Ian H

It’s not the best ever, and it’s not the worst ever. For myself I thought the album was quite interesting, and different. Overall Life is But a Dream seemed to sample into many different genres of music with a type of twang that only A7X could somehow seemingly make work. I think even if we take away the core principle of the album’s purpose, (the singing obviously,) production on this album was absolutely bonkers. You don’t even come to notice how we spent 70% of a decade waiting for this new album. It’s like they just picked up where they left off and continued expanding their horizons as if nothing happened. Worst and strongest songs? This album’s title track was the worst of the album to me, which starts out as attention grabbing and quickly wanders off into a bunch of nothingness as if we’re floating in outer space. You can’t help but eventually come to realize, “Oh, the song is still playing?” Strongest track on the album would likely have to be the first single released, Nobody, closely followed by other tracks like Mattel, Cosmic and G. Honorable mention to Game Over, which had a very noticeable System of a Down take to it, and to which I enjoyed. Coming into a new album after 7 years prior to the release of their last album you have to come in open minded. Avenged Sevenfold is not going to sound the same on no 2 albums. Their past releases have only further confirmed this theory. In some ways, the album truly impressed me, at how when comparing it with the stand alone singles, before the full release, to post release. it actually told us a storyline. In other aspects of the album it felt as if more so on the back third of most of the songs that they had run out of material, and simply put some random filler sounds and harmonics into it. Overall to me? Mostly enjoyable, sometimes questionable and sometimes just plain weird. But hey, can’t say it wasn’t a true to it A7X album. It’s a very respectable 7.6/10 for me.