Every
Wu-Tang Clan solo project has a different flavor, and
Ghostface Killah's
Ironman is no exception. Though it boasts cameos from nearly every other
Wu-Tang member -- notably
Raekwon and
Cappadonna --
Ironman is unlike any other record in
RZA's catalog of productions, particularly because it's significantly lighter in tone. There are still touches of
the Wu's signature urban claustrophobia throughout the record, but the music is largely built on samples of early-'70s soul, from
Al Green to
the Delfonics, who make a guest appearance on "After the Smoke Is Clear." Consequently, the mood of the album can switch tones at the drop of the hat, moving from hard funk like "Daytona 500" to seductive soul with the
Mary J. Blige duet "All That I Got Is You."
Ironman bogs down slightly in the middle, yet the record is filled with inventive production and rhymes, and ranks as another solid entry in the
Wu-Tang legacy. [The 2001 reissue of
Ironman deletes the track "The Soul Controller."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine