Album Rating: 3.5

@TheNotrap: Staff? wow congrats man. I really have been out of the loop for a few years. You definitely deserved it though.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Matt Heafy's high screams sound kinda shot nowadays

Album Rating: 3.2

Nice to see you around man ;)

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

can definitely see this as a grower for sure



already starting to for me

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

Ronin is the only consistent tune on here. Everything else is ok but patchy. It feels more prog than "black metal" in most places and Matt just doesn't seem to break away from older habits from Trivium to truly make this stand out.



Also, did anyone else turn their heads really confused at one point where it sounded exactly like Dream Theater all of a sudden?

Album Rating: 3.5

Definitely leans more prog than anything else, but the influences are still there. Ronin has been stuck in my head for days, it truly is a great song.

Matt sounds different with every new album he puts out

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

The term "progressive black metal" has been used for this and I don't think that is best (and I don't even know what bands do fit that moniker) yet I don't know what else to call it. Maybe just melodic death metal? I mean how far off from the last couple Soilwork albums is this?

Album Rating: 3.5

"Maybe just melodic death metal?" I think that comes close. I was reminded of Opeth, Ihsahn, and Dark Tranquility while listening to this album so calling it melodic death isn't a stretch for me.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

i wish matt was as interesting a vocalist as he was a guitarist

Album Rating: 3.5

nice backhanded compliment lol. I didn't think his vocals were terribly bad or anything. But there is certainly room for improvement.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

hot take but i'd almost rather have bad vocals than boring vocals, and ultimately heafy is a boring vocalist. just radio-metal adjacent screams and cleans

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

"The term "progressive black metal" has been used for this and I don't think that is best (and I don't even know what bands do fit that moniker) yet I don't know what else to call it."



Progressive extreme metal. I know, "extreme" isn't really a genre, but this def isn't like black metal or anything in particular. Lots and lots of pieces coming together here. Def more on the melodic side of things at times as well, although how many subs can you fit into one description lmao.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

That describes how I feel about it pretty well. The shred drumming from Alex Bent really sends this to another level as far as the "extreme" descriptor goes. Dude just has no quit.

Album Rating: 4.0

I'd just say progressive metal for this, ffo Opeth and Ihsahn. A very pleasant hour of music

I feel like some of these songs meander and stretch themselves too thin. That said, I'm enjoying this overall and really love "Ibaraki-Doji".

Album Rating: 2.0

General observations:

Clean vocals are really, really bad

Heavier sections are generally well done. Some great thrash riffs

This has almost nothing to do with black metal

Gerald Way feature fucking rules

Album closer is one of the worst songs I've ever heard

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

@Ebola: I think you're pretty spot on. It gets a lot right and yet just as much wrong. A real shame.

Album Rating: 3.5

The main riff in Kagutsuchi is 100% a Watershed-era Opeth riff. Also while there are songwriting issues here and there, a lot of this work really really well. I really enjoy the creativity. The only thing I really don't like is Matt's screams. I hate that new technique he does. Doesn't really detract overall so it's okay.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

yeah this / heafy's output is like the epitome of 'im a great guitarist therefore im a great vocalist'



like no my guy, go get a good vocalist and you'd be delivering aoty contenders