The debut from ex- frontman 's new project with longtime friend and multi-instrumentalist , flirts with the breakdown-laden minefield that served as the theater of war for his former group, while introducing a significant amount of '90s industrial metal into the mix that suggests a post-breakup binge on bands like , and especially -- sounds like he's exorcizing some demons with , and he's doing so in the style that comforts him the most. fans needn't worry though, as the band never really yields to the narcotic-induced capacity that its moniker would suggest, due in large part to 's powerful voice and penchant for shoehorning in frequent bouts of neck-snapping brutality amidst all of the explosive and anthemic choruses and sweeping keyboard-driven vistas. Still, is a far more modern rock radio-ready beast than its predecessor, and songs like the soaring "Hold Up My Head," the evocative "Through the Looking Glass" and like-minded title cut, and the meaty, fist-pumping single "Paper Planes" harbor as many commercial aspirations as they do resentments -- was admittedly rocked by his former band's breakup -- but despite their retro-industrial trappings, they retain a great deal of the emotional heft that made so accessible. ~ James Christopher Monger