was certainly under the extreme- microscope upon the release of and its predecessor, . The band had the potential to crack the underground wide to the mainstream, existing on the cusp of international stardom with its progressive extrapolations upon the Swedish genre they helped create. Fact is, exists to further polarize ' fan base -- and opening cut are their heaviest riff monsters since , which blatantly contrast which is jammed with cascading guitar melodies and a thick, sticky chorus which, in a just world, would make for a -radio smash. is again using a myriad of vocal styles, including his mid-range death rasp (see with its old-school Swedish riffs seamlessly morphing into melodic passages), an awkward clean croon ( ), and an electronically enhanced warble, all of which are multi-tracked for many choruses -- proving that may be ' most powerful weapon now that the band's trademark ornate guitar flights are used somewhat sparingly. Some may cry foul when confronted by a lush like or the relatively straightforward riffing of but old-school whiners will be equally appeased with a barnburner like Bottom line, are growing as songwriters with every passing release, and the debate over the style in which the tunes are conveyed really seems secondary when confronted with such a strong and cohesive album. will disappoint those looking to find fault with the leaders of the Swedish pack, while open-minded purveyors of will revel in the album's careful balance of credibility and accessibility. [The import digipack version includes a bonus track, ] ~ John Serba