With David Wayne returning to the band, you would think this album would be pretty awesome right? Well, it isn't quite that. The album is a letdown for anyone who was a fan of the more ambitious, experimental nature of the Mike Howe era as it sounds more like a late sequel to The Dark. That's not entirely a bad thing though for their s/t and The Dark were amazing records, but the biggest letdown here is David Wayne. He abandons his soaring vocals in favor of a rhythmic, Ozzy Osbourne style which makes the cheesy lyrics stick out like a sore thumb at times (the chorus of "Falldown" and the whole "Sleeps With Thunder" are the prime suspects). Not all is bad though for he often sounds pretty good, and the instrumentation is in full strength here. "Faster Than Life," "Lb. of Cure," "All Your Sorrows," and "Falldown" (minus the chorus) are thrashier numbers that are sure to satisfy MC longtimers, the "Toys In The Attic" cover is fun, and "They Signed In Blood" is the highlight here, especially with the vocals (which are actually the best part). Had the filler been cut out and the vocals stay more faithful to their first two records, we'd have a better album for sure, but it's an acceptable enough release in their extensive catalog.
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