Simply put, El-P's long-awaited follow-up to his 2002 solo debut, Fantastic Damage, is the most sonically adventurous hip-hop album in years. The ex-Company Flow producer and MC blends pounding, quasi-industrial beats, layers and layers of live instruments and contributions from several guests (Trent Reznor, The Mars Volta, Cat Power) to craft an overwhelming and, at times, terrifying experience. That enveloping sound (one-upping everything else put out by Def Jux) is wedded perfectly to El-P's lyrics, dense with fury, paranoia and confusion. One of the bleakest and coldest releases in the hip-hop canon, I'll Sleep When You're Dead numbs during extended listening, but in times like these, we need El-P's white-hot burn more than ever. 4 stars
This article appears in Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2007.