5 out of 5

Label: Atlantic

Produced by: D. Sardy

This album is massive.  Every song – okay, accepting and setting aside the, like, hip-hop outtakes – hits with an insane slab of bass, ten-ton riffage, and pristine but pummeling drumming.  Chaka Malik’s lyrics may tread some usual “you don’t know me” concepts, but he finds appreciably yelly ways to get that across, with the 110% gusto of his performance (and his bandmates’) edging the chants into unavoidable sing/shout-along fare.

Yes, a giganto piece of this puzzle is producer Dave Sardy: deepening the group’s funk and metal basis with the rich immediacy of his recording style, Tragic gets the benefit of just the right extra touches to elevate every single moment to an nth degree of energy.  Gun To Your Head might be the loudest and yet most controlled burst of rock noise Sardy has ever captured; every time I think I must’ve had my fill of Tragic’s sweaty bravado, the next track kicks in with another deep-rooted bassline and guitar rip and I’m all in once again.

I guess if you want punkier, you can look toward *Driver Not Included, and if you like the 311 rap/metal hybrid, there’s followup Pretend I’m Human, but Tragic, for me, is where it’s at.  It’s a pinnacle of this breed of 90s rock, a prime example of Dave Sardy’s abilities as a producer, and a front-to-back listen of badass, fist-pumping singles.