One can imagine that if it hadn’t been 3 years since the now MF-less DOOM’s last release, Born Like This would be more satisfying, but his style of hook-less, stream of consciousness rhymes (“smack the thin grin off the chin for crack smokin’ / DDT the first bar leave the track backbroken / chrome grown men doin’ business with Anglo-Saxan men / lackin’ swing but that banjo so relaxin’ as the wax spin”) and unconventional beats (“That’s That” features a wonderfully corny violin sample) hasn’t changed much in that time, besides a newly strengthened sense of social awareness (the album takes it’s title from a grim Charles Bukowski poem sampled at the beginning of “Cellz”); still, the man is a better MC than most out there and the same old DOOM is better than no DOOM at all.

Deep Fried Frenz: It wouldn’t be a DOOM album without the guest stars. This one most notably features Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, with beats from J Dilla and Madlib. There’s also a remix of “Gazillion Ear” by DOOM fan and Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke, but you’ll have to download the album from iTunes to get it.

8 / 10

Lex Records
March 24, 2009