Black Sunday
made
Cypress Hill
's connection to
rock & roll
more explicit, with its
heavy metal
-like artwork and noisier, more dissonant samples (including, naturally, stoner icons
Black Sabbath
). It's a slightly darker affair than its groundbreaking predecessor, with the threats of violence more urgent and the pot obsession played to the hilt (after all, it was a crucial part of their widespread appeal). Apart from those subtle distinctions, the sound of
is pretty much the same as
, refining the group's innovations into an accessible bid for crossover success. In fact, it's a little startling how often
recycles musical ideas and even lyrical catch phrases from the endlessly inventive debut. And the
rock
-derived, verse-chorus song structures start to sound a little formulaic by the end of the record (how many choruses feature
Sen Dog
repeating part of whatever
B Real
just said?). But in spite of that,
still sounds vital and lively, since the group has a surer sense of craft. Most of the tracks are fleshed out into structured songs, in contrast to the brief sketches that punctuated
. The album benefits immensely from the resulting clutch of excellent singles (and songs that could have been), and while a couple of tracks feel redundant and underdeveloped,
is overall a consistent, engaging listen, especially the flawless first half or so. Unfortunately, it's also the group's last great album, thanks to the musical recycling operation that began here and would handicap much of their subsequent work. ~ Steve Huey