Dalek has put out quite a few albums, and during this process, has made a name for himself. Considering the type of hip-hop he performs, this is quite impressive. Dalek is like a fine beer…it is an acquired taste, but once you get past that part, it is delicious. This is demonstrated well on Gutter Tactics, his newest release.

For those of you who are not familiar with Dalek, he fuses together quite an eclectic platter of different styles: whether it is metal, electric, punk, hip-hop, etc., he creates something he can truly call his own. The opening track, “Blessed Are They Who Bash Your Children’s Heads Against A Rock,” is a great example of this. Dalek sets the stage of his dark, ambient style that will ring throughout Gutter Tactics. Leading into “No Question,” we are punched in the face with Dalek’s signature style. Incredibly phase-distorted beats with recognizable but seemingly foreign rap behind them. It is like a wise man telling you something extremely note worthy, but you are hard of hearing and must double take a few times until you get it. But, if you do this, there are some great things to catch in his lyricism. “Atypical Stereotype” closes out Gutter Tactics as one of the more experimental tracks of the album. It sounds almost as if it was produced by M83, with no quite rapping over it…but more of a spoken word blend of poetry and emceeing. Overall, this is Gutter Tactics in a nutshell…experimental, but not for the better or worse. I would not categorize it as a hip-hop album, but more so a conceptual musical experiment. One that, yes, borrows from hip-hop, among many other music styles, but one that does not necessarily indulge itself in hip-hop. This does not take anything away from Gutter Tactics, though. It is a bright album with a lot to say, and for that, I give Dalek the props he deserves. That is right. Props.

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