SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CYPRESS HILL & THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – BLACK SUNDAY LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

CYPRESS HILL & THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
BLACK SUNDAY LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
MERCURY STUDIOS MEDIA

In 1996, an episode of The Simpsons featured a bit where Cypress Hill may or may not have in fact ordered The London Symphony Orchestra for their performance at Homerpalooza. Now, 29 years later, the gag has very much become a reality as the Los Angeles hip-hop veterans have returned with their latest release, Black Sunday Live At The Royal Albert Hall, which saw B-Real, Sen Dog, DJ Lord, and Eric Bobo backed by none other than the London Symphony Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall on July 10, 2024.

As the name suggest, Black Sunday Live At The Royal Albert Hall sees Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra perform their seminal 1993 album, Black Sunday, in its entirety. From the opening notes of “I Wanna Get High”, the London Symphony Orchestra can prominently be heard as they recreate the dissonance of the album’s siren tone. Along additional fanfare, the orchestra adds a cinematic element to classic tracks like “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That”, “Insane In The Brain”, and “When The Shit Goes Down”. At moments, the added instrumentation adds a level of suspense, at others, immediacy. Most impressively is the depth of these arrangements, considering the Cypress Hill is charmingly minimalist, the London Symphony Orchestra feels as though they’ve built entirely new songs from the bones of these Cypress Hill classics. From “Hits From The Bong” to “A To The K”, and “Lick A Shot” to “Hand On The Glock”, Cypress Hill and The London Symphony Orchestra have breathed a new sense of life into their quintessential sophomore record.

Throughout its 21 tracks, Black Sunday Live At The Royal Albert Hall sees Cypress Hill perform with a triumphant level of reckless abandon that effectively plays off the grandeur of the London Symphony Orchestra. While no stranger to live musicians on stage – Bobo backs the band on live drums after all – this is an entirely new level of performance. In addition to the rapping over an orchestra, the way Bobo’s incredibly tight grooves, and DJ Lord’s live turntabling blends with the massively symphonic sounds magnificently. Following the conclusion of Black Sunday, the ensemble would continue to perform through a series of hits and a few deep cuts, with “How I Could Just Kill A Man”, “Dr.”, and “(Rock) Superstar” standing as highlights that bring the album to a climatic close.

Black Sunday Live At The Royal Albert Hall is an exceptional display of musicianship that demonstrates a certain timelessness behind the group and their most essential work. While symphonic elements have been used in hip-hop beats since the ‘90s, and while not the first to perform alongside a full orchestra – that goes to Nas’ 2014 live performance of Illmatic with the National Symphony Orchestra – we can see an evolution to the genre with the prominent inclusion of the London Symphony Orchestra, something which more artists deep into their career should consider experimenting with. As such, Black Sunday Live At The Royal Albert Hall further cements the legendary, innovative, and influential legacy of Cypress Hill with a career defining performance.

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