Nasty Fire sounds like the imaginary name of an imaginary band fronted by a twelve year old pyromaniac, doesn't it? The actual band has something to do with that expectation- These guys play basic thrash with the kind of abandon and glee you'd expect from a twelve year old pyro. The lyrics are unintelligible but, if I could understand them, I'd probably be offended. Again, I'm thinking a twelve year old would smile. Go back in time, and when I was a twelve year old, I listened to thrash that wasn't all that different from this, so is it any wonder that I like it? Yes, it's as brain dead as it seems like, but tell me you want to be smart all the time, so I can avoid you. Big dumb thrash beats boring "smart" technical thrash, any day of the week. Want proof? Listen to this. Now, go back to Nasty Fire.
Meanwhile, Sage Francis is probably the smartest guy in the rap/hip hop game ever since Michael Franti decided to write love songs, instead ( and yes, I still think Michael Franti is one of the smartest guys I've ever seen, he's just not in the rap/hip hop game, anymore). Sage does a pretty old school style, but his flow unstoppable. Yes, he can be as silly as a twelve year old, but he'll make you think like an adult before he's done. What a world it would be if he was bigger than Eminem? The beats are better than candy-named wrapper, and the flow is more intricate, and the ideas are more outrageous. Compare Mosh to Conspiracy to Riot. Is there a better argument that Mass Culture is a dead end?
What does this add up to? Whether your personal muse leads you to silly thrash with no socially redeeming values, or to the smart kids' table, or to both at the same time- it's better to follow that muse than either to deny it, or accept the poor substitute that those who don't understand will offer you.
