III (Temples Of Boom)

With their third studio album, Cypress Hill leaned on DJ Muggs’ production in an exploration of darker, more ambient sounds. On “Killafornia,” a haunting keyboard and jittery synth strings complement B-Real’s choppy flow. “Locotes” is loaded with threats over a mostly spare drumbeat, and darkest of all is “Illusions,” an uneasy dive into B-Real’s mental health, backed by a sitar. The album borders on instrumental hardcore, but stays true to the group’s ethos of smoke-thickened but brilliant rap.