House of Pain, the Irish-American hip hop group, really blossomed on their second album, Same As It Ever Was. With this album, House of Pain stays true to their Irish pride and gutter image over hard beats. At the same time, Everlast changed his style of rapping considerably and unveiled a much more distinctive and recognizable approach. Sounding twisted, damaged, and maniacal, Everlast grabs the listener's attention and refuses to let go on such wildly entertaining fare as “Back from the Dead,” “Over There Shit” and “Runnin' Up on Ya.” An abundance of strong, clever hooks and Everlast's psycholike rapping make Same As It Ever Was consistently appealing.