User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 184 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 149 out of 184
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Mixed: 16 out of 184
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Negative: 19 out of 184
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Apr 15, 20189/10.......................................................................
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Jun 13, 2015
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May 11, 2013What else can I say? This is one damn motherf*cking awesome album. Best of 2007. The complexity and strange and alienating themes of this album keeps you wanting to here more. It might have the potential to reach the popularity of Animal Collective (which I hope it will). For now, listen.
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Apr 1, 2011I've never quite heard music this strange, confusing, and joyous in awhile. The sound is like futuristic rock. Definitely some progression rock going on. The singer barely sings the whole album (and when he does, you can barely comprehend what he is saying.) The musicianship is perfect. The drums are excellent. It's about 50 minutes of pure futuristic rock that you don't quite hear all the time. B
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DaveF.Mar 13, 2009This music scares the shit out of me. It's like being in a love/hate relationship with a crazy genius lingerie wearing goddess with a casio keyboard on kryptonite.
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DavidDec 5, 2008One of the very best albums of 2007, this one needs several listens to yield its treasures. Hard to describe the sound, but it's truly great.
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JohnPAug 3, 2008One of the freshest albums I've heard in a long time.
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GilderoyLMay 16, 2008Most people will likely find this, dull, repetitive, and not ample head-banging music. It's very out of the ordinary, but if you can appreciate its intricate rhythms, you will probably really enjoy it. It's just fun.
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JayLApr 21, 2008
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AlanPMar 9, 2008The worst album I bought in 2007, complete toss.
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StevenHMar 8, 2008A must-listen.
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LeoCMar 3, 2008My personal favourite of 2007.
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RoryP.Feb 27, 2008I can't dance to it, I don't understand the lyrics and I never heard anything like it before. I don't know what it is, but Its f@*king good.
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JyotirmayaD.Feb 17, 2008When I first listened to "Mirrored" I enjoyed all the twists and turns and the way it all comes together... I enjoyed the latter half of the album more than the beginning... It's not for me, really, but I own it and will listen to it when I need to listen to something different than anything else. It's good.
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MaxC.Jan 26, 2008Groundbreaking; what George Orwell feared brought to great music.
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IanB.Jan 15, 2008This is progressive people !
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PaulD.Dec 28, 2007It speaks volumes when you can't lump a band into music that has already been created. Battles is that group and this album is perfect, unlike anything out there. Best of the year hands down. Brilliant!
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DavidF.Dec 27, 2007Best bizarro release of the year.
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lkDec 27, 2007This Album is very distinguished, different and still so great. Easily the best record of 2007. I didn't give 10 because tracks like "bad trails" seem to me as "fillers".
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MycleS.Dec 14, 2007This album is fascinating and thrilling. a relentless romp! James m., if you don't like the genre, don't comment on the album. I don't comment on country albums. If you think grizzly bear is even close to this genre you're missing chromosomes.
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ChrisA.Dec 8, 2007I was a fan of the record upon my first listen. It's a bit of a mind-f*ck, but also so incredibly (yet strangely) catchy. After seeing them live and realizing that they actually produce the majority of the sounds with actual instruments, it became even better. A highly impressive album that ranks at my #1 of 2007.
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JackDec 2, 2007Unique, different, confusing, brilliant. An essential album.
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GCBDec 2, 2007Jesus wept.
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JeremyB.Nov 28, 2007Hm. This is the best thing I've heard all year. Album of the year by far. At this point, I really don't care what these critics say. Stars of the Lid and The Field better than Radiohead? I think not.
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F.H.Nov 27, 2007Certainly worth some listens. I'm listening to it now. The positive reviews seem more on target than the negative ones. But, we shall see how it stands up over time.
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J.K.Nov 18, 2007
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JamesM.Oct 23, 2007I don't know why everyone raves about this album. Maybe its just because one person thought it was cool and new so everyone started liking it. I don't like this genre, but even inside this genre there are albums far better than this. (eg grizzly bears yellow house) This album will not be remember after this year.
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MikeNOct 5, 2007
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JRatcliffSep 27, 2007Deeply ambivalent. At moments it seems to digress into the worst kind of atonal jazz riffs imaginable. This album makes a hell of a lot of noise, but not a lot of sense. Sure it's "new","fresh", and any other kind of overused advertising adjective you want to paste to this bandwagon, but is it "good"? I really don't know, I'm not that used to working this hard for pop music.
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lukeSep 25, 2007I bought this album, listened to it, and thought it was boring. It's pretty uneventful. I think this album was created for the sake of the poster inside. Hardly any creativity. It does not go anywhere. Beware.
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JaredSilvaSep 18, 2007One of the best musical experiences in a long time.
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mattkSep 17, 2007
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MattB.Sep 12, 2007
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SteveF.Sep 9, 2007
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G.Sep 4, 2007
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AshleyP.Aug 24, 2007Music made by people that love to make music. While so many others are rehashing the same old tricks, these guys have translated their ideas and energy into sounds and rhythms without fear. This album conforms to nothing.
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SeanWAug 18, 2007This album is terrible. I listened to it once and will not touch it again. This is not music. This is just noise.
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NickAug 17, 2007So tight I worry it's going to crack my skull.
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jaAug 17, 2007What is with this album. It is strange and out there, yet totally accessible and listenable. Rarely has any sensible or even legible lyrics, and Its erratic pacing makes it hard to wrap your mind around, yet it never feels out of control or lacking in inspiration. I love it.
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EricCAug 14, 2007
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VinceAug 14, 2007A trip of an album...can't stop listenin to it
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desertAug 9, 2007This record is as stupid as I am. Me the ugly duck. Saddest loser in The Netherlands.
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JustinGAug 3, 2007Is this for real? It's sounds like my 2yr old nephew was playing around with my drum machine, keyboard, and guitar, and he threw in some fisher price toy beeps and he came up with this trash. I consider myself cutting edge, but this is def trying way too hard to be different. Common, this is just plain silly.
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david20023Aug 2, 2007Still having trouble distinguishing this from those twiddly prog rock bands we thought punk had slayed. Memories seem to be short, or I am insufferably old.
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JeffWJul 31, 2007Please forgive Battles for showing some respect to their audience- I know that's not what we're used to these days. Before you talk any more shit on this go see them perform this album live, and then go think about it.
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seandJul 29, 2007this album is far from unemotional like most people complain of. tight musicianship and one of the most interesting and addictive albums i have heard in years
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GabeJJul 28, 2007An unlistenable record with far more bleeps and bloops than good ideas. Stanier's immense talent is wasted thanks Ian Williams' "tricks," which are more tedious than even "American Don." Pretentious, boring, awful, and embarrassingly overrated. Rock fans steer clear; this isn't rock.
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JohnJJul 27, 2007I don't quite understand why so many peole are failing to understand this album. What's not to get? It's a powerful, well-done, up beat, post-rock album. It's easily accessible, yet innovative. If nothing else, it is one of the few fully self-realized albums of the twenty-first century. Few other albums blend aspects of rock and synth as well as Mirrored.
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nico-Jul 26, 2007We must all come together and stop using the word 'math rock' its almost as bad as blog and blogosphere. good music...terrible name for the type of music. terrible.
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RichardMJul 21, 2007I don't get it. It strikes me as being cold and somewhat pretentious. Different for the sake of being different. I will keep on listening to it hoping it will grow on me, but I suspect it is a case of the Emperor has no clothes
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stuwJul 19, 2007It's not a bad album as such, but it's not exactly a good one either. It certainly doesn't deserve such high praise as it has been getting. Not for the masses.
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AlanK.Jul 18, 2007
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HexumSJul 18, 2007Whoa. Dude. This is weirder than Primus.
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LeoJul 15, 2007I liked Don Caballero, but this has to be the front-runner for the most overrated album of the year (the Fiery Furnaces haven't released anything yet...). It isn't terrible, but it's not far off.
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TimFJul 14, 2007
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GrakG.Jul 12, 2007This album totally lives up to the hype. It's a fantastic combination of electronica values and rock sounds. Battles are the Aphex Twin of Math Rock.
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onyx4Jul 12, 2007regular, at moments good, the first time you heart it, but it gets old really fast. I can't stand this band now
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césarb.Jul 12, 2007the best album of the year, the music of new millenium
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ToddW.Jul 11, 2007
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oliverc.Jul 1, 2007Tij and Atlas are some of the best songs i've heard this year. Amazing tracks, though the album as a whole isn't necessarily as good as it's parts.
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JoshGJun 22, 2007
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PaulMJun 22, 2007Math Rock? How about Geek Rock.
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gernickJun 21, 2007certainly not the worst thing i've heard this year but my god, what self indulgence. where are the songs? they picked a good name, hail from new york, do something un-mainstream so they must be good. NO, they aren't.
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MarcE.Jun 20, 2007
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AmitSJun 19, 2007Rating albums with numbers is fairly arbitary. The 10 does not mean it is perfect but is given to reward a special album. I doubt anyone can accurately describe what this sounds like: but playful, interesting, diverse are all words I could use. Quite simply it sounds like nothing heard before (many would refer to the Animal Collective at this point): and much like Marmite, you like or loathe it.
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TylerMJun 13, 2007My friends don't "get" it. But I do, and I love it!
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DanWJun 11, 2007A very rewarding and amazing album for those who give it a chance. A standout album of 2007.
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SeanGJun 10, 2007This is a great rock record brimming with technical experimentation. You can dance to it as easily as you can throw on a pair of headphones & have your mind blown.
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JustinBJun 8, 2007It's extraordinary - playful, sinister, exciting and unusual. It obviously won't be everyone's thing but it's far more accessible than you'd think from some of the comments here. And I can't see the point of posting a review after admitting to only listening the record once.
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JaddyPJun 7, 2007An album of mix emotions and ideas. At time it really hits the mark with an eccentric approach to making beat based rock. Other times it is so far from being accessible that they shot themselves in the foot by pushing a good thing too far.. but I am not the be all and end all of music taste.. Give it a try!!
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JordanKJun 6, 2007
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DaanTJun 6, 2007Briljant band. New sounds and its really a unique style. Love the album. Hope the next album is just as good as this one.
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AJJun 6, 2007A masterpiece. Anyone who doesn't like this album is an idiot, pure and simple. Go listen to Incubus and leave the challenging records for those who can properly gauge them, please.
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DMJun 5, 2007Original and eccentric sounding beats. Usually I like something like this. But I just can't into this album. I get nothing from this album.
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ScottbJun 3, 2007I really wanted to like this album, but it's so bad...
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GrantPJun 3, 2007Amazing band, such talent displayed In this album. It's almost hard to find something you don't like about It. Should we expect less from Warp Records? I think not.
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BorisHMay 31, 2007Anyone that saw any reviews above that included the words 'rock' or 'pop' in it should disregard them immediately. Whatever this is it's certainly not my type of music. I forced myself to listen through the hole thing once; attempting to do it again would be veritable torture.
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JosephMMay 30, 2007Totally average and derivative. I cannot understand why everybody is fawning all over this album. And don't get me wrong, I can appreciate the genre, it's just that this does nothing to push the genre forward. It is a very well produced, very boring album.
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ChrisWMay 29, 2007This CD is way too computerized and over-layered with sound. There's a line that is drawn when you're experimenting with music and sounds... and this CD is not even close to the border... it's so far beyond listenable that it's annoying. I gave it a 1 based on the creativeness that they offer. If you were looking for the NEXT Sound to come about... this is NOT it.
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renatarMay 29, 2007of course youre not going to find any life coming out of this cd...If you are waiting to listen to van halen!!!!! man! This is great and I think the rest of the reviews agree with me, these tunes are magic, simply. the best record of the year so far. Specially for Patton Fans!
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BillVMay 29, 2007A very interesting sounding and conceptual album, but I have no idea where to go from there! The lyrics seem too comical in tone, have little depth and tire quickly. This is album you listen to once and move on to something with some soul which can be acheived with math-rock. Bands like the Shipping News and Slint do it much better
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BillHMay 28, 2007This is a joke, right? Please God? They're fu**ing with us aren't they? This is a Yes album. Repeat. This is a Yes album. Aaargh... what's going on? Just to be clear here: it's a piece a s**t. Got that? A complete piece of S**T!
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DylanSMay 27, 2007Damn fun CD, promotes multiple listens, and trust me -- you'll love it every time.
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JohnTMay 27, 2007Maybe the best album of 2007.
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DAronMay 26, 2007Ever heard of Mindless self indulgence?????. Yup and they do it better.....
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DavidCMay 25, 2007
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PeeStainMay 25, 2007This album makes me feel really weird. I cant stop laughing and my body cant relax. Might be complex and uniqe, I dont now. What I do know is that this is by far the most surprising album I got my hand on in a good while. Put headphones on and go for a jog, it mill fit just fine.
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IsaacCMay 25, 2007The sort of album that may make Thom Yorke delay the release of the new Radiohead album. Make no mistake this really is one of the pivotal albums in music history.
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SimonOMay 24, 2007Clear development from their excellent EPs. Very strong!
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AndrewTMay 24, 2007Just an awesome, awesome album....
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CFloraMay 24, 2007
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BrianWMay 24, 2007Crazy math rock that's actually better than the sum of its parts (no pun intended). I haven't heard rhythms or songs in general that are this hectic or busy before. Very original.
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NicolaBMay 24, 2007It's as groundbreaking as kraftwerk's autobahn, as playful as a Disneyland ride, as powerful as a ten ton hammer right in the face of those who said modern music was dead. All hail the new music. all hail battles.
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TylerDMay 23, 2007Brilliantly-written instrumental music. The back-up vocals work phenomenally here. One of my favourite albums so far this year.
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MattFMay 23, 2007Brilliant. Having got into music from Mali this year, this is like a full circle back to the West. Tracks like Tonto are straight out of africa. Best fun in ages.
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MarkusSMay 23, 2007No doubt: the best album so far this year. This band is incredible, has great ideas and rocks like no other band this year will do. This is rockmusic for this century and for the next 100 years. Stunning!!
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johnrMay 22, 2007just a bunch of worthless noise, cold and calculated math rock, and the novelty wears off after the first listen when you begin longing for some real heart in the music.
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EricMMay 22, 2007Math rock at its best....and I've heard plenty in the genre. Fans of Polvo esp. need to check his one out! The best "rock" album since "Interpol" Turn the lights..."
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WetpaintPaintMay 22, 2007This is an album for people with ADHD. Its upbeat and excellent. I think it has strands of the future of rock.
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AaronS.May 22, 2007This is a fantastic record-one of the year's very best. Playful, eccentric and always unique. It's most definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but if you have adventurous taste in music, you may dig this.
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Awards & Rankings
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Alternative PressAt times, the effect is akin to hearing Tortoise and Animal Collective covering the Steve Reich and Devo catalogs in tandem; but such reference points barely do justice to an album that just halfway through 2007, is already topping the year's best-of list in multiple genres. [Jun 2007, p.151]
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Battles combine the power of hard rock with an experimental aesthetic.
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UrbEvery song on the 52-minute masterpiece builds and bridges until everything self-destructs and the only thing left to do is dance. [May 2007, p.92]