Enemy Entropist's "Lake of Fire" comes across as a lo-fi, yet hard-hitting, rap album. The subject matter is dense: Social strife, culture clashes and at times, dogging other MCs.

I can't lie, I'm not much of a rap fan, but what limited knowledge I do have leads me to a Beastie Boys comparison, particularly the "Ill Communication" album. Reading up on Enemy Entropist I learned this album was a painstaking event that took several goes to get off the ground and at times, with limited equipment and budget, so this album was truly a labor of love and it shows.

The lyrical content is strong and delivered at a machine gun's pace, although if there's a weakness to this album it would be the production around the vocals. At times they don't sound right in the mix, or maybe the mic they had available wasn't the best to capture the performances. The beats are strong and there were hooks one would expect to help pull in the listener. Again, there are times the mixes seem a little off, but not enough to throw off the vibe.

When it's all said and done, the boys of Enemy Entropist delivered a solid disc. The tracks are really good and even though the production may not match the songs' quality, nothing got lost. I know all about being caught making an album with no money and limited equipment – you do the best you can with what you got. If the songs are strong, the production will be forgotten – and these songs are strong. NH

myspace.com/enemyentropist