Last time I was even paying attention, George Lynch had given up the music biz but got sick of hearing people rip on his ex-band Dokken, so he became some sort of body builder to at least keep people from rippin' on his old band to his face. He kept the pipes pumped (never will you see a picture of George Lynch without him sporting a tank top), dusted off the guitar and recruited a rap singer who can bark pretty well also. That's right, the rap cross breed you've all been waiting (?) for. It's a metal-esque rock with surprising amount of driving beats, aggressively competent raps and some big ol' metal power chord verses. And of course George gets a solo (or three).

As technically accomplished as he is - hey, he was the coolest thing about Dokken if there was a cool thing about Dokken - the solos are often "stuck in" because, well, that's what George does best. And it IS the "Lynch Mob," so, go ahead George. Besides, have you seen them biceps? Who's gonna argue?

For those of you who have followed the Lynch Mob's career (?), this isn't really an extension of the last sound they achieved with earlier works. This is a rock ready and fairly radio savvy, tight rap angle metal thing, with some fairly decent surprises. It's got more integrity on the whole than one might be ready for and a lot would never strike you as "Lynch Mob." Like the almost techno savvy "Indra's Net," with mass drum/bass beat manipulation and some thickly processed guitar. then, git outcho' gat fool, 'cause we gonna bus' some hard core gangsta groove on "Smoke This," with the mouthpiece for the Lynch Mob, Kirk Harper, representin' fairly real, all the while supported by Lynch's competent guitar wanderings.

There's also the Spanish flavored rumba rhythms of the at times Chilli Peppered funk romps of "Playalistics." With the obvious metal/rap direction this is shooting for, a certain degree of cynicism will be directed toward the band (or more precisely bandwagon, shall we say). As far as its own offering, it's got some guts and range. Since you'd probably never guess this was the "Lynch Mob" unless someone told you, it holds it's own. Well. Mostly.