is ▁( 2 0 1 2 ) ▁– ▁and ▁certainly ▁throughout ▁Th re at ▁to ▁Sur v ival ▁( 2 0 1 5 ) ▁– ▁that ▁Smith ’ s ▁tal ents ▁were ▁under util ized , ▁mis pla ced , ▁and ▁flat - out ▁squ ander ed ... with ▁Att ention ▁Att ention ▁placing ▁the ▁imp et us ▁behind ▁Sh ined own ’ s ▁ag gress ive ▁rock ▁t endencies , ▁Br ent ▁Smith ▁is ▁back ▁in ▁his ▁element ▁in ▁a ▁way ▁that ▁hasn ’ t ▁happened ▁since , ▁well , ▁The ▁Sound ▁of ▁Mad ness ... they ▁both ▁excel ▁at ▁bal ancing ▁the ▁group ’ s ▁heavy , ▁southern - rock ▁roots ▁with ▁their ▁inf ect ious ▁pop - sens ib ilities ." ▁Matt ▁M ills , ▁writing ▁for ▁Metal ▁Ham mer , ▁was ▁a ▁little ▁less ▁positive ▁calling ▁songs ▁like ▁" Black ▁Soul " ▁and ▁" K ill ▁Your ▁Cons cience " ▁" h ilar ity - ind uc ing ▁head - scr atch ers ." ▁M ills ▁was ▁more ▁positive ▁towards ▁songs ▁like ▁" Dev il ", ▁" E vol ve ", ▁and ▁" Br illiant " ▁saying , ▁" the ▁anth ems ’ ▁b oun cing ▁energy ▁already ▁feels ▁dest ined ▁to ▁ign ite ▁live ▁crow ds ." ▁Music ▁Ex istence ▁wrote , ▁" over all , ▁it ’ s ▁a ▁very ▁interesting ▁concept ▁to ▁explore ▁in ▁an ▁album , ▁and ▁one ▁that ▁many ▁listen ers ▁can ▁relate ▁to ." ▁ ▁Rock ▁' N ' ▁Load ▁ ▁complement ed