I don't find the negative reviews of this album fair. There are moments of brilliance on this album, and whatever the reason for the more "progressive" sound, it fits. I can only applaud a band that evolves in a more musically-conscious direction. While there is something to be said for pure, crushing brutality in music, so too is there something to be said for maturity, complexity, and a metal hook with some intelligence to it. Tad has accomplished all three of the latter with this album. Oh, yeah, and it still rocks as hard as anything they've done in the past.