The Five Dollar Review
Compiled by Nick Smith and KSPC 88.7 FM

El-P
Fantastic Damage
Definitive Jux

Fantastic Damage is the debut solo full-length from ex-Company Flow and the owner of the incredible Definitive Jux hip-hop label, El-P. El-P is joined on this album by a host of other underground hip-hop stars including Aesop Rock, Mr. Lif, and Ill Bill. Fantastic Damage, like much of what is coming out of underground hip-hop these days, is heavily influenced by electronic music (IDM). The beats are consistently challenging and innovative. El-P's emcee skills are varied although still generally good. The highlights of the album include the remarkable "Tuned Mass Damper" and "Stepfather Factory."

Hirax
Blasted in Bangkok
Deep Six

The kind folks at Deep Six were good enough to reissue this CD EP, which contains tracks formerly only available on an extremely rare 7". Blasted in Bangkok captures Hirax at the height of its existence. Although Phantasm (Lead singer Katon DePena's other band) is in many respects a superior group, Hirax's version of speed metal, which is sonically somewhere between thrash and crossover, is quite good. "Bombs of Death," which did not appear on the original 7", is also included on this record.

Quix*o*tic
Mortal Mirror
Kill Rock Stars

Ex Slant 6/Autoclave's Christina Billotte is joined by her sister Mira (drums) and Orthrelm's Mick Barr for Mortal Mirror, Quix*o*tic's second LP and first on the Kill Rock Stars label. Quix*o*tic's distinct and interesting minimal-goth-garage sound is heavily influenced by Crass and 1960s R&B. Like their previous LP, Quix*o*tic cover several songs on this album including Black Sabbath's "Lord of this World" and Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is" with great success. Mortal Mirror is a fantastic record. Highly Recommended.

Rondellus
Sabbatum
Beg the Bug

What's better than MTV's The Osbournes? Black Sabbath songs covered by an eastern European Medieval group. Estonia's Rondellus breathes new life into Black Sabbath's catalog on the highly enjoyable, Sabbatum. Each of the twelve songs on this album were rearranged for the Medieval music troupe and translated into Latin. "Verres Militares" (War Pigs) and "Rotae Confusionis" (Wheels of Confusion) are among the highlights of the album. Highly Recommended.