Album Rating: 4.5

I'm afraid I disagree with the review as well.



While, you're absolutely right about the not particularly interesting shred fests (which are insanely fast), I feel the album uses the actual "sound" of these sections to create an atmosphere which can only be recognised by other musicians. The simple sound of notes being played extremely fast is used for atmosphere, not necessarilly for being "showey".

I think Behaving Badly is a good example of this, the main melody is an extremely difficult and speedy riff, but it's the actual atmospheric effect it gives which works, not the specific notes.



It's a hard point to make, but I really do love this album. I've listened to it about 20 times in a row because I've heard so very little like it.



Definitely agree on how it's not really a progressive metal album - even though it is. I think the juxtaposing of clean melodic frontal lines on top of djent style metal riff is performed to an almost archetypal example on this album.

Album Rating: 4.0

I wanted to like it more. It's really cool as a whole, but it just wasn't as epic as I was expecting. I didn't think the wankery was going to be as heavy handed. I thought it was going to be a lot more rhythm based than it was.

I thought Behaving Badly was pretty good...I don't know, as an album I guess it isn't so great but there are a lot of highlights, I felt. Tosin is a really nice guy too. Oh and Phalanx, nice Periphery sort of reference, haha. DJENT.

Album Rating: 4.0

good riffs

Album Rating: 4.5

Fair review, awesome album I really enjoyed it. (Current recording rig Ibanez 7321 & Line 6 Spider Valve Head) ahah

You idiots don't know wtf you're talking about this album is great. I can't stop listening to it.

Very impressive musicianship, I'm digging this cd.

Album Rating: 3.0

This is really not bad, not really all that original, but the guy's got chops. You can tell he worked with Bulb (Misha Mansoor-

Periphery's guitarist/solo artist. LOOK HIM UP, if you haven't. Guy owns face).

Album Rating: 3.5

The comment above mine makes me laugh (for obvious reasons).

Album Rating: 4.0

this is really cool stuff. I disagree with the claims that he's a poor songwriter. i honestly think this is a top ten for 09 so far.

Album Rating: 4.5

this is what good music sounds like.

Album Rating: 4.5

I think Mr. Phalanx got it right. People are getting lost in the technical aspect of the album. It's just great music. When you have a great song/instrumental, it really doesn't matter whether it is original, technical, or whatever. It simply connects with you.

I'm not a guitarist; however, I can see how intrincate the album is. It really demands your attention, and it's not properly easy-listening, but that's only the surface, and ultimately, is beyond the point. There are great melodies, beautiful most of the time, and all of this in the context of heavy riffs. It's awesome.



We're talking, so far, of album of the year. It beats all of what I've heard this year, and yes, great bands released very good albums. No one, though, beats this one.

Album Rating: 5.0

I think this album, from what I have heard, sounds pretty amazing. I play guitar and I can tell that a lot of the time it seems as if he uses the shred riffs as an atmospheric, spacey feeling that flows well into the soft melodic parts. I have also heard shred albums before and by far this is probably the only one I can still listen to even though I do love me some Joe Satriani.

Album Rating: 3.5

this album has great amtosphere in terms of its progressive nature though, like Mr. Phalanx said, the recurrence of clean passages over hard metal rhythms gets old fast

Album Rating: 3.5

dude is skilled, terrible songwriter though

CAFO is my favourite

screw this, listening to CAFO right now!

all of my uber techy loving friends are fapping to this and saying that abasi is like the best guitarist ever so i'm just gonna skip it

Album Rating: 3.5

I actually wish there weren't any leads, I absolutely love the rhythm work on this album.

Album Rating: 3.5

CAFO is just brutal riffage and the second half of On Impulse just melts face