Continuing on with his career trajectory to date -- an album every two years, each a further impressive lyrical showcase, if not necessarily a full-fledged success -- Xzibit certainly packs a punch with his fifth release, Weapons of Mass Destruction. It's an intense undertaking, for sure, with practically every track on the album characterized by well-produced beats, hardcore raps, and an adrenalized aura. There were few rappers out there in the early to mid-2000s who could challenge Xzibit rhyme for rhyme. Like a boxer, he comes hard and direct, beating your eardrums with every bar of his rhymes, rarely giving you a moment to catch your breath, let alone take a rest. And it's all the more impressive that he's an especially literate rapper to boot, well spoken and thoughtful. All of this is nothing new, however. From day one Xzibit was a special rapper, one whom keen-eared hardcore rap listeners and West Coast loyalists were quick to champion. His stock dropped a bit after his 2000 breakthrough album, Restless, though. That album was quite debated -- some liking it, others not. Then came Man vs Machine, which no one seemed too fond of -- neither critics nor fans nor the marketplace. And now Weapons of Mass Destruction, which seems like an unspoken response to the disappointment that met Man vs Machine. Gone are all the big names who'd brought star power to Restless and Man vs Machine: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, et al. -- all notably absent. In their place, Xzibit steps up to the plate and carries much of the burden himself. He still works with an impressive stable of producers -- Sir Jinx, Jelly Roll, Battlecat, Hi-Tek, and more -- yet these guys aren't card-carrying hitmakers, not like, say, Timbaland, who happens to produce the album's clear-cut single: "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)." As you'd expect, this song boasts a downright crazy beat -- club-ready, no doubt, and suitable for urban radio and music television, if a bit out of character for Xzibit, especially the singalong hook by Keri Hilson. You just don't expect to hear Xzibit doing club tracks. Like it or not, "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)" is a great song, though, as are a handful of others here: "Lax," "Criminal Set," "Tough Guy," and "Klack" in particular. Then again, a sizable chunk of the album doesn't warrant more than a few listens. Xzibit may be a first-rate hardcore rapper and may have some first-rate beats here, but his songwriting can often be iffy. Still, you don't really expect Xzibit to deliver a beginning-to-end masterpiece à la Illmatic, Doggystyle, The Blueprint, or Me Against the World. He's talented but not necessarily a craftsman. So what all this amounts to is another sporadically brilliant yet ultimately spotty album from Xzibit, albeit one that's a bit purer than his past two, with the spotlight clearly on X rather than a revolving cast of superstar guests.