Tommy Lee
's first project since leaving
Moetley Cruee
in mid-1999,
Methods of Mayhem
's self-titled debut album lands squarely in the rap-metal camp, an area
the Cruee
never ventured into even for all its stylistic shifting of the mid- to late-'90s. But while the sounds are different,
's party-hardy sensibility remains, albeit filtered through the adolescent humor of groups like
Limp Bizkit
. The record can't help but feel somewhat calculating in its contemporary production, as though
Lee
sometimes tries too hard to sound hip; that's further confirmed by the otherwise impressive array of guest stars, including
Kid Rock
,
Snoop Dogg
the Crystal Method
Lil' Kim
's
Fred Durst
George Clinton
, and
Beastie Boys
collaborator
Mixmaster Mike
, plus production work from
Rob Zombie
. To be sure, these guests do enliven the proceedings, but it's also easy to see them as having been chosen for maximum popular appeal; moreover, it's difficult for
to carve out its own identity, opening up accusations of stylistic bandwagon-jumping. But to
's credit, he has made a commercially viable record, which isn't always the case when aging hard rockers try to update their sounds (witness
the Scorpions
'
Eye II Eye
). So even if the album is far from an unqualified success -- it has its share of moments that feel stiff and forced -- it's also an album that will find an audience thanks to its catchier tracks, like the lead single
"Get Naked."
~ Steve Huey