I have been listening to metal for 25 years and it is gems like this record that keep me invested in the genre. I understand lots of people don't like the evolution of ASP and there is also the camp that is crazy for Storey which makes sense cuz the dude can rip. Hopefully, Storey will eventually release something with his new band but they really should get moving.
There is not a weak track on this record. Composing wise, it blows me away that a bunch of kids (yes, I'm old) can put together such a smooth flowing river of molten hot riffs. The singer howls and roars with the kind of virtuosity that I would expect since I really liked Awaken the Dreamers. The new guitarist (Artusato) is brilliant. His solo technique should be admired by any lead guitarist. I'm not a drummer but the work on the drum kit is exemplary to my ears. I guess the bass is good since their is a nice wall of sound coming through but it is certainly not upfront in the mix. I'm not really into the image of a dude swigging from a JD bottle like it's water. I'm biased since alcohol is not my drug of choice (Listen to Bob Marley).
For me the highlight is "A Pure Evil" and I wish they had made a video of that tune instead of "There is Nothing Left". I actually think that there about 6 tracks on the record that are better than the video single. However, I know it is subjective. I've always liked bands that put out tracks in Spanish (sé un poco de español, Vatos) and the Spanish version of "Royalty into Exile" is killer.
Enjoy this superlative effort.
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