After a decade of proudly releasing music that sold like gangbusters to kids around the Midwest, the Insane Clown Posse finally reached their much-prophesized "sixth Joker card," the last album in a conceptual journey that started with 1992's Carnival of Carnage. Claiming that everything up to... [+] Expand

After a decade of proudly releasing music that sold like gangbusters to kids around the Midwest, the Insane Clown Posse finally reached their much-prophesized "sixth Joker card," the last album in a conceptual journey that started with 1992's Carnival of Carnage. Claiming that everything up to this point had led to The Wraith: Shangri-La, they announce at the beginning that the meaning to their career will become evident by the end. And they wait until the very end of this ambitious album to reveal what it is, despite the occasional reference to Shangri-La (their metaphor for the afterlife). Waxing philosophical about ending the world's pains, ICP seem willing to spread some good vibes this time around, revealing a growth both lyrically and musically. "Homies" might even be the most positive song of their career; it actually has a great message about loyalty and friendship matched to a pleasantly laid-back rock track. Of course, the usual murder fantasies and sex anthems are in abundance, filled with the sort of humor that has become their trademark. Oddly enough, they almost seem to apologize for repeating their usual hate raps on "The Staleness," which ends with the repetition of, "I'm so sorry I'm stale," in a chanted singalong. The second half of the thuggish street anthem "Ain't Yo Bidness" is a definite highlight, as guest rapper Esham helps the Motor City clowns deliver a high-energy ending to the track. In their attempts to change things around, their trademark circus music sound mixes well with rap-rock, and several songs (especially the double punch of "Crossing the Bridge" and "The Raven's Mirror") offer a very original twist on the genre that is distinctly their own. Finally, the album reaches its grandiose ending and reveals that the secret behind the carnival was really...God? Sure enough, their rape fantasies and necrophilia tributes were all orchestrated by the creator of humanity, or at least that's what the clowns say. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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