A heavier, more bottom-ended edge. The glam is now gone, having given way to leather and tatoos. All aspects of the band's songwriting reach their respective peaks here, with the lyrical content and wording especially poignant. Excellent mood and atmosphere on this release, as just about every song strikes a chord--whether it be emotional or in a pure rocking sense. Forget all your '80s notions about these "down boys"---this is solid work.
"Machine Gun" starts with a punch intro riff, and then gives way to solid plodding. Listen to the nice ride cymbal work in the chorus...
"The Hole in My Wall" is dark and heavy, with a talkbox rhythm and solo section thrown in to complete the slow ride. "Bonfire" and "All My Bridges are Burning" need to be played loud, and "Quicksand" is one of the band's best all-around songs, with a tremendous slow-to-heavy build, and superior musical arrangement.
Great melodies are apparent in "April 2031," "Andy Warhol Was Right," and "The Bitter Pill," while "Sad Theresa" is mainly an acoustic number with a strong tempo.
Once again, the band's finest moments. And definitely a far cry from any preconceived notions you have about them---yes, I can read your minds!

TRACK LIST: Machine Gun/The Hole in My Wall/April 2031/Andy Warhol Was Right/Bonfire/The Bitter Pill/Hollywood (So Far, So Good)/All My Bridges Are Burning/Quicksand/Let it Rain/Inside Out/Sad Theresa