There’s something immediately arresting about the music of Arch The Rival. In a relatively short amount of time, the Melbourne-based MC has crafted a sound that grabs you by the lapels and screams directly in your face. His sounds are unavoidable; they seek you out and command your attention. It’s a rare gift, that kind of song craftsmanship, but Arch The Rival possesses it in spades.
Now, with the release of his new EP Ruff, Rug’d N Raw, he continues to establish his penchant for delivering brutal slabs of audio glory. If you’re not already paying attention to this name, we strongly recommend you change that.
On his new EP Ruff, Rug’d N Raw, Melbourne-based MC Arch The Rival crafts a hard-hitting slab of hip-hop brilliance.
All throughout the new EP, ATR stomps through a blistering concoction of hip-hop sounds to serve up something that feels equal parts familiar and fresh. With thunderous vocal delivery and booming production, Ruff, Rug’d N Raw is bursting at the seams with pure musical energy.
And while the new release maintains an unwavering drive, it still navigates a variety of sonic spaces over the course of its seven-track run-time. Opening track Freakstyle is a perfect showcase of his raw, abrasive take on hip-hop, while Don’t Be A Fool Sucka leans more heavily into groove-infuse old-school sounds. By the time the EP’s closing track Fluesome reaches its final moments, however, you’ll be left completely transfixed by Arch The Rival’s incredible brand of music.
This is the latest in a string of consistently great releases from this Melbourne artist, and judging by the quality of everything we’ve heard so far, I think we can safely expect plenty more great tunes. In the meantime, do yourself a favour and listen to the new EP above.
