So you've heard most of the high profile releases that have come out this year, and now you're looking for something different. Something that'll knock your socks off. Please acquaint yourself with MF (Metal Face) Doom. Regardless of which character he's masquerading as when you encounter him, the man is currently one of the most exciting enigmas in all of hip-hop. He's also known as Zev Love X from KMD, the three-headed monster King Geedorah, and now Viktor Vaughn, a supervillain from an alternate universe. "He travels through time as well as inter-dimensionally," Doom himself says. The premise is quite simple: Vaughn becomes stranded in Brooklyn when his "gizmo-gadget-time travel thing" stops working, then he proceeds to meet Sound Ink producer Heat Sensor and decides to record an album.

Track Listing and Ratings

1. Overture
2. Vaudeville Villain (****)
3. Lickupon (****)
4. The Drop (*****)
5. Lactose (*****)
6. A Dead Mouse (****)
7. Open Mic Night Pt. 1 feat. Lord Sear, Brother Sambucca, Rodan & Louis Logic (***)
8. Raedawn (**)
9. Let Me Watch feat. Apani B (*****)
10. Saliva (*****)
11. Modern Day Mugging (****)
12. Open Mic Night Pt. 2 feat. Lord Sear, AJ Ready Wright & Creature (*****)
13. Never Dead feat. M. Sayyid (*****)
14. PopSnot (****)
15. Mr. Clean (*****)
16. G.M.C. (*****)
17. Change the Beat (*****)

On the title track, Vaudeville Villain, Vik introduces himself as a crazy scientific genius. As a lyricist, it's safe to say that they aren't many on the same level as MF Doom right now. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a veteran in the industry who's still advancing his lyrical prowess after more than a decade of rhyming -- Nas immediately comes to mind, but other than that there are few who can answer this claim. Infinitely clever similes, metaphors and oddball pop-culture references are the backbone of Doom's great lyricism, and the opening track sets the stage for Viktor Vaughn's tale.

The following two tracks, Lickupon and The Drop, help flesh out Vaughn's character. Under the guise of battle influenced tracks with a braggadocios flair, they describe and elaborate on this mysterious individual from the future. The production on Vaudeville Villain is handled almost exclusively by the Sound Ink crew, and these two tracks are excellent examples of the musical stylings found on the album. The latter cut is particularly potent, the subdued flutes and drums create a ominous atmosphere that puts the focus on the lyrics.

While the production is minimal, it never becomes boring or tiresome. The overlapping drum layers of A Dead Mouse and the eclectic combination of distortions, electronica elements, and reverberant cowbells found on G.M.C. go a long way in establishing variety which ensures the album continually stays fresh. The production always suits Doom's cadence, which switches up when needed, and it's very consistent.

The only misstep, musically, is the Raedawn beat. It consists of warped feedback effects teamed up with random noises, and is sure to induce migraines in more than a few people. The lyrics can't be faulted, they are as on-point as can get, but the production doesn't do the rhymes any favours. It's worth listening to a few times simply to hear what Viktor has to say.

Def Jux producer and Ohio's newest favorite son RJD2 provides the only production not handled by Sound Ink on Saliva. The man has put out some crazy beats this year, including the great piece of music backing the ill concept track Seasons on Cunninlynguists' latest album, and produced high-quality production on the Soul Position LP that he recorded along with emcee Blueprint. Here, he throws together venomous horns and an energetic guitar lick that are combined with hard-hitting bass and nice drums to create one helluva beat. Vaughn's lyricism reaches its pinnacle on this track, his pseudo battle rhymes told from a third-person perspective are dynamic and charismatic, his wordplay is top-notch and undeniably clever.

While he's in the 90's causing havoc for his amusement, our supervillain protagonist also finds time to mack on his "cousin's friend's friend," who's played by Apani B. She's looking for real love, and Vaughn's just looking to get her in the sack. This is the plot of Let Me Watch. After spending an unusually long time working on her, he calls he a "ho" by accident and his plans are foiled. The chemistry between the two is impeccable, and this tale about teenage love is perfectly realized, even the somber piano driven beat adds to the track's poignancy.

Never Dead chronicles the events that occur after Viktor's Donkey Kong game is stolen from his locker at school. M. Sayyid makes the most of his guest appearance, his flow would make even Pharoahe Monch blush, and both emcees drop great, descriptive verses -- this brilliant track is a dark and twisted adventure featuring haunting production that could easily serve double-duty as a theme to some menacing comic series. As Vaughn himself says during the track: "It's Vaughn against the 9th graders!"

There's plenty on the album to love. I've only outlined what my personal highlights are, and besides the exception of the track I mentioned above, there aren't any weak songs that you'll want to skip past. As the album finishes, we're treated to Change The Beat, a cut previously released as a 12". A bunch of diverse but consistently strong beats seamlessly flow into each other as Viktor Vaughn provides us with more of his colorful and ever-entertaining non-sequiturs, and the track is a fitting way to end the album.

MF Doom is one creative cat. There's no other way to describe him that would do him justice. Whether it's his inventive rhymes or fresh ideas (when you can take an played out concept like sticking up innocent people for their possessions and flip it into something new and original, such is the case with the track Modern Day Mugging, you know you have mad talent), Doom continues to take his profession to the next level. To sleep on this album would be a crime. With seven, yes seven, projects set for release next year, it's possible that we've yet to see what Doom is truly capable of conjuring.

4½ Stars

Other reviews of MF Doom albums:

King Geedorah - Take Me To Your Leader

MF Doom - Operation: Doomsday

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Listening