The Wu-Tang Clan's long-awaited second album
Wu-Tang Forever arrived to great anticipation, and the double-disc set does not disappoint. Where contemporaries like
2-Pac and
the Notorious B.I.G. issued double-discs cluttered with filler,
Wu-Tang Forever is purposeful and surprisingly lean, illustrating the immense depth of producer
RZA and the entire nine-piece crew. Each rapper has a different lyrical style, from
Ol' Dirty Bastard's bizarre rants to
Raekwon's story sketches, and
RZA subtly shifts his trademark style for each song, creating an album of cinematic proportions. There are no great musical innovations on the album, since
the Wu-Tang's signature blend of skeletal beats, scratchy samples, eerie pianos and spectral strings remains intact. Yet the music is more nuanced and focused than ever before, balanced equally between scary soundscapes and darkly soulful tracks. The result is an intoxicating display of musical and lyrical virtuosity, one that reveals how bereft of imagination
the Wu-Tang's contemporaries are. [
Wu-Tang Forever is also available in an import release.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine