If this rap twosome’s debut album, Reign Supreme, was a junkyard dog, their sophomore effort, Crown of Thorns, is a pure-bred Rottweiler. The raw energy and uncompromising aggression of Detroit-native Joey Knuckles’s flow has become more assured, complex and lethal. Throw in King Cole’s classic style of production, which features a surprising amount of old-school flair, and you get equal parts slash and swagger — a f**k-you cocktail with plenty of bitters.

While Crown of Thorns treads a pretty narrow thematic path – these gentlemen wish to do unpleasant things to you with a multitude of sharp objects – it stays fresh across ten concise tracks. Standouts include “Cruise Control,” a noir-tinged sultry recollection of Knuckles’s troubled past, as well as “Shotcallaz,” which (thanks to killer verses from rap heavyweights Apathy and Celph Titled) sounds like Saturday street ball right before a knife fight breaks out. Blasting this album all summer with the windows down and a single digit directed to anyone who isn’t feeling you is highly recommended.