It definately isn't the same band anymore.

Lanegan is sounding so shitty these days (I'm a huge fan of his solo work.. Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, have seen him with Screaming Trees a few times, etc.). "This Lullaby" was a shitty way to start out the album, it's not really that great of a song. It actually sounds more like Waits.

"Medication" kind of is. They were trying to go with the "...Feel Like a Millionare" vibe. "Everybody Knows That You're Insane" and "Tangled Up in Plaid" are great songs that could have fit on Songs for the Deaf. I hate "Little Sister"... is it the single? It sounds like Kurt Cobain. "Skin On Skin" is a great idea but it's tough pulling off a nearly 4 minute track with that much distortion. "Broken Box" is a waste.

Finally, the whole thing sounds like the vocals were done in a small enclosed space... like a port-a-potty... it sounds very canned.

But for the positive... "Someone's In The Wolf" has a great riff. "The Blood Is Love" is a great Lanegan track. "'You Got A Killer Scene There, Man'" is cute and blusey.

The best track on this entire thing is the brilliant "Long Slow Goodbye", with the sample of the phone that runs through it. And the awesome little interlude after the track.

Overall reaction? Songs Of The Deaf was probably the best pure rock record since the days of Superunknown... pretty much after 1994, bands like Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins started incorporating more Beatles-like elements and prog rock sensitiblies (which is awesome, my favorite type of music actually) or the world went emo, it lost that sense of male cock. Songs of the Deaf had cock, in spades.

Asking for a follow up to stand up to Songs is probably Lullabies' hardest tasks, and it inevitably fails. But the record isn't horrible or necessarily disappointing if you realize this. It's just a band who got temporary fame for an extraordinary piece of music put out at the exact right time. Is this the fault of the bass player leaving? I'm not sure. I think it would have been disappointing either way. If you realize this, Paralyze has a lot to offer. If you liked Rated R, you should have no bones with this record.

Hmm... I expected this album to not match the greatness of "Songs for the Deaf"... my reason?

Dave Grohl... yes, he worked on their "Songs for the Deaf" album

Yeah ChipMunky, but did you notice that their new drummer almost emulates Grohl?

It's evident especially in "Medication", "Tangled Up In Plaid" and "Someone's In The Wolf".

But I agree... Songs was a right time right place sort of album.

I felt the same too. (which makes me really excited to hear the new Nine Inch Nails album, even more so than usual)

I felt that the first half of the album was pretty good, but then it got quite boring during the second half with only a couple of decent songs.

Definately not as good as Songs for the Deaf, but its pretty good. Will mostlikely be on the backburner for a long time once Garbage comes out, and then Nine Inch Nails, and then System of a Down, etc...

Meh, so he can emulate... but Dave has the musical genius

I think this is gonna be the year where I actually buy some cd's from artists that are still playing Last cd I bought from a band that are still together (and haven't been around since the 70s) is System of a Down's Steal this Album. That was a long time ago. I bought Lullabies yesterday and only got to listening to around half of it. So far it's pretty good but it just doesn't feel the same. It's got a much more darker feeling while listening to it.

Next up for rusty's buy list would be SOAD, NiN, Ozzy. Good year I must say.