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Mechanical Bull Image
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 101 Ratings

  • Summary: After a three year hiatus, the rock band formed by four brothers return with its sixth full-length studio release produced by Angelo Petraglia.
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Top Track

Beautiful War
Bite your tongue Don't make a scene, dear Everybody's been here at least once before We've been here more Your heart breaks Rolls down the... See the rest of the song lyrics
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 31
  2. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Uncut
    Sep 18, 2013
    90
    Kings of Leon zeroed in on their gifts for visceral rock grooves and soaring hooks--lifting standout tracks on their sixth album to a Springsteen-like level of gritty grandeur. [Oct 2013, p.70]
  2. 83
    Mechanical Bull finds the Tennessee rockers recapturing the white-lightning-in-a-bottle spark that made their early stuff so fun.
  3. Oct 4, 2013
    78
    Mechanical Bull kicks up a tightly controlled disc that still leaves enough roots unpolished.
  4. 70
    By design, Mechanical Bull was made for fun, and in that spirit, they succeeded.
  5. Q Magazine
    Jan 27, 2014
    60
    Occasionally frustrating and sometimes even a little soapy, Mechanical Bull has its flaws, but it also brims with personality and passion. [Oct 2013, p.104]
  6. Sep 23, 2013
    60
    The most exciting thing that can be said for the remaining tracks is that they're less maudlin than last time around.
  7. Sep 18, 2013
    40
    It feels mechanical, a band on auto-pilot, going through the motions of songwriting and recording but with their hearts elsewhere.

See all 31 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 26
  2. Negative: 1 out of 26
  1. Sep 26, 2013
    10
    Kings of Leon has done it again. Mechanical Bull is easily one of their finest albums. Standout tracks are Wait For Me, Temple, Family Tree,Kings of Leon has done it again. Mechanical Bull is easily one of their finest albums. Standout tracks are Wait For Me, Temple, Family Tree, Comeback Story, Coming Back Again and Work On Me. There is an energy here that wasn't present in the somewhat mellow "Come Around Sundown". The boys have never sounded better or looked better live as they do in 2013. They don't have a single bad album. This is a special band, one we will look back at as one of the, if not the best rock groups of our generation. Expand
  2. Jan 26, 2023
    10
    Hello, this is a default review because i'm forced to use 75 characters. I'll edit this review in the future talking about the game, don'tHello, this is a default review because i'm forced to use 75 characters. I'll edit this review in the future talking about the game, don't worry ;)

    My final rate is: 10
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  3. Sep 25, 2013
    9
    Simply put A very good album, this album has brought them back to their best after Come Around Sundown was a bit of a let down. The best 2Simply put A very good album, this album has brought them back to their best after Come Around Sundown was a bit of a let down. The best 2 songs I think are Comeback Story and Tonight, although it is hard to pick as there are so many good songs on this album. Well done Kings Of Leon. Expand
  4. Feb 15, 2014
    8
    http://bit.ly/1lS3GOc With quite a few songs on the album, each listen I found myself focusing on another individual element. The songs are sohttp://bit.ly/1lS3GOc With quite a few songs on the album, each listen I found myself focusing on another individual element. The songs are so well written that the collective stays together and you can treat each part individually. Kings Of Leon may have not crafted a perfect album here but it's certainly intriguing. Expand
  5. May 26, 2014
    8
    First off - to be honest to me as a first time supporter of the Kings, when they still dragged the instruments up and down Main Road inFirst off - to be honest to me as a first time supporter of the Kings, when they still dragged the instruments up and down Main Road in Nashville earning some pocket money by hitting the tip jars, was kind of disappointed by them taking the wrong turn from the first 2 albums onto Everybody's Darling Lane. "Come Around Sundown" gave back some belief to all the heartbroken shakers out there, though.

    The dear reader forgives me my extended introduction and to answer the question where I am going with this. I have to confess that I am slowly falling in love with this record. Its not about analysing every single song or shed a tear over Caleb's rehabilitation of a lost soul - "Don't Matter" to me as well. I catch myself listening to certain songs over and over again and start singing them along from the "Temple' of my heart.

    When did this ever happen to me with their recent records I ask myself and what does this tell me about the "Mechanical Bull" - 2 things:

    1. Worst titled album ever (by KoL)
    2. Best (balanced) album they delivered in years

    Whether you agree with me or not. Put yourself to the test - listen to this album and take it as you have never heard about Kings of Leon before, do not compare it to their earlier work, do not judge about their stardom behaviour and blank out the hype. Just listen and find the answer for yourself. I will go on to put my hopes for good rock music into these guys cause they made feel like walking pass that bar in Nashville again. I can hear myself saying "Wait for me" because - It's all better now.
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  6. Oct 1, 2013
    7
    Nice album. After two really really bad albums, fulfilled with cheesy power-ballads made for teenage little girls, they finally releasedNice album. After two really really bad albums, fulfilled with cheesy power-ballads made for teenage little girls, they finally released something a lil bit more exciting and more guitar-driven than their previous two awful albums. Temple is my favourite song, it reminds me of California Waiting on Youth & Young Manhood. Their first single is also catchy, and has that sound from Aha Shake. Coming Back Again is another highlight of the album, and don't forget Don't Matter, my second favourite, which has that raw and rocker sound like that single from their 3rd album (Charmer) although a little bit softer than that. I recommend the 2 bonus tracks, they're nice. I didn't like any ballads on the album, that's why I'm givin' it a 7 (I really liked 7 tracks on the album). Anyway, their first two albums are still my favourite and the best from their catalogue. Expand
  7. Sep 26, 2013
    0
    If you love this album, you have ridiculously low expectations of what music should be. You likely compare Kings of Leon to Lady Gaga orIf you love this album, you have ridiculously low expectations of what music should be. You likely compare Kings of Leon to Lady Gaga or Rhianna and think that this latest insipid offering from the Nashville quartet is somehow more credible because they wear chequered shirts and play guitars. The album is an insult to my intelligence from beginning to end, and if that wasn't enough they've even called it Mechanical Bull (translation; going through the motions garbage). "Don't Matter" could easily be a b-side that Queens of The Stone Age record when they reach their 60s."Family Tree" is a poor rehash of The Zutons "You Will You Won't", missing the sense of communion it is so blindly attempting to embrace. "Temple" contains the album's only fleeting moment of true enjoyment in an otherwise heavy, tired and extremely pointless album by a band who just don't care any more. Expand

See all 26 User Reviews