Bone Does Elegant Battle With Inner Demons

The third album from the Cleveland quartet (in stores Tuesday) features more of the captivating, tongue-twisting, rapid-fire raps and elegant, textured music that are its signatures. But its main appeal remains its distinctive vocal flows and rich production.

Dedicated marijuana advocates who once again pledge their allegiance to the herb on “Weed Song,” the group breaks away from its pot anthems to recount an experience with the drug Ecstasy that offers a glimpse of remorse and pain all too rare in the chest-thumping hip-hop world.

In fact, a large portion of their appeal lies in the way they discuss their battles with their inner demons. Other than unofficial fifth member Flesh-N-Bone, no guests appear on the 15-song album, allowing a vocal consistency that’s absent from most current, cameo-crammed rap releases. Bizzy Bone’s angelic singing, Krayzie’s deep-toned declarations, Layzie’s sing-song style and Wish’s more straightforward flow provide an even balance that needs no outside help. Longtime producer DJ U-Neek eases back on the brutal backdrops he included on Bone’s last effort, 1997’s “The Art of War,” opting to use graceful piano, keyboard and drum tracks.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.