Hey everybody. Nice to see this forum is still kicking.
I've listened to the album enough at this point where I can say that I neither hate it nor love it. It's...actually okay IMO. Nowhere close to the level of quality as their first five records, or even R2R/CC, but I'd put it at the same level as SOAPF. The record sounds pretty inspired compared to their last three snoozefests.
What I Liked:
The Beginning Of All Things That Will End - liked the doomy, mournful melodies, really sets the tone for the album nicely
Foregone pt. 1 - best song on the record hands down. Enjoyable from start to finish. Hearing blast beats on an IF song is always fun
The Great Deceiver - 2nd best song, cool little throwback moments to Clayman, loved the D-Beat drumming and energy throughout the song
Tanner as a whole. Dude is one of the biggest assets in the band and I really hope he sticks around. Nice guy too, and a chad. Songs like Cynosure and A Dialogue are better than they have any right to be and a lot of that is owed to his playing
With the exception of one song, I found myself enjoying at least one passage or section in each song. Cannot say the same about Battles, or Siren Charms, or even ITM
Broderick killed it with the solos. Idk about you guys but I'm happy to listen to a modern IF album without hearing WAHHH WAHHH *vibrato bend* in every song
Production has more power and grit this time around, albeit still very polished
What I Disliked:
The cleans. Holy fuck they are bad. Enough said on that one.
Pure Light of Mind is absolute garbage. Just because it's different sounding doesn't mean it's good. Total buttrock that's devoid of any good ideas
End The Transmission and Bleeding Out are two of the most boring songs on the album. The former is especially frustrating because it opens up in a way that tricks you into thinking that it's going to be a faster track, but it's just another plodding chugfest (except for that cool melodeath riff towards the end)
Become One being relegated to a bonus track when it should have been on the main album (that chorus though...yikes)
So yeah, not their best but I've certainly heard worse from them. I'd give it a 6/10. I would give it a 7/10 if they swapped End the Transmission for Become One and cut PLoM from the album entirely, but alas. I'd give it a 7.5 if they had someone else handling clean vocals.