by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
After releasing his debut album No One Can Do It Better, the D.O.C. suffered a severe car accident which did irreparable damage to his vocal chords. It left him with a thin, raspy voice that was simply unusable for several years. In 1996, he made his comeback with Helter Skelter, an album that illustrated how ragged his voice was. While the backing tracks to Helter Skelter are solid, if generic, gangsta rap recorded by a live band, the D.O.C. simply doesn't have enough power to make the songs interesting. Sometimes, the harsh growl of his voice sounds threatening, giving the tracks a menacing power. Too often, the D.O.C. simply sounds tired and worn. It's admirable that he attempted the comeback, but the musical results don't justify the effort.