Only two tracks in thus far, first track is kick-ass but the second isn't quite as good. Here's hoping the whole thing works well

It's a sellout, they're making music for the most common (2009-2011/EDM) denominator.

Sucks to see them go this way, really loved Divided By Night and had hoped that they'd still manage to be a bit more eclectic with this release. Some tracks retain enough of that CM vibe and sound from their older days to be passable, but really not finding something that I'd actually want to own or listen to multiple times. The glitchyness and bass emphasis feels old and tired by this point, I hope to god The Chemical Brothers don't go this route as well.

yeah.. skrilks tier bro-step edm.. Kind of a disappointment, but I am still listening and not too far in, so my opinion is prone to change.

Honestly, I'm not really sure - yeah, some of the songs are pretty atrocious (that dubstep track 2
really ain't very good) but all in all it's everything good that's come out of the whole mass-market
appeal. Like, it's nothing groundbreaking and doesn't hold a candle to Vegas but it could have been a
lot worse. I find it to be pretty similar to the new BT album - it's mass-market EDM but pretty much
extends that limited quality as far as it can go (and as an added bonus it's not two fucking hours
long)

I'm just not sold on this part of their evolution, though I enjoy bands to continue to change and hone their sound this seems like too easy of a step to take; it's similar to a metalcore group that started out interesting and then just went on to please the common denominator after awhile.

To be frank I'd rather have had no album/a disbandment than see these guys go down this road.

I mean if you take the album in a vacuum (which I kind of have to do because otherwise it would indeed be pretty horrible, like you said) it's decent EDM-meets-simplistic-breaks. Just forget the guys who did this are capable of so much more creativity-wise (as much as it pains me to say that) and it's decently enjoyable

Separating the artist from the music like that doesn't work for me though, because otherwise almost anyone's name could be slapped on this.

Musicians have to be held accountable for what they release and how they evolve (especially electronic ones in this current period), otherwise we as fans are allowing them to set the bar low and make stagnation common place.

Fair point. I'm obviously not going to enjoy this as much as I could knowing that just 17 years ago Vegas came out but being a product of the whole new wave of American electronic music fans of the last 5 or so years there's a lot I find enjoyable about this. And, really, I suppose that's what they're going for, which is disappointing but (at least for me) not the absolute worst possibility. At least given the current state of the EDM market this is head and shoulders better than anything else around in that sense

"At least given the current state of the EDM market this is head and shoulders better than anything else around in that sense"

That's because they're so much more, so much better, than this.

I liked your point about being one of the New Wave of American electronic music fans, though I fall into that category myself as it's only been about three years since I got into music in general. it's something I tend to forget, that a lot of people will have their first taste of electronic music be EDM.

The Crystal Method are not pioneers of big beat lol

And please learn how to link

Was hoping this was the soundtrack to Almost Human. When are they gonna release that?

whoops, thanks for fixing that link

and they brought big beat to the us in a way no one else before them did so yeah. i mean obv they're
no prodigy/chemical brothers but they're definitely up in the "notable big-beat producers" category

This is probably gonna disappoint me I'm afraid >_>

I honestly wasn't expecting top quality material, but I'll give a listen. That being said, 'Vegas' hasn't aged a bit in my book.

My fingers are crossed for The Chemical Brothers, as I'm confident they will release something this year. Please please please make it as good as 'Further'!

OMG FUCKING FINALLY

and they brought big beat to the us in a way no one else before them did so yeah.

@Eloriaz - I think it will be disappointing for you, could be wrong though.

Yeah I listened to it and I don't think I like it much. Disappointed indeed =(((

Still, Jordan & Kirkland are good producers and it's still better than most commercial pseudo-EDM big room music out there.

Liked the song from the original Splinter Cell game.

Have my doubts that this is very good.

Name of the Game, yeah. I would say that song is a classic.

It really is a classic