Good, but Sacrifice is better..

Review Score: (6/10)
This album seems to have recieved heaps of generous critical praise. They say its Gary's comeback album, and that here he was true to himself. I think that was not so much this album, as it was his prior album, Sacrifice, that lived up to that assertion. This album does take musical elements from Sacrifice and beefs them up a bit (more guitar, bouncier drums). On his latest, Pure, he beefs them up even more and turns the NIN ingredient way up to the eleventh degree (with mixed results). But where Exile (and Pure for that matter) lack is in the song writing. The Angel Wars and Dominion Day are definitley the stronger tracks, but the problem is that most of the tracks from Exile more or less sound the same. They start and end the same, have the EXACT same bouncy percussion style and tempo, and are more or less in the same key. I actually get a little bored listening to this album because of these problems. Sacrifice had the same dark theme as this album but I feel it was better realized. Definitley more musical variety and ultimatley more emotion and feeling. Though I must say, Sacrifice, Exile and Pure are LIGHT YEARS ahead of his 86-92 period. [....]

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