleasing surprise. A cornucopia of rappers, old and new. From that curated roster, one name stuck out: Yugen Blakrok.

Anima Mysterium is not a brag-rap album. It’s a socially conscious album that tells a story, weaved through mysticism and impeccable lyrical work. Play any track and you’ll find esoteric rhymes grabbing both pop culture and the supernatural, while still tackling issues from our dreary reality.All wrapped in a thick, trip-hop like atmosphere that lays a fog around the listener.

Yugen Blakrok’s vocal delivery is punchy, but with the finesse of a well-skilled poet. ‘Metallik Crow’ feels like a vivid nightmare, one you might not wake up from. ‘Monoatomic mushroom’ re-invents trip hop, transmuting it to the socio-political atmosphere of 2019. ‘Carbon form’, the lead single, encapsulates a good sample of Anima Mysterium’s essence.

The world’s gone mad, hasn’t it? People burn to death stealing petrol. Abuse of power is everywhere. Politicians segregate countries instead of uniting people. In these trying types, an album like Anima Mysterium is not only a punchy statement for a new artist, it’s a necessity for a world as bleak as ours.

Words: Sam J. Valdes López