Even the production was outstanding. Not glossy, exactly (again, the recording sessions took place in a war zone), but inspired, with synthesized guitars and pianos, backing vocals, and not a sample to be found. It remains an absolute must-buy, despite a drop in quality in the last few tracks.

The follow-up, Soldier Music, hit shelves (or at least Internet retailers) a couple months ago to little fanfare; we at antiMusic didn't even realize it was out until recently. It's a low-key release -- the only words on all the packaging are "Soldier Music," along the side of the CD case, and Big Neal's face is nowhere to be found -- that can't quite match the raw-nerve intensity of its predecessor. What could? Still, those who enjoyed Live From Iraq need to pick it up, and those who haven't heard Live From Iraq need to stop reading and buy that.

Big Neal left Baghdad around the time of Live From Iraq's release, so here he focuses more on domestic matters. War protesters take a constant thrashing (it's not even possible to support soldiers but oppose the occupation, says Neal), and a general sense that Americans don't appreciate the military enough pervades the album.

Even if the topics aren't quite so explosive (no pun intended) as those on Live From Iraq were, Neal remains a terrific lyricist who can pull it off. Highlights in this regard include "Told Em," "Check," and "War." In his less artful moments, Neal's relentless elevation of his own profession, not to mention his shut-the-hell-up attitude toward anyone who dare question U.S. foreign policy, can become off-putting, but for the most part he sounds earnest, sincere, and patriotic.

And once again 4th25 sets itself apart from the pack, offering an impressively diverse sonic palette. Soldier Music doesn't sound any prettier than Live From Iraq, but the luxury of the studio allowed for real guitars and basses to replace synthesizers. The slide guitar on the soulful "To Hell" is particularly impressive.

Lyrics and guitars also come together wonderfully on "The Withdrawl [sic] Method," perhaps the best rap-metal track ever recorded, even if axesmith Ross flubs a few notes. Crude, profane sexual metaphors representing withdrawal from Iraq flow over head-banging thrash riffs. By comparison, it's hard to believe Limp Bizkit used to go platinum.

The 12 tracks -- one is simply a collection of snippets from Live From Iraq, so there are only 11 originals here -- culminate in "Calm Down," the best and by far the most disturbing song on the record. The verses are touching, explaining a soldier's nervousness about coming home when he's been at war. But in the chorus, Neal fantasizes a shooting spree at Americans who don't realize how good they have it: "I'm going to show you how wrong you are / Get to running 'round these streets like I'm still deployed."

In a lot of ways that wraps up what Live From Iraq started with "The Deployment," which depicted the journey to war in an equally emotional manner. But there's more to come: The next effort is reportedly titled American Insurgent.