Compared to the relatively warm reception of the Hunger's first major-label release,
Devil Thumbs a Ride, their next effort was received with little fanfare, and rarely so much as a mention from commercial media. That proved to be unfortunate for the band, as record sales were few and far between outside of their native Texas. As a result, the band was forced to reevaluate its drive and direction following the release of
Cinematic Superthug in 1998. The record proved to be the Hunger's final with Universal Records, although it shows definite potential for future endeavors. The album takes up where
Devil Thumbs a Ride left off, mixing heavy metal guitars with electronic keyboards and backbeats.
Cinematic Superthug is a bit harder than its predecessor, at times dipping into
Gravity Kills-like industrial romps such as "Anarchy" and "Going Down." The lyrical content is more pensive than the Hunger's previous material, ranging from soul-searching pieces like "Hey God" to the missing child story, "Ray." On the whole,
Cinematic Superthug presents a more mature band than was visible in the Hunger's earlier work. A band mature enough to handle a setback as big as an unsuccessful, but musically sound, album. ~ David Reamer