Musically Speaking, What’s the Big Deal About ‘Milenko’?

When it comes to crazed party themes, the Beastie Boys are the progenitors of party-for-your-right-to-fight fury. When it comes to maniacal, gothic songs with mystic themes and Doors-inspired production, Cypress Hill has the market cornered. And when it comes to horror-movie imagery matched with libidinous lyrics, the Geto Boys have forgotten more about the genre than most groups ever learn.

So what does that leave for Detroit’s Insane Clown Posse, which covers the same territories?

Almost nothing.

This album is largely mediocre, and probably wouldn’t have caused much of a ripple had Hollywood’s parent, the Walt Disney Co., not recalled the record this week due to its “inappropriate” lyrics. And, yes, there are plenty of references to necromancy, suicide and blood-splattering mayhem to fill a whole volume of the “Faces of Death” video series.

The duo of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope do have a couple of inspired moments, notably “Hellalujah,” a song that may have particularly troubled Disney execs. It’s a well orchestrated, scathing satire about the greed of televangelists.

Despite some solid beats and occasionally interesting rock-guitar licks, however, the record quickly proves tiring. The lameness of the rhyming will be more offensive to most pop fans than the stuff that might make parents shudder--if the album ever sees the light of day.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).