ALL(H)OURS – KPOPREVIEWED

[Album Review] WITNESS (2nd Mini Album) – ALL(H)OURS

April 5, 2025Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged ALL(H)OURSLeave a comment

My first review for ALL(H)OURS was for their comeback single, SHOCK. In that review, I mentioned that I would review their debut track (and potentially mini-album) in the future. I still haven’t got around to that. But in a fitting style, ALL(H)OURS’ first album review is for the mini-album that features the title track SHOCK—their second mini-album, WITNESS. It was released in July 2024 and features a total of five songs.

Overall, I found the mini-album a consistent release, showcasing an EDM and hip-hop sound profile throughout most of the release. For a new group to whom I haven’t really dove into yet, this is a decent showing from the new group. More recently, ALL(H)OURS released their 3rd mini-album, Smoke Point, which features the tracks Graffiti and Gimme Gimme. I haven’t reviewed these as well. But at the very least, a review for Gimme Gimme is on the cards.

Until then, here are my thoughts on WITNESS.

1. WITNESS – ALL(H)OURS kicks off their mini-album with the instrumental track WITNESS, kickstarting the release with a powerful rave-like track. It doesn’t hold back and has the adrenaline coursing through your body. I find it refreshing because we don’t hear all that many rave-like tracks in KPOP, though I admit it isn’t for everyone. It isn’t my usual go-to form of EDM. But on this mini-album, knowing what comes after, WITNESS does a good job of launching right into the rest.

2. SHOCK (도깨비) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for SHOCK. (9/10)

3. PSYCHO MANTRA – The group leans towards an aggressive and abrasive sound profile in PSYCHO MANTRA. There are a few other sides of ALL(H)OURS that I will touch on in a second, but these two are the ones that I remember most vividly from the song. The aggressiveness comes out during the chorus when the rappers go shouty, and the abrasiveness comes through via the EDM/rock-influenced instrumentation and distorted vocals that form part of the background. We get some sleekness and smoothness from the vocal line, but it is very short-lived since the rappers get the limelight in PSYCHO MANTRA. Overall, it’s a cool song. (8/10)

4.’Bout That Issue – ‘Bout That Issue showcases both the vocals and rappers in a more balanced manner than the previous song. And from this, I can tell that ALL(H)OURS has a strong line of both. We also hear much more of that hip-hop genre in this song since the instrumental isn’t overwhelming. I actually appreciate that a lot, considering the song before this one. I find ‘Bout That Issue to be intriguing thanks to that vocal melody in the chorus. There is something very familiar about that I cannot pinpoint where I have heard it before. I also like the “’Bout That Issue” repetition that forms the song’s main hook. (8/10)

5. Blah Blah – Blah Blah gets the EDM and hip-hop balance just right. It also gives us some dramatic percussion/drumming, which makes the song cooler. I did think the vocals and rapping could have been stronger in this song. The members’ delivery didn’t hit the spot for me and they kept their styles very safe. Had they gone further, I think Blah Blah would have been a killer track. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

[Review] SHOCK – ALL(H)OURS

July 24, 2024Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged ALL(H)OURS1 Comment

It is time to finally review a release from a new group – ALL(H)OURS, a seven member male group (consisting of Kunho, Youmin, Xayden, Minje, Masami, Hyunbin, and On:N) under EDEN Entertainment. They officially debuted back in January 2024 with the single GOTCHA and mini-album ALL OURS. Unfortunately, I have not reviewed that release yet and will return to review it in the future. Today’s focus is on their latest release, SHOCK, which is the title track off their 2nd mini-album WITNESS. This dropped earlier in the month.

Very noisy is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of SHOCK. But for some reason, many people associate noisy with a bad song. That isn’t the case with SHOCK. Rather, I find the entire track to be super powerful from the get-go. The instrumental itself is one layer to this powerfulness – appearing quite boastful from the onset. The more electronic leaning synth work is super riveting, engaging me from the very first second it appears. The heavy beats give the background a compelling factor, while the chorus has this super defined trance-like synth that gives so much body to SHOCK. Another layer to the powerfulness is the shouty and chanty nature of ALL(H)OURS’ delivery. This is a style of delivery that doesn’t work in some songs, but I find it was well used in SHOCK. Firstly, the members needed to be heard over the background. Secondly, they needed to complement the high-octane energy that SHOCK exudes. Thirdly, it gives definition to song, which is already quite full-on, as you can hear. ALL(H)OURS’ aggressive rapping fits in well in SHOCK, as well. SHOCK‘s various hooks also manage to stand out, thanks to the group’s delivery. The “Woop Woop” in the chorus is definitely my favourite. Probably the most uninteresting part of the song is its bridge, which allows the vocalists to shine. It did bring some relief in this energetic track, but my attention is always reverted on SHOCK‘s chorus when the energy is at its highest.

The music video for SHOCK adopts a choreography and closeup formula that I have always mentioned is a bland approach. In this instance, I might go back on that mentality, as I thought the music video ALL(H)OURS had released for this comeback worked really well. Part of it was the fact the song was high-octane, so the different shots just kept on moving onto the next. Nothing felt dragged out for a second longer than it should be. Secondly, the post-production actually made it look cool. I particularly thought the spikes coming out of one of the members was an intriguing moment. Finally, the styling was interesting (in a good way). The colour was more reserved for the background, and the members wore outfits that were bland or predominately beige to allow said colour to pop out further. A different approach to what we have seen previously in KPOP.

If this performance was anything to go by, ALL(H)OURS is a rookie group to watch out for! The start of the routine with the finger tutting (I think that is what you call it) was a really bold and intriguing way to start the performance. Throughout the routine, the members really matched the energy of the song with their moves and aggressive demeanor. It was a really captivating stage performance to watch!

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10