Following their breakthrough third set, 1992's -produced , issued the hulking . Although the album was less favorably received by critics for failing to maintain ' momentum, stands as one of the crunchiest, grimiest, and nastiest selections in their decades-long catalog. The albums that followed -- 1997's and 1999's -- expanded the band's horizons and wiped away some of the sludge, opting for softer tones, fresh genre touches, and even slow almost-ballads. Thus, benefits from a hindsight, big-picture view, especially considering menacing thrills like "Andres," "The Bomb," "Fuel My Fire," and "Freak Magnet." As 's guitar buzzed and the aggressive rhythm section of and grooved and pounded, vocalist ' throat-shredding growls and howls were at their prime. As the prelude to subtle stylistic changes on the horizon, the effort included a couple hints at where were headed, such as the epic "Questioning My Sanity," which stretched ' vocals by whipping from ethereal coos to stuttered gurgles while funhouse sound effects amplified the insanity. 's overall melange drew upon the sleaziest corners of everything from to . While not as crisp and catchy as merits attention and appreciation for being the end of a certain era for the band, just as they were on the verge of a brief evolution before their two-decade hiatus. ~ Neil Z. Yeung