Way too generic
I have been a long-time Skillet fan, ever since wearing out my tape of "Hey You, I Love Your Soul" back in high school. I really enjoyed Collide and the fresh energy the band found in that album. I was anticipating this release with bated breath...
and I found a ridiculously overblown production that just felt cheap in every way. The strings are so obviously keyboards rather than an actual string section, and they are simply overused. Instead of making the album feel "epic" and "orchestral" it's just flat, repetitive and boring. I don't mind the use of orchestral synths (The title track of Collide was a great example of well-used orchestral synths), but there was just no excuse to pepper every song with fake-sounding instruments. It's stale.
Furthermore, I'm extremely disappointed with the songcraft in this album. John Cooper, in an effort to appeal to a mass audience, made an album that has no resonating power within me. Even in songs such as "The Last Night," it sounds like a sweet and sincere song about companionship... but what actually is happening in the song? Who are these people? Why are they feeling emo?
I like the new styles that Skillet tries every album, but this is definitely mainstream radio rubbish that doesn't speak to me at all.
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