It’s really hard discussing music without it sounding disparaging when you don’t like something, but man…I REALLY DO NOT like whatever they’ve become. But that’s okay! It’s not he first band to put out an album I don’t like, and their style is fundamentally different from what it was when I was really into them. Longwinded exposition/background after this - feel free to ignore!

Waking the Fallen is probably a top 3 album for me, and really helped shaped my musical tastes for the long term. It’s the album that made me learn double bass and get out of the pop-punk hole I lived in during high school. The Rev was my favorite drummer in the world until I eventually heard ABR, and remained up there until he died. The change to City of Evil and Self Titled was pretty huge but I still loved it, and damn near wore out my CD player on both. I even liked 2/3 of Nightmare, and you can FEEL where the Rev died during the writing of that album. Everything they’ve done since I feel has gotten worse/does less to make me want to listen to it with each iteration. And that’s only MY opinion, plenty of others disagree. HttK wasn’t for me, To the Stage REALLY wasn’t, and this new album…WOOF. Like it’s hard for me to reconcile that this is the same band that made those albums!

But like I said, I wouldn’t/won’t disparage anyone from liking what they like, and I hope it doesn’t sound like that. I’m happy people like it, and that the band believes in what they’re doing. My tastes have changed over the years too, and it feels like mine just diverge from the newer sound/style. There’s plenty of music in the world for everyone!