Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 39
  2. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. Magnet
    100
    A masterpiece that flows brilliantly. [#75, p.97]
  2. The band runs through intricately nuanced compositions with the fervor of an inspired jam session.
  3. It's easy to get lost in the strange balance between delicacy and muscle.
  4. Filter
    90
    Yet another firework-filled post-modern work of true art. [#24, p.89]
  5. This is quite possibly Explosions in the Sky's finest moment. Buy this album now and be ready to have your life changed.
  6. If there are a few dull moments, that’s all part of recording an album that functions like one extended, magnificent achievement of a song.
  7. All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone is an intensely atmospheric album, and stands as one of the band's stronger releases.
  8. The type of searing instrumental rock Explosions in the Sky has helped put on the map is the modern-day heir of the aural expressionism of Debussy and Wagner.
  9. Under The Radar
    80
    Honestly, it's been worth the wait. [#16, p.91]
  10. Urb
    80
    Every song ends like a firework finale and fragile chords explain more about the human condition than words ever could. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.78]
  11. Whether it inspires bosom-heaving, jersey-rending, or chopper-flagging, Explosions in the Sky will have true believers again faint with praise.
  12. I’m perfectly happy settling for an upgrade rather than a complete overhaul.
  13. Explosions in the Sky are staking their claim to Mogwai's dark kingdom with an album that, despite being only six songs long, takes prisoner of your head and your heart.
  14. Trouble is, save for the soft bits being softer and the hard bits being harder, it's practically a replica of its predecessors.
  15. All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone isn’t the band reinventing themselves. Instead, you’ll have to settle for Explosions in the Sky perfecting their craft, which is nice to hear regardless of genre.
  16. Well, in many ways it follows the same tried and trusted formula of their previous three albums - dramatic, emotive and melodic, with guitars very much the centre of attention. Yet this time around the band have progressed to produce a more varied collection of tracks.
  17. Alternative Press
    80
    More cohesive and less frantic. [Apr 2007, p.180]
  18. Ultimately, there is real growth here, subtle and unpretentious as it is.
  19. Explosions in the Sky... are like the Kronos Quartet with big amps and John Bonham in the back, exploring the composed details in their music before blowing 'em up.
  20. The emotional outpouring on display dwarfs what most vocal "emo" bands do.
  21. Spin
    80
    Let's just put it this way: Throw All of a Sudden on while playing GameCube, and you'll have the most dramatic LEGO Star Wars experience imaginable. [Mar 2007, p.94]
  22. For a band whose promise has often outdone their execution, All of a Sudden is their most complex, accomplished and well thought out record.
  23. Mojo
    80
    Explosions In The Sky are true masters of their craft. [Apr 2007, p.102]
  24. All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone is not that perfect album that reinvents the genre, but it is a primer on everything good about it.
  25. It pays off big time in places while feeling a bit hesitant in others.
  26. While clearly it is their best work to date, the purposefully epic moments of the music just don’t hold the same candle to the ones that were found on their earlier records.
  27. Billboard
    70
    As each quiet-loud-quiet song cycles through its emotional peaks and valleys, the band considerately adds, subtracts and multiplies conflicting elements and melodies to complete the picture. [24 Feb 2007]
  28. Each winding soundscape sounds like it was made for those big budget nature documentaries with David Attenborough.
  29. For most bands, a nearly great album would be a victory. But these guys aren’t most bands.
  30. Q Magazine
    70
    Think Mogwai at their loudest or a less willfully awkward Godspeed You! Black Emperor. [Apr 2007, p.118]
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 81 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 81
  2. Negative: 7 out of 81
  1. DavidL.
    Jan 11, 2009
    10
    Their best work - without a doubt among the best the genre has offered.
  2. Jul 31, 2018
    7
    This is a good instrumental album with the group wearing their influences on their sleeves. Any instrumental rock bands, even if it's unfair,This is a good instrumental album with the group wearing their influences on their sleeves. Any instrumental rock bands, even if it's unfair, are always going to be compared to the likes of lynchpins Mogwai and this is true here. If you along with the theory that there are a finite number of chord sequences to pick from and they've been used already then a band with no lyrics are going to struggle to sound original. That doesn't mean they won't sound enjoyable. At times tracks can be overly long but this is an album you need to immerse yourself in. Full Review »
  3. Jordan
    Jan 5, 2008
    9
    Another superb album from the instrumental gurus. This is an album that grows on you, unlike their previous albums which hit you immediately Another superb album from the instrumental gurus. This is an album that grows on you, unlike their previous albums which hit you immediately and hit you hard. A more mature, precise, and varied sound may seem good, but to fans of the band's earlier work, these songs are often overlooked, despite their independent beauty. Overall, it is quite the record, with a powerful punch in some songs, and a calming melody in others. Full Review »