Album review: Eminem's 'Relapse'

Eminem is one psychopath who really knows his place.

To promote "Relapse," his first album in more than four years, the 36-year-old rap superstar and self-styled "Satan in black satin panties" is appearing in a special edition of the Marvel comic "The Punisher," now available online; with baby Stewie from "Family Guy" as the animated host of the Fox Network's Sunday cartoon block, and in his own iPhone game based on the Dario Argento-style bloodfest that is the video for "3 a.m." -- his latest hit, in which he portrays himself escaping from a rehabilitation facility, gobbling pills, murdering several random victims and masturbating while watching "Hannah Montana."

None of this is new territory for Eminem. He's turned himself into a cartoon before, played many rounds of rotisserie murder and been glorified by critics (yes, me too) for turning shock into art. He's also taken on various identities to put a little distance between the trailer-park misfit born Marshall Mathers and the antiheroes who do the grotesque deeds he describes in his rhymes.

Eminem himself is a fiction, the most sympathetic of Mathers' criminal minds. That character is often victimized himself; on "Relapse," he recalls a childhood during which he was both raped by his stepfather and forced to eat food his mother laced with pills. (Both incidents are played for laughs.) Then there's the slobbery pervert Ken Kaniff, who resurfaces in his role as keeper of Mathers' homophobic anxieties. And, of course, there's Slim Shady, the jokester reminiscent of the Joker -- when Eminem raps about falling asleep as a stoned child, clutching a "Heath Ledger bobblehead," he's simultaneously taking an improper jab at the deceased actor and crediting him as a kindred spirit.

What's different about "Relapse" is that Mathers lets himself slip in, in new ways. Clean and sober after many years of drug addiction, he could have fully centered this comeback album on his real-life nightmare, creating a semiautobiographical work in the spirit of his Oscar-winning film "8 Mile."

Packed with images of its maker bingeing on brand-name pharmaceuticals, "Relapse" is a drug album as dark as Neil Young's "Tonight's the Night." Some of its strongest images chronicle not mayhem, but real pain: Mathers falling asleep while stuffing himself on junk food, his worried daughter nearby; or digging in the couch for pills and licking the dust out of bottles; or muttering, "I need something to pull me out of this dump."

Anyone who has been or known an addict will recognize this misery. But Eminem is not just another confessional artist, and "Relapse" doesn't turn out to be a story of despair and eventual redemption. That would be too easy for this contemporary Mack the Knife -- or maybe too hard, on an emotional level. It would have resulted in a whole album like the desultory "Beautiful," the one track produced by Mathers himself: a heartfelt power ballad, basically, which employs a poignant rock sample and some inspirational lyrics to fairly pedestrian ends.

Rehabilitation and hypocrisy

Instead, "Relapse" is a critique of the therapeutic culture that, Mathers would probably not deny, helped him reclaim his life. He may be alive to spin these tales through the intervention of doctors and therapists; but in the horrorcore scenes that "Relapse" presents, the only rehabilitation center is Bedlam, and Eminem/Slim is a madman created by the hypocrisy of therapy. From the opening skit, in which actor Dominic West voices a doctor whose untrustworthiness destroys Eminem's chances of recovery, to the last one, which comically depicts the limits of what a Narcotics Anonymous-style support group can handle, "Relapse" puts the lie to the idea that anyone can really get clean.

The Eminem who storms and snickers through "Relapse" rejects sobriety, finds no comfort in support systems and doesn't believe the cycle of violence can be broken. He rips through the veneer of redemption created by self-help and recovery culture to show that beyond the comforting hugs we see on "Intervention" and "Celebrity Rehab," darkness still rules.

This isn't what Dr. Drew Pinksy would call a constructive view of life. But it makes for a strong album, a return to form after the off-putting mix of earnestness and flatulence that characterized 2004's "Encore." Eminem's old mentor Dr. Dre, who produced all but that one track, gives Eminem what he needs as a musician: a gut-wrenchingly forceful beat, ominous atmospherics and tension-building strings. Over this metal-hard, funk-deep music, Eminem spins verses that teem with internal rhymes, alliteration and enough startling word choices to please the most exacting wordplay snobs.

A feeling of isolation runs through "Relapse," and not only because there are no guest rappers beyond Dre and 50 Cent, who appears on the relatively mild and aimless "Crack a Bottle." (Mathers apparently hasn't figured out how to be sober in others' company, at least when in character; both this song and his Dre duet, "Old Time's Sake," celebrate getting wasted.) Adopting different voices, including his high Slim Shady sneer and a few variations on Jamaican patois, Eminem populates his own universe. What happens there rarely involves other people, unless they are victims of his penis and his knife.

Nobody is safe

"Relapse" just might contain Eminem's most offensive bunch of rhymes yet, and the violence goes in all directions. Like the horror-film directors he admires, who keep cashing in on their weird obsessions with sequel after sequel, he revisits old stamping grounds, digging deeper in to perfect his carving techniques.

There are many, many pipe dreams about victimizing famous, mostly female sitting ducks, including Britney Spears, Sarah Palin and Mathers' alleged long-ago fling Mariah Carey, who's the target of the silly "Bagpipes from Baghdad." He turns child abuse into a comic strip on "My Mom," the one about those Valium pancakes, and "Insane," the totally surreal recovered memory of molestation. And he continues to identify with the bogeyman. "How many people you know that can name every serial killer who ever existed in a row, put them in chronological order, beginning with Jack the Ripper?" he crows in "Must Be the Ganja," showing off some distinctly antisocial expertise.

Still, serial killers? They've been done. Eminem's visions on "Relapse" repulse, but they no longer really shock. Nor do they always produce the laughs that once came as a natural startle-response to his dirty tricks.

Eminem's first few albums forced listeners to confront their own responses to them; those who were utterly disgusted might have felt morally superior, but those who were honest about succumbing to his sick humor, or even being sucked into his bizarre and spiteful fantasies, had to confront something frightening within themselves. By now, though, we've all taken that test and figured out our positions, and Eminem's fetishes have become both more generic and more off-puttingly personal. While "Relapse" deserves kudos for its formal beauty, the admirable turns of phrase and gymnastic musical moments, it won't shatter anyone's world.

If he had been more explicit in playing out the critique of therapeutic culture that's embedded in these songs, made it a little more prominent amid the misogynistic, homophobic ranting and the blood lust, Eminem could have pulled his music into a new category. What he presents is still powerful, but narrowly cast.

"Relapse" is the first album Eminem has made after returning from his own brink, and it's an impressively focused and clever work. But this music is not transcendent. It's still stuck in Marshall Mathers' muck, his fundamental mistrust of pleasure and love. Maybe he just needs a new therapist. Or a new mask.

--Ann Powers

Photo credit: Karin Catt

Comments

[Emma]

I haven't heard the whole album yet, but I think you capture the essence of Eminem in a nutshell in your line about his fundamental mistrust of pleasure and love. I always think of him as being a puritan so the line is apt. But this is part of what I like about his work -- the fact that he is so stuck, as it were. I dunno, something about it I just find really appealing.

[Eddie]

Em: Smile, dude. Life ain't that bad. And you ain't that hard. Little white pills got you. And AA-inspired PROGRAMS saved you. Respekt.

[melanie]

Re him being a puritan: interesting idea. I wonder if he's a descendant of Cotton Mathers.

[Nick Sullivan]

First actual fair review of seen on Relapse.

I think the album is incredible. I mean, as far as covering old grounds... So what, what is he meant to talk about lol. If it was personal people would bag on about him feeling sorry for himself.

Surely it's the WAY it's done.

I don't hear complaints of Elton John doing another love record or Snoop still talking about weed and bitches.

Lyrically and flowise, this album is amazing.

[Oaktown 357]

If the single currently floating around is any indication, eminem is past his prime. I've like a few of his songs, but he's a little too self absorbed for my taste. I'm tired of hearing him always talking about, well him. And bagging on soft targets like Mariah, Nick Cannon, etc., is lame and old. If you're going to take on someone, man, choose a hard target, talk smack about Jay-Z, lemme hear your thoughts on Mos Def. Unlike some, I do want to see him grow and stretch beyond his comfort zone. But, I think this will be the last album we'll get from him for a good long while. The show is over.

[Nick]

Well, the reason people are always so hard on him is because he is one of the most talented lyricists of his generation. I can't think of anybody else, in any genre of music, who has the word mastery he does. His flow is also the best in hip hop since Rakim when he's "on".

That being said, it is incredibly disappointing when he wastes his time going after "soft targets". Eminem has it in him to be the hip hop Bob Dylan if he wanted to. But for some frustrating reason he'll only give you a few flashes of brilliance and load the rest of his records with the generic murdering, gay bashing, pop star mocking that is so beneath him.

So you're left being a fan of what he could be instead of being a fan of what he is.

[None]

Actually:

1- His singles that are out right now are the WORST of the songs on his album, except for the song "Beautiful" which was released yesterday. The rest of the album is just amazing. Maybe its the new marketing strategy to put out the worst songs first and surprise people?

2- He won't go at artists like Jay-z and nas. Why? Not because he can't take them on. Its because he respects them as fellow artists and role models. The ones he talks shyt about are the ones he doesn't give a F*&^ about.

3- Relapse is not the last album for a while. In fact, relapse 2 is already confirmed for December 2009. And if you wanna know what that's gonna sound like, go listen to the song "underground" from relapse.

[John McGrath]

When are people going to recognize Em for what he is - a continuation of ancient Greek drama and poetry? No redemption, but the ability to put some (just some) order into chaos. The gods are not on our side, they are either indifferent to us or cruel, but we have the power to make art and beauty out of our afflictions. And on some days we even get some rest.

A more accurate picture than the explanatory (if not quite rational) "narratives" of the three Abrahamic religions.

[Scott]

I'm a college student in a psychology class with the main focus being Psychological Disorders. I am a huge fan of Marchall Mathers (Eminem, Slim Shady) and own all of his cd's. Having said that I would have to say that this last installment of his collection is one that deserves more attention. Dissociative disorders are very serious and are very debilitating for many people. Mathers is one person that suffers greatly from these types of disorders as well as Mood disorders I am sure. I am not a Dr. by any stretch of imagination but from listening to these songs and watching his videos I am fairly certain that his diagnoses would be very simple to complete. If an average Joe were to go have the same past as Mathers and show the same coping methods he uses, (drinking, pill popping, acts of violence) the average Joe would most likely be arrested and forced to undergo some type of therapy. If that person were say the things Mathers says; killing, raping, cutting, mutilating etc... and showing the same kind of obsessive behavior with certain people, he would be deemed a non-functional person and would be sent to a hospital for permanent life long care under psychiatric observation. The fact that Mathers has different names for himself (depending on which mood is currently rapping) shows the he may have a case of dissociative identity disorder (commonly known as "split personality") which is very common for someone who went through the same things he went through. Yet because there is a freedom of speech (which a defend to the fullest extent), Mathers can say these things on a track instead of to a psychiatrist, and only face consequences like law suits from upset mothers and protests by people who just do not like him, rather than spending the rest of his life in a padded room.

Just thought I would throw this out there for anyone who actually reads this whole thing to think about. Marshall Mathers is an amazing artist and entertainer. I hope he continues to put out tracks that make my work outs more enjoyable and beneficial since my adrenaline is way up when I listen to them.

[Susan]

He's often been compared to Randy Newman, but Newman didn't just ramp up and re-heat "Good Old Boys," he went in new directions, musically and lyrically. I'll listen to Eminem when he has something new to tell us. I already know the world's a violent place, and that most women have no idea how much men hate them. (I read the Times.)What else is new?

[Liam]

Fair play, you have given a fair review which is nice to see.

However personally I think the album is amazing. His lyrical dexterity, flow and delivery throughout the entire album is pretty flawless and I couldn't see any other modern day hip-hop artist being able to pull off what Eminem has done here. It is simply fascinating and a hugely successful comeback. He hasn't lost anything, and perhaps if you feel this album is not personal enough then maybe Relapse 2 will answer that.

[kiki]

great musician. great album. thats all there is too it. however, i do hope relapse 2 is a bit more uplifting. this album is deep. beats are off the chain too. dre & em r on top.

[Shady]

Yo, that's a pretty good review. I've not listened to the whole Relapse yet just the first three singles, but the first thing I'm gonna do on May 19 is buy it.
Yeah, All of you. Let's make Em go 3x platinum in the first week. Wouldn't it be so f&^kin hot if it happens???? Go buy it on May 19. Em, you great.

[qwerty]

Eminem is really getting old, he re uses the same exploitive tactics to create shock value for the youth who listen to him; not only is a line about pleasuring himself to a kids' show absolutely crude and unnecessary, but I heard there was a whole song about his father molesting him, which apparently never happened. I have lost any shred of respect for him, this is completely exploitive of abuse victims, and it may work when for the 100000th time he insults a celebrity, but does he have no dignity to use child molestation to sell records?

[Chad]

Listening to Relaspe I wonder what his views are on his own recover. I don't know how he could stay sobor yet hold on to his old ideas. And this cd is more of the old same. Not that I'm complaning, I've enjoyed my periodic interludes from reality. But at what cost? One day I hope mathews will kill shady and E and just be himself.

[Alex]

Good review, i don't wholly agree but the language is objective. All I'm gonna say is that I'm a huge fan of his and I'm glad he's back, but ecstatic that I don't have to resent this album like I did Encore, its a fantastic record that no-one else could make, and that sounds like a component of art to me.

[Anon]

First off, I’m going to give a little of my background, to show where my view on Eminem, and this album, is coming from.

I’m a 24 year old university graduate, an electrical engineer, a home owner and an avid cyclist. I rarely drink and certainly don’t smoke or touch drugs. I am, by no stretch of the imagination, from the same situation Marshall Mathers came from.

However, I have a personality which is easily troubled. Many people describe me as paranoid, and I often feel myself bordering on depression when the chips are down.

At the age of 17 I got into a relationship which last four years. I never met the parents’ standards, and so I spent my 3 years at university under pressure from both my work, and them. I was ignored, banned from their house and constantly put down to her. This had an enormous effect on my mind.

This may seem horribly clichéd, but Eminem, and his hurt (and anger) filled music, helped me greatly. From reading his books, and hearing of how writing rhymes helped to vent his frustrations, I began my own book of rhymes. I used to sit into the small hours, or during lectures and tutorials, or anywhere really, and write down snippets of things I wanted off my chest. I listened to the Marshall Mathers LP day and night, and found great relief in learning his lyrics too. The line “I’m finally allowed to set foot in my girlfriend’s house” always amused me.

Just a number of months ago (2 years after the relationship ended) I found this book and read back through. To be perfectly honest I was slightly disturbed by some things I had written. Had I really been in such a state? I’m now in a very happy relationship, but I’m still very aware of how much Eminem’s music helped me, and I still feel an affinity towards his angst filled lyrics.

The man is troubled, there’s no denying this. He may have tried to (in my opinion) bring himself away from Slim Shady in the album Encore, but the deep set issues were very much still there. If he’s covering old ground in this album, does this matter? If his technical ability in writing rhymes, and using words in a way no other artist is capable of, is still just as razor sharp as it was back in the day, does it matter if his subject matter is on repeat?

In 2005 he was due to play a large outdoor concert in Ireland (which I had tickets for) but cancelled due to the trip to rehab covered in this album. For me it’s also a little closure on the issue, as I’ve always been annoyed I lost my one chance to see him live due to his weakness for drugs.

p.s. I’m not a Stan character by any stretch of the imagination! I’ve only ever written him 300 letters. This is a joke by the way...

Eminem is back, and he’s as clever as ever.

[sosebeeboytell'em]

I mean.. it's a good listen. its old school eminem at the finest, thee ONLY thing that kinda kills it is his new "sound'' of reggae. sounds like he's following t pain and kanye west on this album. hasn't changed besides that, only the whole "drug" thing is stretched out a lil too far this time.. its eminem though so i doubt any true fan of slim shady would care at all. Salom alakem.

[Shady's Back!!!]

@ qwerty

Ummmmmm if Em is talking about being raped (in your words, "never happened") just to sell records then he wouldn't have done it. Em opened up about it after all these years. People like Em don't like to talk about it until a certain time. He's made plenty of songs that have gay material which people thought at 1 time that he was gay but he wasn't then people thought he hated gay's then he proved he didn't by performing with Elton John. If you've read/heard any interviews or anything about the album for that matter, it's been said that he was touching on things that he never got the chance to talk about and Insane happens to be 1 song coming out about being raped. If you still think he did it to sell records then your completely stupid because he ain't gay and he doesn't hate gay's. Em is gonna sell records regardless so like I said, If you still think he did it to sell records and lied, then your completely stupid.

[T DOT]

CLASSIC ALBUM...HE KILLED IT..EVERYSONG..INCREDIBLE..I DONT KNOW HOW HE DOES IT..THE MAN IS ELVIS PRESLY OF MY ERA..GREATEST HIP HOP ARTIST EVA..A WHITEBOY..LOL..I LUV IT.

[Ryan]

Sounds like a coward to me...where is Zach de la Rocha?

[Josh]

this album is pure lyrical genius. When I heard the first few singles, crack a bottle and we made you, I was scared the WHOLE album would sound like that. Luckily, those 2 are probably the worst tracks on the entire album. The songs are dark, sometimes depressing, and quite intimate. Slim's back...and he aint rappin about big weenies and farting and burping between every verse anymore... I'm not quite a fan of his new weird accent, but this too seems to be only on about half the songs.
Overall this album ranks right up there with the eminem show. the way he comes up with off the wall fucked up things is reminiscent of the slim shady LP, which is amazing since that album was totally fueled by drugs and this one he did completely sober haha

[Eric Wright]

You guys haven't heard good stuff in awhile or something if you actually think this mediocre album is anything to talk about.,

[B]

This Review is PERFECT...seriously, nailed it dead on how I feel about the album after several, several listens. Read it.

[Erik]

I didn't like the album. There are very few radio friendly singles and Em's shtick is getting old. It breaks no new ground and the beats sound the same as ever. The only question I had after listening to the album is -- why is this 36 year old man still so preoccupied with homosexuality?