's first project since leaving in mid-1999, 's self-titled debut album lands squarely in the rap-metal camp, an area 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 . The record can't help but feel somewhat calculating in its contemporary production, as though sometimes tries too hard to sound hip; that's further confirmed by the otherwise impressive array of guest stars, including , 's , and collaborator , plus production work from . 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 ' ). 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 ~ Steve Huey