Eminem returns again with his new album Marshall Mathers LP 2, a revisit to his best selling album. The layers of the music go deep, but overall I was left disappointed.

The album could be both the most and least diverse album he has released. The music behind the rap varied widely. From “Berzerk”’s mix of samples from multiple other artists, to the old country sound of “So Far…”, to the slow piano of “Stronger Than I Was”, the MMLP 2 features a satisfying array of music. However, Em’s rapping was much less diverse.

Most other Eminem albums feature songs where Em is yelling, and the rage and hate is apparent in his voice. Usually these songs are accompanied by more comedic crazy songs like “Without Me” and “Just Lose It”, with slower more heartfelt songs like “Mockingbird”, “Like Toy Soldiers”, and “Beautiful.” The MMLP 2 doesn’t have this mix. Every song on the album is the angry hateful rap that has become more prevalent throughout the years. Every song, even “Headlights” a song in which he apologizes to his mom for all the times he has dissed her, is in the same loud and angry tone. In this way, the album bored me.

Em explained before the album was released that it was not a sequel but a revisit, and I think that aspect was done fairly well. Stan’s brother made an appearance, as well as the rainy background of “Stan” in a different song. In one of the interlude skits a part of “Criminal” was extended and led smoothly into the next song.

The subjects of the songs were mostly unoriginal. THe song “So Much Better” is disappointingly similar to “Puke” off Encore. Most songs just reiterate how he hates Kim, hates women, hates his dad, hates people, and thinks he’s the best. This time, Em expresses his feelings about forgiving his mom and his regrets about his song “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.” We also get to the deeply internal conflict between Eminem and his alter ego Slim Shady.

When you strip the album down to Em’s rap skill, there might not be a better showcase. His use of metaphors has only improved over time and he has not run out of ways to twist the english language to do his bidding. Em also makes his debut in the speed rap game with “Rap God.” Intricate metaphors and ingenious rhymes are delivered at blazing speeds that we haven’t seen from Em before.

Eminem’s style has also evolved and adapted significantly. The influence of popular styles is apparent, I can easily see aspects in this new album that I’ve seen in the styles of other rappers like Kanye West and Childish Gambino. This time around Em tends to rap longer verses with less chorus and more lyrical content.

Overall, this album could have been better. The lack of diversity in Eminem’s rapping really hurt it for me, even though the music behind him was extremely diverse. If you can work through this then you will probably really enjoy the album. But for me, the MMLP 2 wasn’t just second in time but second in quality.