Album Rating: 2.0

“One thing the reviewer and many others may not be realizing is that probably 90% of this album is just Ben's original vocals from the time that the other albums were recorded.”



If this is legitimately true then this immediately loses all respect from me. That’s fucking lazy musicianship at best, a cheap cash in at worst.

Lol that album cover is hilarious

Funny how you say Ben refused to deviate from the originals because I'm pretty sure he's reusing the exact same vocal tracks on most of the songs. The vocal for So Cold is 100% the original. It has the exact same throaty inflections in all the same places as the original track.

Album Rating: 1.0

That was bullshit.

Album Rating: 2.2

“One thing the reviewer and many others may not be realizing is that probably 90% of this album is just Ben's original vocals from the time that the other albums were recorded.”



i've heard this a couple of times since its release, but is there official proof of this or is it just speculation because he's echoing the original performances?

Album Rating: 1.5

"One thing the reviewer and many others may not be realizing is that probably 90% of this album is just Ben's original vocals from the time that the other albums were recorded. "



If this is legit, this is pretty poor form; for the band, the fans, the casual listener - not to mention the industry as a whole.



You could almost imagine it... "Hey man, we're going to do a new album."

"Hey sweet!, probably got some shit vocal recordings you guys could use because I can't actually be fucked putting effort into this shit-show."

I wasn't opposed to the idea of this album because they're able to pull it off but then I heard Red Cold River and it's basically just as heavy as the original version... so bad man.

Album Rating: 3.5

I full acknowledge I enjoyed this more than I should've. Acoustic rock in general is a big guilty pleasure. RIP to my taste in music.

Album Rating: 2.0

"that probably 90% of this album is just Ben's original vocals from the time that the other albums were recorded."



This was the first thing that popped into my mind when hearing 'So Cold'. The same might be said for the drums though, they don't fit at all. So you're doing acoustic versions of your songs? Great. Where's the fucking dynamics? This is just the original with MORE bells and whistles and an acoustic guitar instead of an electric one. The production doesn't help agreed.

Album Rating: 1.0

"that probably 90% of this album is just Ben's original vocals from the time that the other albums were recorded."



I can confirm that this is true and at the same time...heartbreaking (I did a side by side comparison in Pro Tools with the original ones and the Aurora versions). The only difference is the vocal mix: lifeless, too much low end and soaked in ethereal reverbs and delays. This is not only lazy and a quick cash grab, but it also showcases how much the band regressed post Dear Agony and to some extent, Ben has to be blamed for it.



Look, I can understand that maybe Ben thought his vocal performances on the old records were unbeatable (he is clearly passed his prime as a musican and vocalist) and knew he would be unable to reproduce that spark and emotion that captivated us years ago. Then why even create this album at all?! Honestly, why?



I will abstain myself from bashing the production and mixing quality of the record, so I'll simply call it abysmal.



I hope the negative response this record received is a wake up call for Ben and the band, because if this continues, it might be time to hang up the guitars on the wall.

This is as real as anything else anymore.

Album Rating: 2.0

Oof. That confirmation might warrent a downgrade in my rating. Smh

That makes me completely uninterested in spinning this. How lazy can you be

This wasn't necessary and doesn't add anything to the old tracks. Why is this a thing?

Album Rating: 2.2

it just shows how creatively bankrupt this version of the band is.



problem is, they have a fanbase that'll defend and consume every last nugget of output; they're like the star wars fanbase of mainstream rock music lol

Album Rating: 1.5

this is big poopy couldnt even redo the vox lmao

Album Rating: 2.0

Still extremely lazy and meh 1 year later.

Heard one of these versions on the radio a couple days ago and I was just sitting there like "...what the fuck is this version?? ... oh shit Aurora was a thing"

Yeah still lazy trash

Album Rating: 3.0

Still not over them re-using the original vocal tracks for this. Feels like a scam. Ruins this version of Tourniquet in particular which has a pretty wonderful arrangement, for my taste anyway. But the vocals really needed a different interpretation.



Also yeah the mix is garbage. Not as bad on speakers but on headphones it's borderline unlistenable.

This is truly a skippable album