In a post-Seattle Sound rock world, there's still a hunger for music that's dark, dirge-like, and heavy. And the void left by Soundgarden and company is being filled by a spate of bands, including Boston's Godsmack, who even nicked their name from an Alice in Chains song. Like Creed and Days of the New, Godsmack are raging and disenfranchised, as singer Sully Erna's lyrics illustrate: "I am in a living hell / Makes me wonder if I'm alive" or "You're pathetic in your own way / I don't like you anyway. " Though the territory being mined isn't new, Godsmack's grungy grooves, potent energy, and strong hooks are irresistible. With a dash of Tool and a smattering of Filter seeping through, Godsmack are on the money, especially on "Whatever", the tantalizing "Get Up, Get Out!", and the strident and syncopated "Bad Religion," on which Erna puts one in mind of James Hetfield. While Godsmack's approach may not be fresh, the foursome's strong songs and powerful energy are still intensely tasty-especially for those with a taste for songs on the sober-but never staid-side. -Katherine Turman.

Let the celebrations begin as Now That's What I Call Music has reached its 50th volume, a landmark that few other pop compilations can ever expect to reach. From back in the early 1980s, before CDs were even invented, a compilation emerged featuring current music by the original artists (a rare thing in those days) with a trendy-looking pig poking its head out on the glitzy cover. In 2001, Now 50 is a far cry from its shoulder-padded ancestor but the ideas and pop/crossover sensibility is exactly the same. CD1 runs like the four seasons with dance pop (such as Kylie's "Can't Get You Out of My Head") blossoming into hip-hop and R&B (City High's "What Would You Do?"), heating up with rock & indie (AAF's "Smooth Criminal") and then cooling off with a series of sweet ballads (Gabrielle's "Don't Need the Sun to Shine"). CD2 is fun all the way with a few big dance tunes such as Iio's "Rapture" and the Supermen Lover's "Starlight", followed by some of those lingering hip-hop/R&B numbers such as Eve's "Let Me Blow Your Mind" and Mary J Blige's "Family Affair". There really are too many great songs to mention as the Now people have outdone themselves in putting together one of the best pop line-ups ever, befitting of the age and stature of the old duchess, Now That's What I Call Music. -David Trueman.

Obie Trice's Cheers should have been way more than simply the sum of its notable parts. Being "down" with hip-hop's unholy trinity (50 Cent, Eminem, Dr Dre) can act as either an absolute blessing or a tremendous burden. With production from the latter two and knob-twiddling by Timbaland, one would think that all he'd have to do is phone in his verses and start collecting big royalty cheques. But that ain't the case. Firstly, Trice's all-star cast of homies so clearly outshine him; Eminem's verse dominates the misogynist "Lady", Dr Dre's terrific keyboard loops and anti-Ja-Rule rhymes stand out on "S*** Hits The Fan" and 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks tear up the nihilistic "We All Die One Day", so that you start thinking that maybe he should have limited his VIP guest list. On the catchy synthesized club banger "Got Some Teeth" and the loosely autobiographical "Follow My Life", the focus group named Shady Records give Trice some room to demo his unique sense of humour, in particular on the former track where he hopes that his bar-hopping booty calls are not repulsive in the morning when the booze wears off. As expected, the two Nate Dogg collaborations ("The Set Up" and "Look in My Eyes") are two of the more enjoyable, radio-friendly tunes, but they also reveal just how slightly-above average an emcee Trice is. Cheers is more D12 than 50 Cent in terms of quality. -Dalton Higgins.

Nas comes 16th in Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists's "Greatest Emcees of All-Time" so it's no surprise that his albums are always greeted with the maximum of fuss. Stillmatic should be no exception. Will it be as good as Illmatic, Nas' phenomenal debut-the album that announced a revolutionary literate rapping talent? Five albums down the line, he's survived the second album doldrums, a spat with a crucified Puffy and a battling Jay Z. The press will always crow that this isn't Illmatic but the fans know that Nas has lyrical skills that most MCs would cry blood for. Stillmatic is super-league hip-hop. No messing. just upper cut Muhammed Ali shaolin class with guests like Mary J Blige helping him bash all-comers. Nas ain't never gonna make another Illmatic so revel in his rhymes on "Every Ghetto" bop your head as the music weaves through freaky hypercharged funk on "Braveheart Party" warm, soul on "D. [+]

So, the Gorillaz have hired some space monkeyz to remix their album? Right. The official story behind Laika Come Home is that it's the product of an intergalactic odyssey apparently undertook by D-Zire, Dubversive and Gavva, all descendents of the first chimps sent into space. And what does a lonely simian listen to in the dark coldness of space? Why bone-shaking dubscapes with enough reverb to transmit their message to the outer edges of the universe, of course. Re-editing and producing a dub version of an album might sound like a pretty self-indulgent affair and to a certain extent Laika is. Whilst Gorillaz sounded original, it was a pop project with all the constraints that went with it - can you imagine the 6 minute remixed version of "Clint Eastwood" making it onto MTV?. But that's exactly what makes Laika so good. Listen to the "De-Punked" version of "Punk" with its meandering, decayed trumpet and computerised tweaks- hardly recognisable as the original-or the swinging old-school ska that crops ups on "5/4". The two-tone skank of "M1/A1" (with Terry Hall) sounds like it should have been the original version, while the real killer tracks are those injected with dancehall vibes by DJ U Brown and Earl 16. [+]

This sophomore full-length, Apricot Morning solidifies Holland's reputation, building upon the chilled foundations of his 2001 debut The Fifth Exotic with a body of tracks that deftly slides the soul and funk of his acclaimed Quantic Soul Orchestra project into the slow-motion down-tempo vibe characteristic of his earlier work. The opening title track lays out the sonic stall, with plentiful strings expanding into loping percussion, the click of a woodblock eventually giving way to some classy guitar riffery. Throw in a liberal scattering of afro beat, plenty of cheeky brass lines (both sampled and courtesy of sax wielding sister Lucy) and the resultant blend makes for some great home listening. Add a further dimension courtesy of the vocals of EQ, Bristol based hip hoppers Aspects and the wonderful Alice Russell-who gives it up like Carleen Anderson on the slick "Search the Heavens"-and Apricot Morning proves itself the most accomplished and ambitious album to date for Tru Thoughts. -Kingsley Marshall.

Considering their place in hip-hop history, De La Soul have had a rough ride. The Long Island trio's 1989 debut album, 3 Feet High & Rising, single-handedly did more to popularise rap music outside the genre's core audience base than any other record to that point, but the band have been made to pay a heavy price for helping make hip-hop one of the biggest selling sectors in popular music. This collection gives the band's legacy a stereotypical overview. There are two discs, but the second half is given over to collaborations and remixes. It's also a limited edition; so many buyers will only get the first half, and will therefore hear only a patchy summation of De La Soul's story so far. Admittedly, every track is exceptional, giving a consistently high-quality listen, but the balance is askew. Six tracks from 3 Feet High & Rising is understandable, but almost ignoring the mainstream-shunned, underground-loved Buhloone Mindstate and Stakes Is High albums is short-sighted. De La Soul are hip-hop's Prince, widely praised for things they did years ago, their new work subjected to unfairly slanted comparisons with their debut. But the best of De La Soul is almost certainly yet to come. -Angus Batey.