Insect_Reject

Noted ✍ great review, genres I appreciate a lot and the cover intrigues me!

At the moment, my favorite album of 2022 and, in my opinion, their masterpiece. An amazing piece of work, with rich and sophisticated compositions that are also very poetic. It encapsulates the best of the two previous albums, which were already remarkable, taking it to the next level, and at the same time, it’s a relatively catchy piece with various melodic moments even in the more aggressive tracks. Moreover, the fact that it lasts "only" 39 minutes makes it an incredibly enjoyable album that invites continuous replay... I hardly listened to anything else in the two weeks following the album's release haha.

For some people, what I'm about to say might not make sense; I acknowledge that my comparisons are often pretty random! That said, I've always considered this album akin to the Real Madrid of the Galácticos... the one from the 2003/2006 period, to be clear. Given the players involved, a lot was expected from that flashy, over-the-top team. They didn’t win much, but it was still nice to read all those names in the lineup and, most importantly, to see them play together.

In the same way, this album isn’t a masterpiece to me; I expected a lot more (I actually think "The Life of Pablo" is of higher quality), yet it has so many classic tracks that it’s still a pleasure to listen to today. Even the bonus track 'H.A.M.' always gets me hyped. Kanye and Jay-Z complement each other well, and the collaboration works overall, but I’m still part of that (likely) minority who thinks that both could have created something even more "substantial," at least in my opinion.

An ending that shattered me. After Gene's arrest, I was there, ready to enjoy yet another trick from Saul to get out of the situation and once again, escape justice. But no: Jimmy has returned. "86 years but with good behavior… who knows?"

OH MY GOD, WHAT NOSTALGIAAAA
I’ve played this game to death! With the Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak, you were literally a God behind the wheel. Not to mention the Alfa 155 and the various Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer, and Nissan GT R34. Such a great game along with the 4, which unfortunately was the last chapter of the GT saga I played, since I switched to XBOX and then to Forza Motorsport/Horizon. A perfectly respectable alternative, sure, but it doesn’t have the same feeling as Gran Turismo.

Definitely better than "Hymns," but it still lacks something that the old, dear Bloc Party had, and unfortunately I think that something will not come back. I’m obviously referring to the energetic and infectious sound, a product of a certain post-punk, that they had with Gordon Moakes and especially with a drummer like Matt Tong; old hits like 'Helicopter,' 'Hunting For Witches,' 'Two More Years,' 'The Prayer,' 'Halo,' and even 'Octopus' from "Four" (considered by many the worst with the original lineup), are indicative in this regard.

Today it’s a definitely more pop sound, even catchier, but the newcomers are absolutely not bad musicians and this is a good album with several valid songs ('In Situ' my favorite), so I'm pleased to see them still inspired and motivated to continue the band's journey.

Thanks for reminding me of his existence, since the last thing I listened to from this guy was actually "Black Sands" haha, great album anyway!

An album that was nothing short of disappointing at the time... today, for some strange reason, I find it amusing and a few riffs or breakdowns are """decent""", even if not exactly what you'd expect from Cryptopsy. Calling it the "St. Anger of death metal" is incredibly fitting hahaha

Another group that hasn't missed a beat in almost 40 (!!!) years of career and this is probably their best album since "Phobos," even though the previous one "The Wake" was something phenomenal too.

A decent album, probably one of the most catchy and "pop" albums by Korn... perhaps only "See You On the Other Side" surpasses it. The production doesn't excite me much, but there are some memorable tracks ('Penance to Sorrow - my favorite, 'Worst Is On Its Way', 'My Confession', 'Lost in the Grandeur'). Overall, it's inferior to "The Nothing," although as a long-time fan, it's nice to see them still active, releasing albums and touring.

I'd love to see them experiment like they did in the past, but without abandoning their classic nu-metal riffs. Let me clarify: in albums like "Follow the Leader," "Issues," and "Untouchables," there's electronics, Davis does everything with his voice, the influences range from funk to hip hop, passing through grunge and alternative metal, and songs like 'Got the Life,' 'Freak on a Leash,' 'Falling Away From Me,' 'Trash,' 'Make Me Bad,' 'Here to Stay,' 'Hating,' while being very catchy, maintain that groove and raw aggressiveness that have always characterized them.

Nowadays, it seems that Korn can't create music like that anymore... after all, Luzier, stylistically speaking, is not David Silveria, and this shouldn't be underestimated. In both "The Serenity of Suffering" and the excellent "The Nothing," however, they came very close: especially 'Black is the Soul,' 'Rotting in Vain,' 'Die Yet Another Night' in the former, 'Cold,' 'Idiosyncrasy,' 'Finally Free' in the latter, for me, are among the most successful and original tracks of their recent years, and that's where they need to start again, balancing melodies, extravagance, and metal.

For this reason, I would like to see them collaborate again with Michael Beinhorn or Atticus Ross. I love the 2007 album 'Untitled,' which is undoubtedly their most experimental album to date; at the time, they were down to three members, in a messy phase of their career, and now with an extra Head and newfound inspiration, they could perhaps compose something special again with someone like Atticus Ross, who on that album, although it wasn't very successful, was able to draw something different from Korn. 'Starting Over' from that album is one of my absolute favorite tracks.