Third album for the Mongolians, and a solid consensus: 73/100 across five reviews, public at 68. Kerrang! (4/5) delivers the line that sums it all up: « A strange stream of sound that’s utterly irresistible without sounding like anybody else. » Blabbermouth (7.5/10) concurs: « An impressive representation of what they do, and a reliable alternative to just about everything else. »
The general agreement is about identity, intact despite the stadium ambition: morin khuur, throat singing and industrial punch coexist on « Warrior Chant », « Shadow » and « Horsemen », and Classic Rock (7/10) calls it « wind tunnel, edge-of-your-seat stuff ». Even « Lost Soul », the most mainstream cut featuring Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More, passes quality control — Distorted Sound sees a band « keeping Mongolia in the spotlight » like no one else.
The shared reservation concerns the long, cinematic tracks, which take excessive time to develop according to Distorted Sound (7/10), and the language barrier — which Kerrang! chooses to find intriguing rather than disqualifying. A drama-free verdict: mainstream metal’s most singular band rides on, at full gallop.