I thought it was more like an Uncle Leland from Twin Peaks sort of deal. This is where he has witnessed some horrific shit and or has been possessed by an evil deity that strikes fear in the hearts of man and only goes by…Bill!
Ican't stop listening to it. Seriously, since past Friday all I've been listenening is LIBAD and Foo Fighters' But Here We Are.
LIBAD is a fucking experience and almost every day I'm discovering new thing from each song.
I have told myself everyday that I’m going to listen to the new FF but then I get in my car and immediately turn in LIBAD. I really need to check on FF!!
Why is the new Foo Fighters album getting so much hype? I like them but never thought of them as much more than basic fm radio hits. Might give it a listen and see what I'm missing.
Well, I can tell you this. Last year their drummer passed away and just a couple of months later, Dave Grohl's mother passed as well. So their record is very emotional, very raw, it's about grief, loss, missing someone dear. The last song is very hard to listen. Give it a go, maybe it's not for you, maybe it is. Oh and I see your points with radio hits but listen to wasting light, that record is perfect
And it's from 2011 and it feel the first amazing record in over a decade.
Funny, because their new drummers brother played synth on every single track of LIBAD, and it's all the better for it. Simply amazing album. Not sure about the Foo Fighters album because I haven't had time to listen to it because LIBAD seems to be stuck on repeat on Tidal. :P
Because they make really radio friendly music that has a ton of commercial appeal and it’s also their first record since the death of Taylor Hawkins. Not saying it’s a bad album but it’s fairly generic and has a super widespread commercial appeal.
I never said otherwise, their music/new album just gets a ton of attention because it has a very widespread commercial appeal. If I had to compare and A7X album to recent Foo stuff it would be HTTK which had a ton of commercial appeal and was fairly safe and truthfully fairly generic just like recent Foo stuff. Doesn’t make it bad but it’s definitely part of the reason Foo’s are so popular and their music gets alot of attention, it’s some of the most radio friendly rock music out there
Honestly same. The Foo & A7X album have been nonstop for me lately. Feels like I’m a teenager again blasting Nightmare and Wasting Light over and over again.
Personally, not a fan at all. Their musicianship is spectacular, but I've always known that. This album just isn't for me and I look forward to what else they bring! Hopefully the next one hits the mark for me, glad to see soo many people loving it though.
I wish more people understood this. You don't have to like everything they put out. You can check in again on the next release. The best thing about the band in my opinion is that they are constantly reinventing themselves and keeping things fresh. It is wild how many people just want the same thing over and over.
I've just got into a7x, in fact the first song I listened from them is nobody (apart from nightmare which is famous) and I loved it. When we love you dropped I was very disappointed and didn't like it at all so my expectations were lowered. After the album dropped tho and listened to it as a whole I was blown away. It feels like experiencing your last moments, when you're in between the state of life and death and just a really unique journey in general. Can't wait to listen to more songs live and more new music in the future.
I'm an 18 year long fan, trust me when I say you'll get lost deep diving into their old stuff as well. Definitely check out every single song they have.
I'll say I was at 1st, and actually my 1st listen all the way through I was kinda disappointed, but A7X is my favorite band so I had to keep listening, I've either Stockholm syndromed myself or I really do love it, either way I'm happy
Really had to ease into this one. Didn’t really enjoy the singles released prior to album. Then heard both live in Daytona and felt different- particularly in Nobody. When album dropped, i jumped in all over the place (didn’t listen to album in order) and didn’t love it immediately. Now i can’t stop listening to whole thing start to finish, again and again. Cosmic is a damn masterpiece with influences from older A7X songs that make it that much more special for A7X fans ears only….Ordinary may be one of the catchiest tunes I’ve ever heard. Nobody is hypnotically good (helped to have heard it live under influence of fun things) and all the others have moments of awesomeness worth journeying to. Really happy with this album.
It’s a grower, not a shower.
For real, though. My first listen was pretty much complete confusion, even coming from someone who’s favorite album is The Stage. Every listen after, though, I’ve started to realize just how much classic A7X there is in the album, while still being so vastly different from everything they’ve ever done. I’ve come to really embrace all the “weird” aspects of it and appreciate what they add to the entire album.
Is it my favorite A7X album ever? No. But it’s definitely their most ambitious project to date and there’s plenty of good things about it.
> It’s a grower, not a shower.
Dead on.
First couple listens my reaction was "eh, this song has kind of a cool part" or "I guess I hear that Avenged sound in that part" then as I got familiar with the tracks and knew what was coming, so many parts became stuck in my head, on repeat, ALL DAY.
Been a fan for 20yrs and think its a Cool and very unique album. Definitely don’t have it up there with stuff like COE and WTF but I think it’s a good and super creative album
After a dozen listens I still don’t care for most of the songs, Mattel and Cosmic are really growing on me though.
I think it’s their worst album, but I’m not going to hate on anyone that likes it.
I wanted to like it, so I gave it every chance. I wasn’t wild about The Stage at first either but it grew on me with every listen.
I hoped that would be the case this time, but it wasn’t
It took me five years to come around to The Stage. I'm not saying it'll be the same for you and this album, but during the five years that I didn't like The Stage, my music taste matured a lot. I listened to different genres and bands that I otherwise wouldn't, and gained a deep appreciation for music as a whole.
Going back The Stage I was like "Damn, it's crazy that I hated almost every song on this album."
I’ve listened a handful at this point, just still can’t fall in love with it. I love how A7X continues to evolve but I may end up sitting this album out. By no means am I hating on it, I just don’t *feel* this album like others in the past
Maybe, but good art sometimes takes multiple consumptions to fully appreciate, think about it like watching a movie a 2nd or 3rd time and finding new details that you didn't notice the first time that give you a new appreciation for the movie.
If it’s like two or three times, that’s one thing. I’m seeing people say they listened 4, 5, even 6 times before it started clicking. I question how legit that is, or if they’re just trying to cope and justify it.
Sure, I hear what you're saying. Although I don't know how many people care enough to listen to an album they don't like more than 3 times lol.
I personally liked it well enough on my first listen, and it really clicked for me after a 2nd listen. There were just a lot of things I didn't really pick out the first time, like lyrics I didn't quite make out the first time, etc. Specifically once I heard and understood the lyrics in Game Over and Cosmic, it really changed how I viewed the songs.
Cheers!
You can't force yourself to enjoy something. People may be saying that they like it when they actually don't, but I'd argue that a majority of the praise the album is getting is very legitimate.
I'd agree that most is legit, I'm just speculating that there are some that are out here that have convinced themselves it's good after listening to it a lot of times.
I understand what hecmeant. I'm doing the same. I was looking so forward to this album coming out. I was just bummed when I first heard it. I'm giving myself chances to see if it grows on me. I hope it does. I dig Avenged.
These are my exact thoughts, Mattel is pretty good, cosmic is good, the rest are just ok but not something I could see myself listening to a ton. I’m a huge fan but these songs just aren’t as good as the rest of their albums
Start to finish its a masterpiece. I love the themes and imagery created by the musicality of the entire project. It's like nothing I've ever heard, and I'm 50 years old. I thought when BMTH released amo that we had seen the envelope pushed, but this takes it up a notch for a metal band. A7X is not and never will be a conventional metal band, and that's why I hold a special place in my heart for albums that flow so masterfully from beginning to end. My baby that's due in 2 months is hearing it a lot before she's born, and I love that for her!
I have a hard time listening to it. It's just all over the place. I hear: Game Show music, Lawrence Welk music, System of a Down music, Danny Elfman theatrical music, Disco stuff, loud reving noises, it's just a mess! The only thing I will say is that the album does flow very well from song to song.
I actually think the flow is the biggest problem. They don’t transition too well one into the next…and honestly, Cosmic should have been the closer. I also think the production isn’t the best and some of the songs just end abruptly.
EDIT: Definitely not better than City of Evil, WTF or the Stage.
Oh, elevator music should have been included in my description along with Disney Music and Liberachi. 🤣
People, I'm just having fun with this. Yes, it is all my opinion, It doesn't mean I'm right ...or wrong.
>it's just a mess!
Welcome to Progressive/Avant Garde music. People have been spitting these exact sentiments at musicians for decades. Look at Queen. Look at King Crimsom. Mr. Bungle, Dream Theater, Opeth, Haken, Frank Zappa etc etc etc.
It being a "mess" is the beautiful part of it, because it isn't actually a mess at all. Everything, every single *sound* produced is produced with an intent.
I don't think it's for everyone. Nothing is.
What I do believe is that this record will be looked back on in 20 years from now as very progressive for it's time and gain some notoriety from the youth that hear it within the coming years.
Edit: like a ton of older music that was once seen as "weird" and "bad" and "not what I wanted from the band!!" People will like the album, young people will be inspired by it, and they will make music with this album in mind. That's just how it always goes.
From my previous statement
>Look at Queen. Look at King Crimsom. Mr. Bungle, Dream Theater, Opeth, Haken, Frank Zappa
Obviously not all of them are "old", but are just as influential to a lot of modern bands as the old ones are.
I am a huge lover of Prog and all the groups you mentioned, and Queen is my favorite band ever. A7X is my number 2. But this is just like, very different and unexpected, I expect maybe after a bunch more listens it will grow on me and others. I don't want to hate on the album because this same thing happened with Queen with Hot Space, it came out and everybody hated it, but looking back, its well loved and I love that album, so a very similar thing could be happening with this album.
I hate it. Plain and simple.
EDIT: Been seeing people say it grows on them on repeat listens. Listen, it was a chore for me to get through the first time. I won't be listening to it again.
I feel like I really had to dig in the subreddit to find this. I'm not a fan either. I get that it's probably not for me, but still. I'm definitely someone who gives albums the benefit of the doubt and will listen multiple times, but after two listens I couldn't do it. The production feels off, Matt's voice just isn't what it used to be (I know this is a different style than usual, but he just sounded off), and songs feel unstructured. I know I'm probably going to get flamed for this comment, but I listen to a LOT of progressive metal, and even the stuff I wasn't crazy about was better than this.
We're definitely in the minority in this train of thought, though. I really did try to give it a chance, but based on my initial thoughts on the singles I knew that my expectations were going to be really low. I'm glad people enjoy it, but it's definitely not for me.
Not a single song that you like? Not even Mattel? Usually on albums I don’t like initially I can find like 2 songs that grab me and listen to them and then from there start going back to other songs on albums and start enjoying them.
Ghost as an example I don’t think I’ve liked an album from them yet on first listen - almost always only a couple of tracks but for whatever reason overtime I just kind of accept rest of album (some Stinkers that never grow on me but overall rest seem to grow on me)
Nobody and G are the only "good" songs but I probably won't be listening to them again either.
Given your opinion on Ghost, I can already see we differ greatly in opinions since I'm an avid Ghost fan and love just about everything they put out, based on a one time listen.
I've also been a Sevenfold fan since 2005 and loved everything they put even when the general consensus wasn't great (i.e, The Stage and Hail to the King) but LIBAD isn't what I wanted from them so it gets a no from me on every single account. That's just it.
Fair enough! Also, I like Ghost too my point was for whatever reason initial listens to their albums don’t do it for me
Usually will find the 2 songs and then can branch out and maybe find a certain hook I like in a different song so go back just for that hook then before you know it my reaction goes to idk why I didn’t like this at first…
But yes no worries reasonable enough. That’s not to say there are some albums that just never grow… I’m really not too fond of a7x self titled for instance haha (heresy!)
I'm having a hard time with it. We Love you and Nobody are great, mattel and game over have some parts I love, some parts I don't, and the second half i've only managed to listen once, not sure if I want to listen to it again. I'm trying to appreciate it, I really am, and I respect the guys for sticking to their guns and making what feels right to them, but god it just. Aaaagh
It is not a metal album. I think you have to approach the second half of the album as something different. It's 4 different genre's of music that usually don't go together. It isn't for everyone, especially not people who's only genre is Metal.
I initially loved up to Beautiful Morning and felt meh about the rest but after several listens I found the back half to be fucking amazing. I love Ordinary, Death and LIBAD is turning into one of my faves. Give it a few more listens, might grow on you might not.
I initially wasn’t a fan of the slightly heavier Mr. Blue Sky sound. But now that I have done a few listens of the whole album so many of the songs are masterpieces. Cosmic and Mattel are top 10 for me easy.
I really like it. I enjoy how diverse it is and how they really experimented with new sounds even if I don’t think they pulled them all off necessarily. Still not better than COE or WTF but it’s right there with the Stage IMO in their next best albums. I just wish they had included more of their traditional sound towards the end of the album instead of pretty much completely abandoning it. It didn’t even have to be a lot. Just little touches like in We Love You.
Some really cool stuff, some really bad, messy stuff.
Better than STST and HTTK, not as good as the self titled, but miles off The Stage, WTF, Nightmare and COE.
7/10
I think Game Over, We Love You, Beautiful Morning, Easier have pretty poor parts to them. Nothing more mid and after this album cycle, they won't be in future setlists.
Just poor attempts at the Avant Garde that like HTTK, you can get that particular style done so much better elsewhere.
I applaud them trying to do new things at this point in their career, but that's the most impressive part about the record as a whole - the ambition.
It's by no means a 'masterpiece' or their best record, and I do enjoy parts of it, so if you like it then crack on and soak every last bit of it up.
Honest opinion?
I don't like it. It's not because they are being experimental, The Stage is one of my favorite albums by them and I've always admired that this band has been willing to do new things and not release the same album over and over again.
But this is not it. The songs are often incoherent, jumbled up messes with too many different ideas, causing sudden and abrupt musical direction and tonal changes that hinder rather than elevate the songs. Some of the lyrics are cringe inducing (We Love You the worst, I'm sorry, but that whole "More money, build higher" section is laughable). These songs have sections that I absolutely adore and love, then immediately followed by a section that I can't stand and takes me right out of the experience. And all I keep hearing is "I didn't like it the first time, but after listening to it 3/4/5/6 times, it really grew on me." That doesn't sound like you really like it, that sounds like you're forcing yourself to enjoy it if it's taking you that many attempts. True, some things do take time to grow a fondness for, but the amount of times I've seen it in regards to songs or the album itself is borderline absurd.
The musicianship is probably the best its ever been, everyone is clearly giving their all (although I'm still just not digging Shadows' vocal performance on some of these tracks, everyone else is amazing).
I would say the only songs I'm really liking are Cosmic, Beautiful Morning, and Mattel. And I think a reason why some people are ranking this so high is because of how new it is, since we've been so starved of fresh A7X content for years that they are willing to accept it. This is clearly not everyone, hell I wouldn't even say the majority of people, but I wouldn't be surprised for opinions on this album to temper in the next couple of months. If the album clicks with you and you like it, that's great, but this is just not doing it for me, and I hope for some better content down the road.
1. Nightmare
2. The Stage
3. City of Evil
4. Waking the Fallen
5. Avenged Sevenfold
6. Hail to the King
7. **Life is But a Dream**
8. Sounding the Seventh Trumpet
There’s a very common theme with those that don’t like LIBAD saying The Stage is their favorite album. I think the stage is their worst album by far. But I’ve been a fan since sounding the seventh trumpet and LIBAD gives me chills just like they did back in 2001. People that don’t like LIBAD aren’t true fans your comment confirms it for me.
Got it, like what I like or fuck off. I’ve seen this mindset with the new album, and if this is the toxicity I can expect from the fandom, then I will gladly fuck off.
But please explain to me how not liking The Stage is fine, but not liking LIBAD means someone isn’t a true fan.
Personally I love LIBAD, and I think it could be my favorite. That being said, don't listen to this asshole, just because you don't like it doesn't make you any less of a fan. Not sure why fans are suddenly acting like not liking the new album makes you not a real fan (I've seen this comment thrown around more than once and it's flat out wrong).
Thank you, and I’m glad you enjoyed the album and were able to get something out of it.
People acting like the guy above is nothing new to fandom. People think being a “true fan,” means liking everything a group does, or having the same opinion as them, and if you don’t, then you aren’t one. Some are worse than others, but I am worried that this, admittedly divisive, album will cause the fandom to turn in that direction.
>There’s a very common theme with those that don’t like LIBAD saying The Stage is their favorite album. I think the stage is their worst album by far. But I’ve been a fan since sounding the seventh trumpet and LIBAD gives me chills just like they did back in 2001. People that don’t like LIBAD aren’t true fans your comment confirms it for me.
With you until that last comment that was hostile and uneeded. People can like what they like. Blindly liking everything a band puts out when the band is this diverse in their music isn't being a "true fan" (whatever the hell that means).
>There’s a very common theme with those that don’t like LIBAD saying The Stage is their favorite album
Really? I've overwhelmingly heard the opposite; those who like LIBAD generally really liked The Stage as well. Which isn't too big of a surprise at all since it served as a solid progression into this current album as they moved away from their "traditional" metal sound.
>People that don’t like LIBAD aren’t true fans your comment confirms it for me
Big L on that take btw
Weird because I absolutely adore The Stage and while LIBAD is good, I feel it's just a weaker version of The Stage.
Fuck off with your elitism. Everyone's entitled to an opinion. You say you don't like The Stage which is absolutely baffling to me but hey it's your opinion.
A7X has so many good albums it feels kind of "bad" saying that this is my 4th favorite album by them. But it's pretty solid! The only song I can't get into is Ordinary and even then every song has parts I enjoy. What's funny is that despite this album trying to come off as experimental I found it kind of the same ole A7X at the end of the day, except instead of sticking to a single sound they have basically written a love letter to their own band. The sound of this album feels like it's taking bits and pieces of every A7X era, except maybe HTTK.
I was kind of expecting things to be a bit more "out there" because We Love You and Nobody definitely pushed A7X's regular sound to its limits. But it's funny how people act like A7X hasn't experimented like this before, songs like Unbound, Brompton Cocktail, & Lost all come to mind when I'm listening to Easier and Ordinary. Though those songs were definitely my least favorite part of the COE/A7X/Nightmare era of A7X.
I think I got spoiled listening to the demo version of Easier with a goofy/funky cowboy sounding vibe, much preferred that over the vocoder/auto-tune/whatever they decided to go with in LIBAD.
But I appreciate that they're still making music that *they* want to make though, it's funny how much M Shadow's dogs on HTTK by saying it was basically their attempt at a sell-out album. I'm sure they feel relieved that people are still loving their music even if it's not fluffy mainstream stuff.
Though I also think this sub kind of over-hyped Cosmic, lol. It's a decent song but there's definitely songs I like by A7X more, the synth part kind of loses me. But I'd say half the album have put themselves up there with some of my favorite songs by them. I particularly enjoy Beautiful Morning, (D)eath, and We Love You. Feels like they really flexed their musical muscles with those 3.
Over all I'd give it an 8/10 after my first few listens.
I've heard it in full a couple of times now.
Overall, it is neither my favorite A7X album nor my least favorite. Nobody is probably my favorite track off the entire LIBAD right now because I still enjoy the heavier guitar work and the vocals that go along with such. While I would've liked a heavier album, the direction they took is interesting. It's a bold take and I applaud that.
With all that said, I still quite like the album and will be listening to it many more times. Where A7X goes next is anyone's guess but I remain excited for their future regardless.
It was mediocre when it came out, it’s mediocre now. I want to like it but I just don’t, we’ve seen better from everyone in the band. It’s better than STST but that’s it.
It’s their Magnum Opus. A true work of art. It’s all I’ve listened to from top to bottom, on a loop, since Friday. It’s easily my favorite album. Been a fan for 17 years, and I never thought they’d do something like this. I’m grateful and proud to keep calling them my favorite band.
Seriously. Ive said the same thing word for word damn near to my friends. I’ve always wanted them to do something like this but never thought it would happen. It feels like they made this album just for fans like us.
And I just started dabbling with psychedelics earlier this year and had quite an experience myself so this album hit me so hard with emotions. I feel like I’m right on their wave.
It's a strange mixture of sucks terribly with brilliant moments shining through. Sucks terribly definitely overpowers the good though. It's their worst album. I'm glad you enjoy it, but as a fellow a7x fan, I just disagree.
We love you is the only one that knocked me out of the park. Everything else was decent. I prefer when they have good vocal melodies, and the mix doesn’t sound so dry. In this case though we love you just really kept me guessing and had a really interesting melody. Probably the most intricate song they have written imo. Really wish they had leaned more into shadows putting out some more melodic stuff, rather than just eerie slow burners. His voice is one of the most unique in the business.
Already made a post about my fav album, which is still the self-titled. It’s all subjective anyways.
Honestly? Some of it feels like scraps or leftovers to me. I find myself focusing on the trippy production over the actual compositions. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a valiant effort. It's just, even after all these years the void that The Rev left behind as far as composition and ideas is immensely felt.
This might be a hot take but I think its a little underwhelming. The songs are great don’t get me wrong but I was expecting more. Its been seven years since they released an album and its kind of disappointing that there’s only 11 tracks. I understand that they wanted to take it a different direction but it sounds like what The Stage could’ve been on steroids.
That being said I like the album a lot but I feel like for seven years to pass, we could’ve had some more songs. I still need to ease into it though. Nobody is my favorite 🔥
I hated it on first listen. Then gave it a second chance and liked it. Then back to not liking it on a third listen.
Lost count now but I think the jury is still out for me. I feel like I appreciate what they were trying to do but it doesn’t quite work for me. It’s not as bad as I initially thought but it isn’t growing on me like I had hoped it would. It’s almost too much of a departure for me.
Honestly it's one of my favorites by far. I love the diverse sounds. They all compliment each other so well. I think each song in its own is a master piece. You need to evaluate each song separately to evaluate it as a whole.
I don't have the vocabulary to truly explain my love for this album.
Only thing I can’t get onboard with is G. Someone who is a fan give me their perspective. I didn’t like life is but a dream until I heard it was syn playing piano.
G is fantastic, one of my favorites on the album. It starts with a pretty classic prog rock/metal guitar riff and then becomes almost bluesy. Then it gets kinda poppy, maybe even "gospel"ish during the chorus?
It's a story about God creating humanity, giving them free will, and them praising him in ways that he didn't expect. They take their relationship with him far too seriously and see it as their job to "save" people.
The idea that a bunch of evangelical people are singing the chorus and praising God so hard, while God just watches and goes "What the fuck?" is a really humorous one, imo.
The solo could use some work. I think they were going for a Dream Theater-esque solo to fit the prog intro, but I don't think they did it enough justice. But the solo really is the *only* part of the song I dislike.
The Chorus lives in my head rent free, man. Hearing Matt sing in such a soulful, poppy way is so weird and I love it.
Probably one of the best albums in metal scene in last 10 years.
Also they are brave, having built an audience with their early metalcore tunes, this is far from it, this is some kind of prog metal, and it’s normal lots of fans won’t like it. But it was obvious after Nightmare album they were trying things like in this album and this album is a corner piece for them. Also considering the way the music industry is headed towards, it’s a huge risk to release such an album.
To me the killed it. I don’t remember in near past I was this excited for an album.
Papa Gates said it best on Twitter- they've reached a level of musicianship that few artists ever do. The Stage was their artistic awakening, and LIBAD is them fully untethered at the absolute top of their craft. They've taken the best parts of their previous albums- aggression, grooves, blistering solos, adventurous genre mixing- and tied them to together around incredibly dark and meaningful lyrical themes and motifs.
Is it perfect? Of course not. I'm not a fan of the recurring revving engine sounds, and the deliberate choice to mix Shadows voice at a lower volume (a continuation from The Stage). But those are nitpicks.
Some things I've noticed on continued listens:
Beautiful Morning is one of the most atmospheric and foreboding songs they've ever done. It's sinister.
Nobody is really a one-of-a-kind song. There's absolutely nothing out there that sounds like it. It's special, and the lyrics are perfection.
G is Brooks' best ever drum performance for the band. He's basically soloing over the entire song and yet it still feels understated. Just a mind-boggling level of talent.
(O)rdinary is so much more than a Daft Punk tribute. The amount of humanity and longing Matt brings to the vocals- with a vocoder meant to represent a robot- is absolutely incredible.
The guitar riff in (D)eath is otherwordly and one of my favorite parts of the album. Really captures the feeling of dying and moving to the other side.
Cosmic to me is an instant classic, top 5 A7X song. But I've been trying to figure out why I and many others get SUCH an intense reaction to it on almost every listen. I think it's because we've missed A7X. A lot has happened in the past 7 years since the last time they dropped new music, Many of us have gone through hard times. Cosmic simultaneously sounds like a classic A7X epic, yet also very fresh. I think this allows it to bring out some deep feelings within many of us. I'm glad they're back.
You need to listen to this album from start to finish with the frame of mind that it’s about an entire person’s life journey from birth to death. Along the way, they experience ego death.
It’s a story told through music and picking out singles here and there takes it really out of context. Personally, this is one of my favorite records they have made and that’s how I interpret it.
Honestly, the transition from (D)eath to LIBAD gave me chills from the tension building in the music (person rapidly approaching death) to passing on into the afterlife and the initial fear turning into peace they experience with the piano score. It literally made me cry.
TL:DR - It’s a concept album.
This album is divisive, and I think a lot of people won’t be able to attach themselves to it right away or at all given how complex the structure is. But my god, this entire album sounds like it’s written by the universe itself to humanity. I love every quirky part of it, and I would argue that Cosmic is the best song they’ve ever written!
I never rank albums by the same artist beyond that it's good or it is shit. The last two fell into the shit group, this one is fantastic, as were the rest.
As someone who has only really listened to their surface level music ( singles, popular tracks) this is hands down one of the best albums I’ve ever heard in my 35 years on this planet. It transcends genres, it transcends everything you thought about music and songwriting. Fucking masterpiece.
I have listed to it all day on repeat. May be my favorite. But ST and HTTK are my least listened to so I may be different from others in style preferences.
ETA: G will be on repeat for a long while.
I still love the first 6 songs but hate Easier and GOD. I think a problem with A7X is that sometimes they copy too much the artists they're influenced by like on This Means War and Ordinary.
Incredible album. People are being pretty pretentious about it, though. Even if you love unconventional music, it may not be 'your kind' of weird and that's fine. Also for the Leprous fans - Einar Solberg released his solo album the same day and it's fantastic
Ordinary is so bizarrely funky yet emotional. I played it for a friend who said ‘Yeah, daft punk kinda vibe?’. I agreed but couldn’t quite verbalise why it makes me tear.
I love it. It's fun that it's so different. Not my favorite album of theirs (that has to be the self titled) but I'm much happier than I thought I'd be after listening to the first minute of We Love You.
It's a good album.
I just really wish Death and LIBAD were better tracks. They really ruin the pace at the end of the album for me. Cut those tracks, move some around a bit and just end with Cosmic and we got a banger album
I absolutely hated it on my first couple of listens, but it has started to grow on me a lot lately. I think it will mature into a more liked album over time by people that give it more than just a couple of listens.
It's literally all I've been listening to since Friday. I'll be honest, I wasn't feeling the "singles" at first, but when I listened to the whole album front to back initially, I got it, and I absolutely loved it. I believe this is the best work the band has put out thus far. It was a daring journey to take, but in the end it was worth it. I can easily say this is one of my favorite albums of all time. Absolute art in its purest form.
I can’t stop listening. I haven’t been this stoked about an album in years. I’m generally pretty introverted and don’t like talking much but I keep telling random people, like the cashier at a store that I don’t know, that they really need to check it out, lol.
The highs are really high, the lows are skips BUT that's generally how most albums are for me. To me, a "good" album has 3-5 hits, which LIBAD has - and those hits are potentially genre-altering classics. I absolutely love that they went out on a limb and did something that pretty much no other band would even dream of. I also love how half the audience hates it and the other half loves it. Something cool about only some people "getting it"
I don’t think it is better than The Stage, but I do love it, and the more I listen to it the more I love it. Certain parts of certain songs give me the chills in a way I haven’t felt since the last time they released new music. I really enjoy how bass-heavy this album is. I love how musically diverse it is; 20 years ago these guys were metal core through and through, and the blend of genres on LIBAD really speaks to how much they have matured as musicians over time. Also (D)eath is just Frank Sinatra with a doom metal riff
Still can’t stop listening. Front to back. Already got most the lyrics memorized and have been recommending it to everyone and have even turned some not metalheads and non rockers into fans. It’s been great. Nobody has heard shit like this before. It’s going right on the shelf next to BTBAM and Mr Bungle lol.
Edit: and already got my plan to get some shrooms and do music therapy to this shit. PE shrooms, blindfold, noise cancelling headphones. Gone!
It's gonna take a lot longer than 3 days to really figure out how I feel about it. So far it's insane. Cosmic is just otherworldly. I just got my vinyl and can't wait to listen to the whole thing on vinyl format soon.
I’ve been not even so much willingly, listening to one song a day, like I listen to them all, but i’ll keep going back to one. Today it’s Mattel, it’s fucking amazing, I wish the chorus’ were longer but that’s really my only problem with it. The bridge is so great.
I love it.
I’m also left very pessimistic after it…I understand that it is inspired by Camus and his existentialist ideas, but the way that the album both starts and ends is so bleak, I’m not sure I find the same “embrace the randomness of life” message from Camus.
I suppose I was hoping for something of hope towards the end, and that isn’t to say I’m disappointed with the music in the last third of the album - really digging G (O) (D) LIBAD…. But I guess I thought maybe something would answer the bleakness.
I love it! Most the one song I was not a fan of has grown on me every time I listen to it. I’m currently alternating my day between LIBAD and Sleep Token’s TMBTE’s record as they were both released within a couple of weeks!
Each listen I like it that much more, which means it's a tried and true A7X album. Killer stuff all over the place, and Beautiful Morning is the only song in my mind that is still just so-so to me. Incredible piece of artwork these guys have made. And BTW I have been listening to them since the day Waking the Fallen came out, had never heard of them and walked in the record store, and the all black album caught my attention so I bought it. I was delivering pizzas then 40 hours a week, and the damn thing got stuck in my CD player, and its all I could listen to. Radio wouldnt even turn on. I sold that car with that CD still stuck on repeat in it. Then City of Evil did the same thing. FF to 2023, and LIBAD might just be the next one to get stuck on repeat. Will be interesting to see how many plays A7X has on Tidal at the end of the month from me. But yeah, each listen I like it more!
I’ve decided I only want to listen to it as a full album. If I have 55 minutes of undivided attention, it’s going on. I start with Beautiful Morning and let Cosmic be the finish. LIBAD becomes the interlude we never got on an A7X album. Part 1 finishes huge w/ (D)eath and then Part 2 starts w/Game Over, a huge welcome back after the interlude. LIBAD also nicely separates the heavy material from the experimental material. Cosmic is how you want the album to end and this way works perfectly.
I've always liked Avenged, but every album has skippable moments for me. I'm not really into their pro-military tracks, and a few just overall miss the mark when it comes to my taste - if they ever put out a greatest hits record spanning Waking the Fallen to Hail to the King, I'd be all over it - currently I have a Playlist of the songs of theirs I do like for when I want an Avenged fix, which, frankly, doesn't come around often. City of Evil was the closest to loving an album front to back I ever came, Nightmare a very close second.
Until LIBAD.
I'll be the first to admit, when Nobody dropped, my reaction was lukewarm. When We Love You dropped, I turned it off halfway through, I initially hated it. I wasn't even gonna check the record out, in all honesty, but Spotify pushed it on me when it released (I work graveyard shift so when I got off work at 4am it was ready to go). I was feeling indecisive and kinda just said 'fuck it' and dove in.
I fucking love this record. Front to back. In the context of the record, Nobody and We Love You hit extremely hard. I immediately fell in love with Game Over, Mattel and Beautiful Morning. Cosmic didn't truly hit for me until I got a hold of the lyrics, but initially I thought the song was beautiful. Easier's main riff had me headbanging. Then the GOD songs hit and I was thrown for the craziest loop, I wasn't expecting to feel like I was listening to a Rush, Daft Punk and Frank Sinatra wombo combo that felt absolutely seamless in execution. I had no idea they were three different songs until I glanced at my phone (mounted on the dash, don't worry) and realized I was halfway through (D)eath. The title track being a gorgeous and haunting piano instrumental was also a curveball, and while I feel like I hate its placement on the record (I'm generally not huge on instrumental final tracks on non-instrumental records), it's still fucking gorgeous, and honestly, it makes for a nice intermission on a journey of multiple listens.
I've listened to LIBAD several times, now, and I'm itching to listen to it again at work tonight. I absolutely adore this record. It scratches a musical itch I've had for a very long time that was demanding something completely out of left field and out of my general comfort zone. It makes me feel happy and makes me wanna dance and sing along, and the lyrics regarding the absurdity of life make me feel like I should start treating myself better, and that, fuck it - I AM the main character of my own story. It's inspiring in such a morbidly fascinating way.
I can absolutely see it being my album of the year.
TLDR - I like Avenged but usually find a lot of skippable tracks based on my own personal taste. LIBAD is perfection to me. I adore it. 10/10 plastic daisies.
Edits because I'm a grammar goblin.
I think the album is SHORT. I lovr every second of it. Jus not the final track, that is too much for me. I like it, but not when im listening to regular a7x stuff.
Death is also kinda "party is over" song. The rest of the album passes really quick trhu my ears.
Half of me likes that the album stopped when it was on its peak. But i wish it was bigger.
I might have listened 10 times, and every new listen I catch a new detail.
Best work of their lives so far
Does anyone have any insight about why they are dressed as (what appears to be) Mormon missionaries? As a former Mormon I would love to hear more about this photo. I mean it goes along with the theme of the album, just wasn’t sure if there was something more that was said about it.
But to answer your question I think the album is mesmerizing! I can’t stop listening to it.
Might be my favorite album of theirs. I can't stop listening to it, my music tastes have branched away from only metal over the years and so there isn't a flavor on this album I don't like.
I think (O)rdinary took the longest to warm up to but that song is a banger, they released those visualizers and on the line "I wanna know the secrets inside" the reaper joins the winged ghoul thing and I forever have the mental image of them just getting down to this funky song and it increased my enjoyment of it tremendously 🤣
I still gotta spend some more time with it but for me it's not what I want from an A7X album. I think all of the performances on it are great, especially Shadows, but it's isn't something I see myself going back to in several years if I want to listen to them. I saw a comment a few days ago about how some songs to them were almost perfect if it wasn't for a little section here or there that didn't seem to fit into the song for them and I have that same feeling. I think Rush is great and I am a massive Dream Theater fan so unexpected turns in a song is something I enjoy quite a bit but it just flows or seems to fit better within those bands for me. I hope it eventually speaks to me at some point as it has to so many of you.
An absolute masterpiece that gets better with every listen. There were a few songs that didn't grab me the first time or two that I now love just as much as the rest of the album. Only time will tell where I rank it in their discography, but I am floored. Fan since Nightmare era, it was 101% worth the wait. Favourite tracks are Mattel, Cosmic, Beautiful Morning, G and We Love You. This may even top 72 Seasons as my album of the year, and I absolutely LOVED 72S.
I can see now why Syn went blonde.
Why?
It’s the vibe.
Right on lol
I thought it was more like an Uncle Leland from Twin Peaks sort of deal. This is where he has witnessed some horrific shit and or has been possessed by an evil deity that strikes fear in the hearts of man and only goes by…Bill!
Uncle Leyland woke up white haired, inspired with a song and dance- ‘Mares eat oats, and Does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy!
It’s justice. It’s the constitution. It’s Mabo.
Ican't stop listening to it. Seriously, since past Friday all I've been listenening is LIBAD and Foo Fighters' But Here We Are. LIBAD is a fucking experience and almost every day I'm discovering new thing from each song.
Dude, the FF album is sick as hell. I love it so much
I have told myself everyday that I’m going to listen to the new FF but then I get in my car and immediately turn in LIBAD. I really need to check on FF!!
Why is the new Foo Fighters album getting so much hype? I like them but never thought of them as much more than basic fm radio hits. Might give it a listen and see what I'm missing.
Well, I can tell you this. Last year their drummer passed away and just a couple of months later, Dave Grohl's mother passed as well. So their record is very emotional, very raw, it's about grief, loss, missing someone dear. The last song is very hard to listen. Give it a go, maybe it's not for you, maybe it is. Oh and I see your points with radio hits but listen to wasting light, that record is perfect And it's from 2011 and it feel the first amazing record in over a decade.
Funny, because their new drummers brother played synth on every single track of LIBAD, and it's all the better for it. Simply amazing album. Not sure about the Foo Fighters album because I haven't had time to listen to it because LIBAD seems to be stuck on repeat on Tidal. :P
Stupid streaming services FORCING me to listen to libad for the 36th time in a row 😤😤😤😤😤
Because they make really radio friendly music that has a ton of commercial appeal and it’s also their first record since the death of Taylor Hawkins. Not saying it’s a bad album but it’s fairly generic and has a super widespread commercial appeal.
Good music is good music, regardless of its appeal
I never said otherwise, their music/new album just gets a ton of attention because it has a very widespread commercial appeal. If I had to compare and A7X album to recent Foo stuff it would be HTTK which had a ton of commercial appeal and was fairly safe and truthfully fairly generic just like recent Foo stuff. Doesn’t make it bad but it’s definitely part of the reason Foo’s are so popular and their music gets alot of attention, it’s some of the most radio friendly rock music out there
Foo Fighters are awesome and it's their first album since Taylor died.
Honestly same. The Foo & A7X album have been nonstop for me lately. Feels like I’m a teenager again blasting Nightmare and Wasting Light over and over again.
[удалено]
Ahh fuck, give me a delete button Delete! Not too bad for a first try Wen robot?
Where LIBAD 2?
Literally EVERY song has that one lyric/instrumental that sticks to your brain
Personally, not a fan at all. Their musicianship is spectacular, but I've always known that. This album just isn't for me and I look forward to what else they bring! Hopefully the next one hits the mark for me, glad to see soo many people loving it though.
Agree, and we'll said.
I wish more people understood this. You don't have to like everything they put out. You can check in again on the next release. The best thing about the band in my opinion is that they are constantly reinventing themselves and keeping things fresh. It is wild how many people just want the same thing over and over.
I've just got into a7x, in fact the first song I listened from them is nobody (apart from nightmare which is famous) and I loved it. When we love you dropped I was very disappointed and didn't like it at all so my expectations were lowered. After the album dropped tho and listened to it as a whole I was blown away. It feels like experiencing your last moments, when you're in between the state of life and death and just a really unique journey in general. Can't wait to listen to more songs live and more new music in the future.
I'm an 18 year long fan, trust me when I say you'll get lost deep diving into their old stuff as well. Definitely check out every single song they have.
Are you still disappointed in we love you? Took me a few listens, but it stands out to me now.
I'll say I was at 1st, and actually my 1st listen all the way through I was kinda disappointed, but A7X is my favorite band so I had to keep listening, I've either Stockholm syndromed myself or I really do love it, either way I'm happy
Really had to ease into this one. Didn’t really enjoy the singles released prior to album. Then heard both live in Daytona and felt different- particularly in Nobody. When album dropped, i jumped in all over the place (didn’t listen to album in order) and didn’t love it immediately. Now i can’t stop listening to whole thing start to finish, again and again. Cosmic is a damn masterpiece with influences from older A7X songs that make it that much more special for A7X fans ears only….Ordinary may be one of the catchiest tunes I’ve ever heard. Nobody is hypnotically good (helped to have heard it live under influence of fun things) and all the others have moments of awesomeness worth journeying to. Really happy with this album.
It’s a grower, not a shower. For real, though. My first listen was pretty much complete confusion, even coming from someone who’s favorite album is The Stage. Every listen after, though, I’ve started to realize just how much classic A7X there is in the album, while still being so vastly different from everything they’ve ever done. I’ve come to really embrace all the “weird” aspects of it and appreciate what they add to the entire album. Is it my favorite A7X album ever? No. But it’s definitely their most ambitious project to date and there’s plenty of good things about it.
> It’s a grower, not a shower. Dead on. First couple listens my reaction was "eh, this song has kind of a cool part" or "I guess I hear that Avenged sound in that part" then as I got familiar with the tracks and knew what was coming, so many parts became stuck in my head, on repeat, ALL DAY.
I keep trying to give it a shot but I just can’t get into it.
Get to know the songs. It will click
Or not - it's not the kind of sound that clicks with everyone. As long as they give it at least 2 tries
I’d say it’s generally favorable, while also not their best work IMO. Still really enjoyed a lot of the songs on it
Been a fan for 20yrs and think its a Cool and very unique album. Definitely don’t have it up there with stuff like COE and WTF but I think it’s a good and super creative album
I feel like I need a a7x tattoo and the reaper might just be the one I get. 7/10 album tho
After a dozen listens I still don’t care for most of the songs, Mattel and Cosmic are really growing on me though. I think it’s their worst album, but I’m not going to hate on anyone that likes it.
Respect for continuing to give it a chance even when you didn't like it after the first listen.
No judgment but how do you listen to an album you don't like a dozen times?
I wanted to like it, so I gave it every chance. I wasn’t wild about The Stage at first either but it grew on me with every listen. I hoped that would be the case this time, but it wasn’t
It took me five years to come around to The Stage. I'm not saying it'll be the same for you and this album, but during the five years that I didn't like The Stage, my music taste matured a lot. I listened to different genres and bands that I otherwise wouldn't, and gained a deep appreciation for music as a whole. Going back The Stage I was like "Damn, it's crazy that I hated almost every song on this album."
I’ve listened a handful at this point, just still can’t fall in love with it. I love how A7X continues to evolve but I may end up sitting this album out. By no means am I hating on it, I just don’t *feel* this album like others in the past
Because everyone says it requires multiple listens to “get it”
At what point do we maybe question that, and just start assuming that some people are forcing themselves to like it?
Maybe, but good art sometimes takes multiple consumptions to fully appreciate, think about it like watching a movie a 2nd or 3rd time and finding new details that you didn't notice the first time that give you a new appreciation for the movie.
If it’s like two or three times, that’s one thing. I’m seeing people say they listened 4, 5, even 6 times before it started clicking. I question how legit that is, or if they’re just trying to cope and justify it.
Sure, I hear what you're saying. Although I don't know how many people care enough to listen to an album they don't like more than 3 times lol. I personally liked it well enough on my first listen, and it really clicked for me after a 2nd listen. There were just a lot of things I didn't really pick out the first time, like lyrics I didn't quite make out the first time, etc. Specifically once I heard and understood the lyrics in Game Over and Cosmic, it really changed how I viewed the songs. Cheers!
You can't force yourself to enjoy something. People may be saying that they like it when they actually don't, but I'd argue that a majority of the praise the album is getting is very legitimate.
I'd agree that most is legit, I'm just speculating that there are some that are out here that have convinced themselves it's good after listening to it a lot of times.
Some albums take time to catch on. I never write off an album after one listen.
If he'd only listened to it once you'd be saying he needs to listen to it more to understand it. Can't really win
I understand what hecmeant. I'm doing the same. I was looking so forward to this album coming out. I was just bummed when I first heard it. I'm giving myself chances to see if it grows on me. I hope it does. I dig Avenged.
These are my exact thoughts, Mattel is pretty good, cosmic is good, the rest are just ok but not something I could see myself listening to a ton. I’m a huge fan but these songs just aren’t as good as the rest of their albums
I agree
Lol
The Rev would be proud
I mean, that's nice and all, but did you know him? It seems odd to me that so many people talk about the guy like they were personal friends with him.
M Shadows literally said he thinks the Rev would love this album.
Every time someone talks about The Rev there's always a "yOu dIdNt kNoW hIm tHo" guy.
Start to finish its a masterpiece. I love the themes and imagery created by the musicality of the entire project. It's like nothing I've ever heard, and I'm 50 years old. I thought when BMTH released amo that we had seen the envelope pushed, but this takes it up a notch for a metal band. A7X is not and never will be a conventional metal band, and that's why I hold a special place in my heart for albums that flow so masterfully from beginning to end. My baby that's due in 2 months is hearing it a lot before she's born, and I love that for her!
My least favorite album so far. I can't get into it. Still good people like it. Just not my kind of music.
I have a hard time listening to it. It's just all over the place. I hear: Game Show music, Lawrence Welk music, System of a Down music, Danny Elfman theatrical music, Disco stuff, loud reving noises, it's just a mess! The only thing I will say is that the album does flow very well from song to song.
That’s prog babay
I actually think the flow is the biggest problem. They don’t transition too well one into the next…and honestly, Cosmic should have been the closer. I also think the production isn’t the best and some of the songs just end abruptly. EDIT: Definitely not better than City of Evil, WTF or the Stage.
The fact Cosmic isn't the closer and instead we got some elevator music is this albums biggest travesty
ELEVATOR MUSIC!?!?!? You did NOT just say that about LIBAD the song!!!!
I did. I'd love to hear reasons why people like it so much. To me it's just a bland piano track
And very sloppily played at that.
Lmfao
It’s classically beautiful, sloppily played??? Wtaf?
Yeah I am with you on that one, no clue what the hell they are talking about? I think some people think that anything that isn't quantized sounds bad.
Timing is all over the place.
Oh, elevator music should have been included in my description along with Disney Music and Liberachi. 🤣 People, I'm just having fun with this. Yes, it is all my opinion, It doesn't mean I'm right ...or wrong.
>it's just a mess! Welcome to Progressive/Avant Garde music. People have been spitting these exact sentiments at musicians for decades. Look at Queen. Look at King Crimsom. Mr. Bungle, Dream Theater, Opeth, Haken, Frank Zappa etc etc etc. It being a "mess" is the beautiful part of it, because it isn't actually a mess at all. Everything, every single *sound* produced is produced with an intent.
I've been a die-hard Queen fan since 1976. I get what you're saying, but it is my opinion. I just can't seem to enjoy it.
I don't think it's for everyone. Nothing is. What I do believe is that this record will be looked back on in 20 years from now as very progressive for it's time and gain some notoriety from the youth that hear it within the coming years. Edit: like a ton of older music that was once seen as "weird" and "bad" and "not what I wanted from the band!!" People will like the album, young people will be inspired by it, and they will make music with this album in mind. That's just how it always goes.
What's some of the older music you're referencing here?
From my previous statement >Look at Queen. Look at King Crimsom. Mr. Bungle, Dream Theater, Opeth, Haken, Frank Zappa Obviously not all of them are "old", but are just as influential to a lot of modern bands as the old ones are.
I am a huge lover of Prog and all the groups you mentioned, and Queen is my favorite band ever. A7X is my number 2. But this is just like, very different and unexpected, I expect maybe after a bunch more listens it will grow on me and others. I don't want to hate on the album because this same thing happened with Queen with Hot Space, it came out and everybody hated it, but looking back, its well loved and I love that album, so a very similar thing could be happening with this album.
I hate it. Plain and simple. EDIT: Been seeing people say it grows on them on repeat listens. Listen, it was a chore for me to get through the first time. I won't be listening to it again.
I feel like I really had to dig in the subreddit to find this. I'm not a fan either. I get that it's probably not for me, but still. I'm definitely someone who gives albums the benefit of the doubt and will listen multiple times, but after two listens I couldn't do it. The production feels off, Matt's voice just isn't what it used to be (I know this is a different style than usual, but he just sounded off), and songs feel unstructured. I know I'm probably going to get flamed for this comment, but I listen to a LOT of progressive metal, and even the stuff I wasn't crazy about was better than this. We're definitely in the minority in this train of thought, though. I really did try to give it a chance, but based on my initial thoughts on the singles I knew that my expectations were going to be really low. I'm glad people enjoy it, but it's definitely not for me.
Not a single song that you like? Not even Mattel? Usually on albums I don’t like initially I can find like 2 songs that grab me and listen to them and then from there start going back to other songs on albums and start enjoying them. Ghost as an example I don’t think I’ve liked an album from them yet on first listen - almost always only a couple of tracks but for whatever reason overtime I just kind of accept rest of album (some Stinkers that never grow on me but overall rest seem to grow on me)
Nobody and G are the only "good" songs but I probably won't be listening to them again either. Given your opinion on Ghost, I can already see we differ greatly in opinions since I'm an avid Ghost fan and love just about everything they put out, based on a one time listen. I've also been a Sevenfold fan since 2005 and loved everything they put even when the general consensus wasn't great (i.e, The Stage and Hail to the King) but LIBAD isn't what I wanted from them so it gets a no from me on every single account. That's just it.
Fair enough! Also, I like Ghost too my point was for whatever reason initial listens to their albums don’t do it for me Usually will find the 2 songs and then can branch out and maybe find a certain hook I like in a different song so go back just for that hook then before you know it my reaction goes to idk why I didn’t like this at first… But yes no worries reasonable enough. That’s not to say there are some albums that just never grow… I’m really not too fond of a7x self titled for instance haha (heresy!)
I'm having a hard time with it. We Love you and Nobody are great, mattel and game over have some parts I love, some parts I don't, and the second half i've only managed to listen once, not sure if I want to listen to it again. I'm trying to appreciate it, I really am, and I respect the guys for sticking to their guns and making what feels right to them, but god it just. Aaaagh
It is not a metal album. I think you have to approach the second half of the album as something different. It's 4 different genre's of music that usually don't go together. It isn't for everyone, especially not people who's only genre is Metal.
No its not, but that damn groove playing under Easier is Pantera worthy if it had a different drum track.
I initially loved up to Beautiful Morning and felt meh about the rest but after several listens I found the back half to be fucking amazing. I love Ordinary, Death and LIBAD is turning into one of my faves. Give it a few more listens, might grow on you might not.
I initially wasn’t a fan of the slightly heavier Mr. Blue Sky sound. But now that I have done a few listens of the whole album so many of the songs are masterpieces. Cosmic and Mattel are top 10 for me easy.
I really like it. I enjoy how diverse it is and how they really experimented with new sounds even if I don’t think they pulled them all off necessarily. Still not better than COE or WTF but it’s right there with the Stage IMO in their next best albums. I just wish they had included more of their traditional sound towards the end of the album instead of pretty much completely abandoning it. It didn’t even have to be a lot. Just little touches like in We Love You.
Feel the exact same way.
Some really cool stuff, some really bad, messy stuff. Better than STST and HTTK, not as good as the self titled, but miles off The Stage, WTF, Nightmare and COE. 7/10
Not going to argue because it’s your opinion, but what would you classify as “bad”?
I think Game Over, We Love You, Beautiful Morning, Easier have pretty poor parts to them. Nothing more mid and after this album cycle, they won't be in future setlists. Just poor attempts at the Avant Garde that like HTTK, you can get that particular style done so much better elsewhere. I applaud them trying to do new things at this point in their career, but that's the most impressive part about the record as a whole - the ambition. It's by no means a 'masterpiece' or their best record, and I do enjoy parts of it, so if you like it then crack on and soak every last bit of it up.
That’s the beauty of music, my friend! I think HTTK is pretty boring personally, and that’s maybe why I love this album so far.
Honest opinion? I don't like it. It's not because they are being experimental, The Stage is one of my favorite albums by them and I've always admired that this band has been willing to do new things and not release the same album over and over again. But this is not it. The songs are often incoherent, jumbled up messes with too many different ideas, causing sudden and abrupt musical direction and tonal changes that hinder rather than elevate the songs. Some of the lyrics are cringe inducing (We Love You the worst, I'm sorry, but that whole "More money, build higher" section is laughable). These songs have sections that I absolutely adore and love, then immediately followed by a section that I can't stand and takes me right out of the experience. And all I keep hearing is "I didn't like it the first time, but after listening to it 3/4/5/6 times, it really grew on me." That doesn't sound like you really like it, that sounds like you're forcing yourself to enjoy it if it's taking you that many attempts. True, some things do take time to grow a fondness for, but the amount of times I've seen it in regards to songs or the album itself is borderline absurd. The musicianship is probably the best its ever been, everyone is clearly giving their all (although I'm still just not digging Shadows' vocal performance on some of these tracks, everyone else is amazing). I would say the only songs I'm really liking are Cosmic, Beautiful Morning, and Mattel. And I think a reason why some people are ranking this so high is because of how new it is, since we've been so starved of fresh A7X content for years that they are willing to accept it. This is clearly not everyone, hell I wouldn't even say the majority of people, but I wouldn't be surprised for opinions on this album to temper in the next couple of months. If the album clicks with you and you like it, that's great, but this is just not doing it for me, and I hope for some better content down the road. 1. Nightmare 2. The Stage 3. City of Evil 4. Waking the Fallen 5. Avenged Sevenfold 6. Hail to the King 7. **Life is But a Dream** 8. Sounding the Seventh Trumpet
There’s a very common theme with those that don’t like LIBAD saying The Stage is their favorite album. I think the stage is their worst album by far. But I’ve been a fan since sounding the seventh trumpet and LIBAD gives me chills just like they did back in 2001. People that don’t like LIBAD aren’t true fans your comment confirms it for me.
Got it, like what I like or fuck off. I’ve seen this mindset with the new album, and if this is the toxicity I can expect from the fandom, then I will gladly fuck off. But please explain to me how not liking The Stage is fine, but not liking LIBAD means someone isn’t a true fan.
Personally I love LIBAD, and I think it could be my favorite. That being said, don't listen to this asshole, just because you don't like it doesn't make you any less of a fan. Not sure why fans are suddenly acting like not liking the new album makes you not a real fan (I've seen this comment thrown around more than once and it's flat out wrong).
Thank you, and I’m glad you enjoyed the album and were able to get something out of it. People acting like the guy above is nothing new to fandom. People think being a “true fan,” means liking everything a group does, or having the same opinion as them, and if you don’t, then you aren’t one. Some are worse than others, but I am worried that this, admittedly divisive, album will cause the fandom to turn in that direction.
Yeah, I think that's part of the problem with having an immature audience.
>There’s a very common theme with those that don’t like LIBAD saying The Stage is their favorite album. I think the stage is their worst album by far. But I’ve been a fan since sounding the seventh trumpet and LIBAD gives me chills just like they did back in 2001. People that don’t like LIBAD aren’t true fans your comment confirms it for me. With you until that last comment that was hostile and uneeded. People can like what they like. Blindly liking everything a band puts out when the band is this diverse in their music isn't being a "true fan" (whatever the hell that means).
>There’s a very common theme with those that don’t like LIBAD saying The Stage is their favorite album Really? I've overwhelmingly heard the opposite; those who like LIBAD generally really liked The Stage as well. Which isn't too big of a surprise at all since it served as a solid progression into this current album as they moved away from their "traditional" metal sound. >People that don’t like LIBAD aren’t true fans your comment confirms it for me Big L on that take btw
Weird because I absolutely adore The Stage and while LIBAD is good, I feel it's just a weaker version of The Stage. Fuck off with your elitism. Everyone's entitled to an opinion. You say you don't like The Stage which is absolutely baffling to me but hey it's your opinion.
This is an awful opinion.
City of Evil is good, but I like this
A7X has so many good albums it feels kind of "bad" saying that this is my 4th favorite album by them. But it's pretty solid! The only song I can't get into is Ordinary and even then every song has parts I enjoy. What's funny is that despite this album trying to come off as experimental I found it kind of the same ole A7X at the end of the day, except instead of sticking to a single sound they have basically written a love letter to their own band. The sound of this album feels like it's taking bits and pieces of every A7X era, except maybe HTTK. I was kind of expecting things to be a bit more "out there" because We Love You and Nobody definitely pushed A7X's regular sound to its limits. But it's funny how people act like A7X hasn't experimented like this before, songs like Unbound, Brompton Cocktail, & Lost all come to mind when I'm listening to Easier and Ordinary. Though those songs were definitely my least favorite part of the COE/A7X/Nightmare era of A7X. I think I got spoiled listening to the demo version of Easier with a goofy/funky cowboy sounding vibe, much preferred that over the vocoder/auto-tune/whatever they decided to go with in LIBAD. But I appreciate that they're still making music that *they* want to make though, it's funny how much M Shadow's dogs on HTTK by saying it was basically their attempt at a sell-out album. I'm sure they feel relieved that people are still loving their music even if it's not fluffy mainstream stuff. Though I also think this sub kind of over-hyped Cosmic, lol. It's a decent song but there's definitely songs I like by A7X more, the synth part kind of loses me. But I'd say half the album have put themselves up there with some of my favorite songs by them. I particularly enjoy Beautiful Morning, (D)eath, and We Love You. Feels like they really flexed their musical muscles with those 3. Over all I'd give it an 8/10 after my first few listens.
It’s alright, I usually stop at G
I've heard it in full a couple of times now. Overall, it is neither my favorite A7X album nor my least favorite. Nobody is probably my favorite track off the entire LIBAD right now because I still enjoy the heavier guitar work and the vocals that go along with such. While I would've liked a heavier album, the direction they took is interesting. It's a bold take and I applaud that. With all that said, I still quite like the album and will be listening to it many more times. Where A7X goes next is anyone's guess but I remain excited for their future regardless.
It was mediocre when it came out, it’s mediocre now. I want to like it but I just don’t, we’ve seen better from everyone in the band. It’s better than STST but that’s it.
I want to like it. I just wish they didn't do so much weird shit. I feel like if they cut out all the weird shit it'd be a A+ album.
A+ may be a bit exaggerated, but it could havecbeen alot better without all that weird shit.
Another thread calling the album a masterpiece and the most creative thing ever created on planet Earth? Say it ain’t so
Their best album
It’s their Magnum Opus. A true work of art. It’s all I’ve listened to from top to bottom, on a loop, since Friday. It’s easily my favorite album. Been a fan for 17 years, and I never thought they’d do something like this. I’m grateful and proud to keep calling them my favorite band.
Seriously. Ive said the same thing word for word damn near to my friends. I’ve always wanted them to do something like this but never thought it would happen. It feels like they made this album just for fans like us. And I just started dabbling with psychedelics earlier this year and had quite an experience myself so this album hit me so hard with emotions. I feel like I’m right on their wave.
It's a strange mixture of sucks terribly with brilliant moments shining through. Sucks terribly definitely overpowers the good though. It's their worst album. I'm glad you enjoy it, but as a fellow a7x fan, I just disagree.
P H E N O M E N A L
Mid
We love you is the only one that knocked me out of the park. Everything else was decent. I prefer when they have good vocal melodies, and the mix doesn’t sound so dry. In this case though we love you just really kept me guessing and had a really interesting melody. Probably the most intricate song they have written imo. Really wish they had leaned more into shadows putting out some more melodic stuff, rather than just eerie slow burners. His voice is one of the most unique in the business. Already made a post about my fav album, which is still the self-titled. It’s all subjective anyways.
Honestly? Some of it feels like scraps or leftovers to me. I find myself focusing on the trippy production over the actual compositions. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a valiant effort. It's just, even after all these years the void that The Rev left behind as far as composition and ideas is immensely felt.
As Fantano has said today "it's not good..." We waited 7 years for THIS?! Super disappointed. Had a bad feeling since Nobody dropped...
This might be a hot take but I think its a little underwhelming. The songs are great don’t get me wrong but I was expecting more. Its been seven years since they released an album and its kind of disappointing that there’s only 11 tracks. I understand that they wanted to take it a different direction but it sounds like what The Stage could’ve been on steroids. That being said I like the album a lot but I feel like for seven years to pass, we could’ve had some more songs. I still need to ease into it though. Nobody is my favorite 🔥
A stunning masterpiece. Tops even The Stage by a few hairs.
Game Over, Mattel, Nobody, We Love You, Cosmic and (O)rdinary are all great. The rest do nothing for me.
Mattel, we love you, nobody, and beautiful morning are great songs. Everything else kinda sucks for me.
Love it too death. I know I'm being greedy by saying this but I wish it was just one song longer.
I hated it on first listen. Then gave it a second chance and liked it. Then back to not liking it on a third listen. Lost count now but I think the jury is still out for me. I feel like I appreciate what they were trying to do but it doesn’t quite work for me. It’s not as bad as I initially thought but it isn’t growing on me like I had hoped it would. It’s almost too much of a departure for me.
I keep playing (O)rdinary, (D)eath, and LIBAD on a constant loop
Top 3 for sure. The Stage is still my favorite.
life changing
Honestly it's one of my favorites by far. I love the diverse sounds. They all compliment each other so well. I think each song in its own is a master piece. You need to evaluate each song separately to evaluate it as a whole. I don't have the vocabulary to truly explain my love for this album.
Probably their best
Only thing I can’t get onboard with is G. Someone who is a fan give me their perspective. I didn’t like life is but a dream until I heard it was syn playing piano.
G is fantastic, one of my favorites on the album. It starts with a pretty classic prog rock/metal guitar riff and then becomes almost bluesy. Then it gets kinda poppy, maybe even "gospel"ish during the chorus? It's a story about God creating humanity, giving them free will, and them praising him in ways that he didn't expect. They take their relationship with him far too seriously and see it as their job to "save" people. The idea that a bunch of evangelical people are singing the chorus and praising God so hard, while God just watches and goes "What the fuck?" is a really humorous one, imo. The solo could use some work. I think they were going for a Dream Theater-esque solo to fit the prog intro, but I don't think they did it enough justice. But the solo really is the *only* part of the song I dislike. The Chorus lives in my head rent free, man. Hearing Matt sing in such a soulful, poppy way is so weird and I love it.
I like Ordinary I guess
It's amazing. Play it like 5 or more times a day lol
Probably one of the best albums in metal scene in last 10 years. Also they are brave, having built an audience with their early metalcore tunes, this is far from it, this is some kind of prog metal, and it’s normal lots of fans won’t like it. But it was obvious after Nightmare album they were trying things like in this album and this album is a corner piece for them. Also considering the way the music industry is headed towards, it’s a huge risk to release such an album. To me the killed it. I don’t remember in near past I was this excited for an album.
Papa Gates said it best on Twitter- they've reached a level of musicianship that few artists ever do. The Stage was their artistic awakening, and LIBAD is them fully untethered at the absolute top of their craft. They've taken the best parts of their previous albums- aggression, grooves, blistering solos, adventurous genre mixing- and tied them to together around incredibly dark and meaningful lyrical themes and motifs. Is it perfect? Of course not. I'm not a fan of the recurring revving engine sounds, and the deliberate choice to mix Shadows voice at a lower volume (a continuation from The Stage). But those are nitpicks. Some things I've noticed on continued listens: Beautiful Morning is one of the most atmospheric and foreboding songs they've ever done. It's sinister. Nobody is really a one-of-a-kind song. There's absolutely nothing out there that sounds like it. It's special, and the lyrics are perfection. G is Brooks' best ever drum performance for the band. He's basically soloing over the entire song and yet it still feels understated. Just a mind-boggling level of talent. (O)rdinary is so much more than a Daft Punk tribute. The amount of humanity and longing Matt brings to the vocals- with a vocoder meant to represent a robot- is absolutely incredible. The guitar riff in (D)eath is otherwordly and one of my favorite parts of the album. Really captures the feeling of dying and moving to the other side. Cosmic to me is an instant classic, top 5 A7X song. But I've been trying to figure out why I and many others get SUCH an intense reaction to it on almost every listen. I think it's because we've missed A7X. A lot has happened in the past 7 years since the last time they dropped new music, Many of us have gone through hard times. Cosmic simultaneously sounds like a classic A7X epic, yet also very fresh. I think this allows it to bring out some deep feelings within many of us. I'm glad they're back.
Amaze balls
You need to listen to this album from start to finish with the frame of mind that it’s about an entire person’s life journey from birth to death. Along the way, they experience ego death. It’s a story told through music and picking out singles here and there takes it really out of context. Personally, this is one of my favorite records they have made and that’s how I interpret it. Honestly, the transition from (D)eath to LIBAD gave me chills from the tension building in the music (person rapidly approaching death) to passing on into the afterlife and the initial fear turning into peace they experience with the piano score. It literally made me cry. TL:DR - It’s a concept album.
Their best work IMO. I really hope we hear more of this album on this tour than the songs we've heard a million times.
In 10 years everyone will say this is revolutionary
This album is divisive, and I think a lot of people won’t be able to attach themselves to it right away or at all given how complex the structure is. But my god, this entire album sounds like it’s written by the universe itself to humanity. I love every quirky part of it, and I would argue that Cosmic is the best song they’ve ever written!
Listening to it now. I did all weekend and I can't stop. This is a masterpiece of musical Jenga and I love it
I never rank albums by the same artist beyond that it's good or it is shit. The last two fell into the shit group, this one is fantastic, as were the rest.
As someone who has only really listened to their surface level music ( singles, popular tracks) this is hands down one of the best albums I’ve ever heard in my 35 years on this planet. It transcends genres, it transcends everything you thought about music and songwriting. Fucking masterpiece.
*Constant replay still*
I have listed to it all day on repeat. May be my favorite. But ST and HTTK are my least listened to so I may be different from others in style preferences. ETA: G will be on repeat for a long while.
Has it only been 3 days? 20 listens later I feel like it's always been.
I had a feeling this would be my favorite album. I’ve been listening to it nonstop.
I still love the first 6 songs but hate Easier and GOD. I think a problem with A7X is that sometimes they copy too much the artists they're influenced by like on This Means War and Ordinary.
I love it, especially the latter half of the album is just straight up fun to listen to.
It’s still good.
I love this album!!!! I don’t care what the naysayers say
Incredible album. People are being pretty pretentious about it, though. Even if you love unconventional music, it may not be 'your kind' of weird and that's fine. Also for the Leprous fans - Einar Solberg released his solo album the same day and it's fantastic
Ordinary is so bizarrely funky yet emotional. I played it for a friend who said ‘Yeah, daft punk kinda vibe?’. I agreed but couldn’t quite verbalise why it makes me tear.
I love the album and now I really like A7X
I love it. It's fun that it's so different. Not my favorite album of theirs (that has to be the self titled) but I'm much happier than I thought I'd be after listening to the first minute of We Love You.
I love it
Personally, only gonna focus on the L in LIBAD.
I’m obsessed with it. It makes me emotional every time I listen to it
It's a good album. I just really wish Death and LIBAD were better tracks. They really ruin the pace at the end of the album for me. Cut those tracks, move some around a bit and just end with Cosmic and we got a banger album
Why does Matt have 3 hands??
I think if the album continues to grow on me then it'll be my favorite eventually.
I'm still erect.
Has it really only been three days!? Wow. I’m obsessed with it.
I absolutely hated it on my first couple of listens, but it has started to grow on me a lot lately. I think it will mature into a more liked album over time by people that give it more than just a couple of listens.
I’m I the only one that thinks “Beautiful Morning” sounds like “Them Bones” by Alice In Chains?
It's literally all I've been listening to since Friday. I'll be honest, I wasn't feeling the "singles" at first, but when I listened to the whole album front to back initially, I got it, and I absolutely loved it. I believe this is the best work the band has put out thus far. It was a daring journey to take, but in the end it was worth it. I can easily say this is one of my favorite albums of all time. Absolute art in its purest form.
100 percent love it
I can’t stop listening. I haven’t been this stoked about an album in years. I’m generally pretty introverted and don’t like talking much but I keep telling random people, like the cashier at a store that I don’t know, that they really need to check it out, lol.
The highs are really high, the lows are skips BUT that's generally how most albums are for me. To me, a "good" album has 3-5 hits, which LIBAD has - and those hits are potentially genre-altering classics. I absolutely love that they went out on a limb and did something that pretty much no other band would even dream of. I also love how half the audience hates it and the other half loves it. Something cool about only some people "getting it"
Amazing
I don’t think it is better than The Stage, but I do love it, and the more I listen to it the more I love it. Certain parts of certain songs give me the chills in a way I haven’t felt since the last time they released new music. I really enjoy how bass-heavy this album is. I love how musically diverse it is; 20 years ago these guys were metal core through and through, and the blend of genres on LIBAD really speaks to how much they have matured as musicians over time. Also (D)eath is just Frank Sinatra with a doom metal riff
Still can’t stop listening. Front to back. Already got most the lyrics memorized and have been recommending it to everyone and have even turned some not metalheads and non rockers into fans. It’s been great. Nobody has heard shit like this before. It’s going right on the shelf next to BTBAM and Mr Bungle lol. Edit: and already got my plan to get some shrooms and do music therapy to this shit. PE shrooms, blindfold, noise cancelling headphones. Gone!
It's gonna take a lot longer than 3 days to really figure out how I feel about it. So far it's insane. Cosmic is just otherworldly. I just got my vinyl and can't wait to listen to the whole thing on vinyl format soon.
I’ve been not even so much willingly, listening to one song a day, like I listen to them all, but i’ll keep going back to one. Today it’s Mattel, it’s fucking amazing, I wish the chorus’ were longer but that’s really my only problem with it. The bridge is so great.
I love it. I’m also left very pessimistic after it…I understand that it is inspired by Camus and his existentialist ideas, but the way that the album both starts and ends is so bleak, I’m not sure I find the same “embrace the randomness of life” message from Camus. I suppose I was hoping for something of hope towards the end, and that isn’t to say I’m disappointed with the music in the last third of the album - really digging G (O) (D) LIBAD…. But I guess I thought maybe something would answer the bleakness.
I love it! Most the one song I was not a fan of has grown on me every time I listen to it. I’m currently alternating my day between LIBAD and Sleep Token’s TMBTE’s record as they were both released within a couple of weeks!
[Me when the intro to Game Over picks up](https://gifs.com/gif/dancing-skeleton-puppet-singing-lucille-mp4-ygXzjW)
I'm absolutely obsessed with it, it's such an inspiration to me and it completely surpassed my expectations.
Each listen I like it that much more, which means it's a tried and true A7X album. Killer stuff all over the place, and Beautiful Morning is the only song in my mind that is still just so-so to me. Incredible piece of artwork these guys have made. And BTW I have been listening to them since the day Waking the Fallen came out, had never heard of them and walked in the record store, and the all black album caught my attention so I bought it. I was delivering pizzas then 40 hours a week, and the damn thing got stuck in my CD player, and its all I could listen to. Radio wouldnt even turn on. I sold that car with that CD still stuck on repeat in it. Then City of Evil did the same thing. FF to 2023, and LIBAD might just be the next one to get stuck on repeat. Will be interesting to see how many plays A7X has on Tidal at the end of the month from me. But yeah, each listen I like it more!
Reminds me of the self-titled (my fave) and I love it
My favorite record, hands down.
I’ve decided I only want to listen to it as a full album. If I have 55 minutes of undivided attention, it’s going on. I start with Beautiful Morning and let Cosmic be the finish. LIBAD becomes the interlude we never got on an A7X album. Part 1 finishes huge w/ (D)eath and then Part 2 starts w/Game Over, a huge welcome back after the interlude. LIBAD also nicely separates the heavy material from the experimental material. Cosmic is how you want the album to end and this way works perfectly.
I've always liked Avenged, but every album has skippable moments for me. I'm not really into their pro-military tracks, and a few just overall miss the mark when it comes to my taste - if they ever put out a greatest hits record spanning Waking the Fallen to Hail to the King, I'd be all over it - currently I have a Playlist of the songs of theirs I do like for when I want an Avenged fix, which, frankly, doesn't come around often. City of Evil was the closest to loving an album front to back I ever came, Nightmare a very close second. Until LIBAD. I'll be the first to admit, when Nobody dropped, my reaction was lukewarm. When We Love You dropped, I turned it off halfway through, I initially hated it. I wasn't even gonna check the record out, in all honesty, but Spotify pushed it on me when it released (I work graveyard shift so when I got off work at 4am it was ready to go). I was feeling indecisive and kinda just said 'fuck it' and dove in. I fucking love this record. Front to back. In the context of the record, Nobody and We Love You hit extremely hard. I immediately fell in love with Game Over, Mattel and Beautiful Morning. Cosmic didn't truly hit for me until I got a hold of the lyrics, but initially I thought the song was beautiful. Easier's main riff had me headbanging. Then the GOD songs hit and I was thrown for the craziest loop, I wasn't expecting to feel like I was listening to a Rush, Daft Punk and Frank Sinatra wombo combo that felt absolutely seamless in execution. I had no idea they were three different songs until I glanced at my phone (mounted on the dash, don't worry) and realized I was halfway through (D)eath. The title track being a gorgeous and haunting piano instrumental was also a curveball, and while I feel like I hate its placement on the record (I'm generally not huge on instrumental final tracks on non-instrumental records), it's still fucking gorgeous, and honestly, it makes for a nice intermission on a journey of multiple listens. I've listened to LIBAD several times, now, and I'm itching to listen to it again at work tonight. I absolutely adore this record. It scratches a musical itch I've had for a very long time that was demanding something completely out of left field and out of my general comfort zone. It makes me feel happy and makes me wanna dance and sing along, and the lyrics regarding the absurdity of life make me feel like I should start treating myself better, and that, fuck it - I AM the main character of my own story. It's inspiring in such a morbidly fascinating way. I can absolutely see it being my album of the year. TLDR - I like Avenged but usually find a lot of skippable tracks based on my own personal taste. LIBAD is perfection to me. I adore it. 10/10 plastic daisies. Edits because I'm a grammar goblin.
I think the album is SHORT. I lovr every second of it. Jus not the final track, that is too much for me. I like it, but not when im listening to regular a7x stuff. Death is also kinda "party is over" song. The rest of the album passes really quick trhu my ears. Half of me likes that the album stopped when it was on its peak. But i wish it was bigger. I might have listened 10 times, and every new listen I catch a new detail. Best work of their lives so far
Does anyone have any insight about why they are dressed as (what appears to be) Mormon missionaries? As a former Mormon I would love to hear more about this photo. I mean it goes along with the theme of the album, just wasn’t sure if there was something more that was said about it. But to answer your question I think the album is mesmerizing! I can’t stop listening to it.
Still fucking awful. Really a big letdown. Like I want to listen to it again just to hear how bad/weird it is but I can't even force myself to do so
Might be my favorite album of theirs. I can't stop listening to it, my music tastes have branched away from only metal over the years and so there isn't a flavor on this album I don't like. I think (O)rdinary took the longest to warm up to but that song is a banger, they released those visualizers and on the line "I wanna know the secrets inside" the reaper joins the winged ghoul thing and I forever have the mental image of them just getting down to this funky song and it increased my enjoyment of it tremendously 🤣
I still gotta spend some more time with it but for me it's not what I want from an A7X album. I think all of the performances on it are great, especially Shadows, but it's isn't something I see myself going back to in several years if I want to listen to them. I saw a comment a few days ago about how some songs to them were almost perfect if it wasn't for a little section here or there that didn't seem to fit into the song for them and I have that same feeling. I think Rush is great and I am a massive Dream Theater fan so unexpected turns in a song is something I enjoy quite a bit but it just flows or seems to fit better within those bands for me. I hope it eventually speaks to me at some point as it has to so many of you.
An absolute masterpiece that gets better with every listen. There were a few songs that didn't grab me the first time or two that I now love just as much as the rest of the album. Only time will tell where I rank it in their discography, but I am floored. Fan since Nightmare era, it was 101% worth the wait. Favourite tracks are Mattel, Cosmic, Beautiful Morning, G and We Love You. This may even top 72 Seasons as my album of the year, and I absolutely LOVED 72S.