Not nearly as star-studded as his past two albums, Restless (2000) and Man vs Machine (2002), Xzibit's fifth album, Weapons of Mass Destruction, is a more focused effort, boasting an aggressive tone, a high-quality production roster, and a potent club track by Timbaland, Hey Now (Mean Muggin). There are several other highlights, including Lax, Criminal Set, Tough Guy, and Klack, but there's also a substantial amount of filler. Xzibit clearly is trying to distance himself from his last album, Man vs Machine, which proved a bust commercially, despite its roll call of well-known talent, including Dr. Dre and DJ Premier. Weapons of Mass Destruction does sound a lot different from its predecessor, though it's not necessarily an improvement. Rather, it sounds as if Xzibit is unsure of which direction to head creatively: back to his roots as an underground rapper, or for a contemporary commercial sound that appeals to a mass audience? Parts of Weapons of Mass Destruction, particularly the Strong Arm Steady collaborations, are reminiscent of Xzibit's first two albums, At the Speed of Life (1996) and 40 Dayz 40 Nightz (1998); yet other parts of the album, particularly tracks such as the aforementioned Timbaland collaboration, featuring R&B singer Keri Hilson, are reminiscent of his post-stardom albums, Restless and Man vs Machine, when he was shooting for the charts. The end result is an album that doesn't gel together well as a whole, albeit one that thankfully includes a handful of highlights worth checking out for fans. [In conjunction with the standard edition, Sony Urban Music released a special edition of Weapons of Mass Destruction that offers premium packaging -- a very nice booklet with appealing artwork, as opposed to the cost-saving fold-out insert that accompanies the standard edition -- as well as a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes studio footage and interviews.] ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi

1		State of the Union
2		Lax
3		Cold World
4		Saturday Night Live
5		Mutha*****
6		Beware of Us
7		Judgement Day
8		Criminal Set
9		Hey Now (Mean Muggin)
10		Ride or Die
11		Crazy Ho
12		Big Barking [Skit]
13		Tough Guy
14		Scent of a Woman
15		Klack
16		Back 2 the Way It Was
17		[DVD]