This Vegas band’s sound has evolved since 2010 and the passion and aggression are ramped up on this album. The songwriting is more diverse too, and the delicate instrumental moments and subtle industrial influences add a satisfying contrast.
Ungrateful is achingly catchy with a sweeping chorus and Until We Die should appeal to Bullet For My Valentine fans, but lighter tracks seem stale by comparison and the lyrics have not improved. Still, the snarl to Craig Mabbitt’s voice in Live Fast, Die Beautiful does a lot to help.
More emotional vocals surface in later tracks while You’re Insane and Picture Perfect, featuring Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, are disappointingly bland, but some more persuasive choruses provide a welcome distraction and Risk It All and Desire are enormously catchy.
It is One For The Money that proves the most exciting offering here, though. Unashamedly radio-friendly, this mesh of euphoria, old-school guitar solos, and the distinctive singalong spoken-word chorus is utterly irresistible.
