Raphael Michael Giuroiu

What can I say? Not much. I was genuinely terrified of this album since the singles, although bangers, didn’t necessarily build a real structure that would foreshadow what we would get to a certain degree. But then it dropped and, my god, the nostalgia, the modern touches, the features—everything felt in place. I’ve been around since the early days and since I grew up with BMTH, this was a very, very pleasant result, showing how the band has grown in different ways. Musically speaking, if you come from their older works or from heavier backgrounds, you might not like it unless you approach it with an open mind and drop all the ties that might make you a metal gatekeeper or a gatekeeper of any kind. But if you aren't that way, enjoy the ride.

As others have said, "Overcompensate" definitely set a goal that the album has not managed to reach. I felt immediately uncomfortable when the other singles came out but still found myself enjoying "Next Semester." For a band that has experimented for a long time with different genre mixes, this album falls short even compared to "Scale and Icy," which at least had a reason, lore-wise, to be more poppy and commercial. You can definitely separate the die-hard fans from those ready to critique TOP's music from these reviews. Personally, I was disappointed because "Overcompensate" came like a typhoon for me during a low moment in my life, and then listening to the rest kind of broke me a bit—in a somewhat superficial way, obviously—but my hype grew with a very specific need from this album, so clearly it's on me as well. Anyhow, it's done, so that's that! I'm excited for the next chapter, though. Take care y'all 💐