Took a couple of listens but I'm really digging it. I don't need an album to always click immediately anymore. I've learned that sometimes it takes time. It's not about just forcing it, it's about letting it settle in. I've had many albums take many listens to gel for me and its almost always been worth it. I keep at the ones that people generally love, to see what I might find too and might have missed out on earlier. I'm still trying to get into Operation Mindcrime after many listens, it hasn't hit the 'Hell yeah' point but I know its prob in there for me. For example Queensryche wasn't a band I was exposed to in the 80's,
ESP when I didn't have the access to variety of music. 'Lateralus' took a while to get into after Aenima, then it just clicked. 'Gateways to Annihilation' and 'Formulas Fatal to the Flesh' are the same, and I love MA. There could be something in these type of slow burn albums that resonates with so many that I sometimes need to put an effort into. I hated a lot of books when I was younger but I really enjoyed them when i read them again years later.
Fully echo Les Zombie's post earlier (#70) on this album for me right now. The riff's in 'Crown of Barbed Wire' and 'Inamorata' have an off-kilter vibe that I love. I still have to look away when Kirk comes in on all the songs with his weak ass effort. Its great to hear Rob so much. I think I prefer James tone on this over HWTSD and DM. It's a bit less stuffed with different amp tones competing and compressing it to hell. I like the Marshall being higher in the mix for some clarity.