Anyone who grew up listening to metal in the late 90s remembers when Godsmack's debut was played on the radio almost constantly. Since then the band has released several more albums, some of them better than others, but never quite reaching the same type of popularity the debut did. Some have said that this album is the band returning to their more aggressive grunge/heavy metal roots. There are certainly a lot more songs on this album that are just plain heavy metal without the same kind of rock melody and blues influence that past albums had. There are definitely some enjoyable songs here, but overall the album left me underwhelmed. I was hoping the band would try to do something a bit different, but it's really just more of the same Godsmack I've been hearing for the past decade.

The album starts off with Cryin' Like A Bitch, a song that goes like many Godsmack songs before it. Ultra-heavy riffs with a simple beat to get things moving, the vocals of Sully Erna sounding like their usual aggressive grunge style. This is a short song that just takes too long and does not do much for me. Saints And Sinners isn't much different. It has a similar riff structure, despite the intro trying to break the mold. Basically I feel like I'm hearing the same song twice in a row. War And Peace actually jumps around a bit more and keeps me guessing. The guitar work here is also pretty impressive. Love-Hate-Sex-Pain does sound a bit like Alice In Chains. I wouldn’t necessarily say Godsmack ripped them off, but listen to some of AIC’s recent material and tell me there aren't similarities. Fortunately this also happens to be one of the more memorable tracks on the album, and not a bad song at that. A few of the later songs are pretty decent as well. Devil's Swing is a catchy little song that I could easily get into. Definitely a bit influenced by southern rock. Sure its been done before, but what on this album hasn't been? Good Day To Die is also a good song, using plenty of catchy guitar riffs and an excellent guitar solo from Tony Rombola. I have always liked his aggressive style of guitar playing, especially his guitar solos, which sometimes get lost in the music if you aren't listening for them. Shadow Of A Soul is pretty weak, reminding me unfortunately of (that sorry excuse for a band) Creed. I'm not sure quite what it is, perhaps the use of cheesy overplayed melody and simplistic guitar chords has something to do with it. The title track is also sadly forgettable with some impressive guitar work from Rombola, but the instrumental just doesn't come together as a cohesive whole.

This is a decent album to have on in the background when playing video games or doing something that doesn't require you to focus on the music. It's an energetic album, but personally I just do not hear enough creativity to really enjoy it. The simplicity is its strongest suit, and at times it just gets too simple. From their past work it's clear these guys have some real talent on their hands, and it's unfortunate that they didn't choose to fully bring it to bear in the songwriting department. Maybe they're just trying to cater to the status quo. I'm really not sure. In short if you're looking for a simple, heavy rock album that is easy to listen to then this is a fine choice. However if you are expecting to hear anything different from what this band has already done you will be disappointed.