I enjoy Thursday, don't get me wrong. I have never been a die hard fan, although I did own Waiting, Full Collapse, and War All the Time. I am not a huge fan of their poppy, catchy, hooky songs. I was always a fan of Glassjaw's EYEWTKAS," and always viewed Thursday as their consumer friendly younger brother. That being said, my favorite songs from previous efforts were not the over the top emo songs, but were more along the lines of "I Am the Killer," "Division St.," and "Tomorrow I'll Be You." I am far more interested in Thursday's craftsmanship in their more intriguing songs, than being able to catch them at a show and sing along in the front row like a 13 year old girl.
Following that introduction, I have to say without a doubt, this album is a beautiful masterpiece. Upon reading most of the negative reviews posted on this site, the major concern here is the "poor" production values. I firmly believe this was intended by all persons involved. This album takes many listens to truly understand and respect the pure genius displayed here, by every member of the band. They each contribute wonderful masterpieces, that all mesh so well together. Some of the tracks upon the first listen will stand out. "The Other Side of the Crash/Over and Out (Of Control)," is very reminiscent of its predecessor, "Understand in a Car Crash." At the same time, "At This Velocity" is a very visceral and intense song ala "I Am the Killer." In both circumstances, as well as the rest of this album, these songs are elevated far past their previous work. This is largely due to the "poor" production.
Every instrument at work, as well as the vocals, almost seemed to have been recorded, distorted, thrown together, and then distorted once again. This was sort of a turn off upon the first few listens. I even believed at one point that I had purchased a faulty copy. However, upon numerous listens I soon saw the beauty behind it all. Geoff's vocals being tuned down a great deal actually improves the overall aesthetic of this album, really allowing you to fully grasp the amazing musical quality found throughout. While it takes some time to comprehend this sonic assault of pure mayhem, or so it would seem, the end result here is an album, ahead of its time, full of surprises, that leaves you crying for more.
The pop is there, but from an antipop stand, it's not too poppy. The hooks can be catchy, and the hit here, "Counting 5-4-3-2-1," is probably the weakest track on the album. But where the album comes through is the experimental blending of genres, creating a vivid masterpiece. The opening track sounds like a mature take on a concept from "Full Collapse," yet they add some great guitar work on the pseudo chorus that just gives you an eerie feeling. "Sugar in the Sacrament" has a very low key, heavier vibe that finds Geoff's vocal lessons in full effect. "Running from the Rain," steers in a completely new direction for the band, climbing into progressive territory, while still sounding like classic Thursday. This is really the most beautiful of tracks. TRACK NINE. Oh man, "The Lovesong Writer," is quite possibly one of the most exquisitely crafted songs of this decade. The song may come off pretentious to some, but to those who can appreciate true talent, this track will blow your mind. Never before have I felt so much emotion from a band other than the likes of say Sigur Ros. Every moment of this song was carefully planned, from the eerier distorted noise for the chorus, to the piano/violin combination, leading to the most heartfelt and intense croons ever put forth by this incredible singer. I have a whole new respect for this band, based solely on this one particular song. "Into the Blinding Light" is another great track. Overshadowed by the powerhouse that is the previous song, this song definitely has a cool feel to it, resulting in an all out chaotic fusion of noise that sounds simply exhilarating.
This album may be a strong departure from what most typical Thursday fans have come to love, but if you are looking for an album full of emotion, craftsmanship, and experimentation, you can do no wrong by buying this album. This is a ride through Thursday's subconscious, it invokes feelings yet brought forth by the band. This is their masterpiece, their one album to be remembered, and if you give it enough listens, you will see what music of this era can truly be, if enough creativity is present. It's just too bad the "diehard" fans who just want mindless pop emo garbage will never give this album a second listen, which could hurt the future even more for this band.

for starters...anyone who says that this album is a disappointment doesn't truly love thursday...i saw one review on here that said that this album along with full collapse and war all the time let him down... i say he's just a negative nancy who prides himself on the fact that he got into thursday for their first album and refuses to acknowledge how much theyve grown since then...waiting is far from their best album...not bad by any means...and it seems that people who says its the best are usually just stuck on themselves as i just mentioned...but thats neither here nor there...i knew 6 months a head of time that this album would be a complete 180 from their usual...but that comes with new producers... as for this album...i'll be the first to admit that when it came out...i thought i was just going to be sticking to their older stuff...and i didn't listen to it again for a long time...but then i threw a couple songs here and there into my thursday playlist on my ipod...after a while i started adding more and more until i had the entire album on the playlist...now i love the album and can't get the songs out of my head...for those of you who are standoffish about buying this...just go for it...you might need a bit to come around...but its no different than meeting up with an old friend who has a new life perspective...just takes some time to get used to and then its better than ever

These are the only 2 words that came to my mind after listening to this album. I think this album is a great mixture of the great music from Full Collapse and War All The Time. I have been a Thursday fan since Waiting came out and this album will keep me going. Rock on Thursday fans!!!

Yes this album makes me want to set myself on fire. It is terribly produced.
Anyone that can listen to this needs to wipe the junk out of their ears.
Someone fire the audio engineer.

If you are a fan of Thursday, then you will probably get this album and like it regardless of what anyone says. If, on the other hand, you haven't heard (much) of these guys before, then, you might not really like this. Most of the songs either drag on for way too long, or never really seem to get going. Don't get me wrong, the music is good, but I just wasn't impressed. I was looking for something a little less epic. I wanted more emo, and less Dream Theater.