See, Derek, you are not evaluating the work on it's own merits and you admit it by referencing the artist as "a band that once topped the world". Bro, that band has been gone for 15+ years. Cliff isn't walking through the door anytime soon. They had to make an album and after 10 years of mainstream-ish hard rock they made the rawest, grittiest slab of Death/Emo rock they could muster. "Half-Baked"...I agree mostly. But, c'mon, you gotta admit this...It's heavy as Hell!
As far as the "pig-headed" thing - Hey, bro, I'm just saying that the disc rocks, no matter who made it. You are the one trashing it because it doesn't compare favorably with RTL or MOP...very few albums do. Further, I would hardly call that a "solid ground" upon which to evaluate any release.
For example, I think Dreaming Neon Black is one of the greatest albums of all time. I also think that Enemies of Reality is somewhat half-baked and pedestrian by comparison - I was certainly disappointed with it in that frame of reference, as many were. However, judged on it's own merits - independent of expectations - EoR is really very good. That said, I rarely listen to it because Nevermore, for me, is GREAT not just very good. So should I slag EoR as " one of the biggest musical disappointments in recent years."?
