For their latest record, Insane Clown Posse continues to disguise their atrocious flow behind a theatrical fusion of hip-hop and rock. And by now, it doesn’t matter if their uncorked irreverence is actually a sly and subtle parody of rap-rock or a subversive way to expose their faults – 3OH!3 and Eminem respectively do those things better these days. The only restitution these clowns offer is in the sometimes-tolerable production, which can be appreciated as kitsch. The sparkling, carnival harpsichord and catchy, layered vocals of “In Yo Face” make the wickity-wickity-wack rhymes a little less unlistenable. Four songs into Bang! Pow! Boom! comes the record’s best song and probably the group’s best song ever, “The Bone,” in which a jaunty and hypnotic bass line evokes the feeling of running from the law. But it’s merely a fluke.

What can be most grating about this album is its ambiguity in vision. They ape the deadpan humor of the Lonely Island’s “I’m On A Boat,” except this time, it’s “I Found A Body.” It’s impossible to tell whether they’re trying to be funny or trying to compose a cosmic meditation on loneliness when Violent J drops duds like, “I found a body / I sure as hell could use a buddy / I’m lonely, I could use a homie / Ever since I got out, stress has been on me, stress has been on me.”

Eventually it comes time for them to show their meaningful sides, and the results are unsurprisingly inadequate. In “Vera Lee,” the Posse tries to turn a creepy fixation on a high school girl into something haunting and profound, similar to Eminem’s “Stan.” The shadowy and chugging metal guitars and pseudo-tortured vocals don’t even qualify as mediocre. And then comes “Miracles,” where only the skittering strings out-stereotype the rhymes.

ICP’s schtick often appeals to kids more than any other demographic, and that makes sense. Their style is gimmicky, composed of hot air and charlatanic boasts. There’s just no easy entry point in Bang! Pow! Boom! for adults.

Rating: D-

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