W.I.C.K.E.D. (Twiztid 25th Anniversary)

With a decade of work now behind them, Twiztid have honed their horrorcore rap formula, but that doesn't mean they can't come up with one or two good surprises per album. Here, the first surprise is a great one. After a standard-issue opener, the bloodbath called "Kill with Us" turns rap-rock on its head with a tornado of guitars swirling over pummeling drum machines, resulting in what's arguably the group's most chaotic track to date. The party number "Whoop-Whoop" is the other shocker, although here Detroit's second most sinister rap duo is recast as a pair of party starters and the results are fun, but not as filling. After that, the songs on W.I.C.K.E.D. -- which stands for "Wish I Could Kill Every Day" -- are the same old comfortable rock-rap fans have craved for years, held together by a solid movie concept featuring dramatic interludes and back cover credits laid out in the style of a movie poster. This is a serious step up from their previous album, the inconsistent Independent's Day, and an obvious favorite for those who like their Psychopathic releases to be less street, more theatrical. ~ David Jeffries