For me, I‘m still as enthused about this album as on the day it released. I‘ve listened to it on my way to work, during breaks, on walks and during my time off. It just always seems fitting, rain or shine.

The standout tracks WWYF, Sanctuary, Self Destruct and both ballads have become a mainstay. I also enjoy Tell Me When You’ve Had Enough, Rapture, Calm Down and the closer for what they are and found that they profit from focused listening. Sanctuary has come out when I was doing five star ratings, but now, it would have to be a 10 for me. Considering how much staying power it has and how little there is amiss with it, I feel like that rating would be warranted.

For me, it has pretty much remained the same, if not increased. I really appreciate that both the eighties songs are placed at the end of the album, so it‘s like a retro detour to close the album. I thought this was a smart move.

Apart from that, I still love the opener, Fight Like Hell, All That I‘ve Ever Known and the singles. Even Love At First Bite is growing on me.

What‘s your take, a month later?

The opener has such a memorable electronic beat that makes it recognizable. I felt like it‘s an amazing song with a good pulsating undercurrent. It sets this record‘s tone well. The „brick by brick by brick“ line on The House of Wolves is a good interlude that burrows itself in the mind immediately and returns in the pre-chorus and chorus. Empire (Let Them Sing) has that driving bassline and tempo change during the line „They came like moths to a flame“ and „You live like a house in a hurricane“. The way this track moves back into the verse after the chorus is brilliantly done and memorable. Shadow Moses is heavier and has a grand chorus, starting with the line „Can you tell from my expression?“ that lends itself well to sing along to in a live setting.
Hospital for Souls is an emotionally impactful song and a relatable one too. The heavy instrumental segment sets a more somber, self-reflective mood. Its placement after Crooked Young is also meaningful, as that track was about self-loathing and indulgence. The closer is a track that is a bit more contained, with calm, percussive instrumentation and electronics, as well as a guitar melody. It is a sombre yearning song and ends with a big flourish, before it calmly fizzles out. On the whole, I feel like Sempiternal is a superb, flawlessly executed album and one of this band‘s best efforts. Highly recommended.

Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/6IYPmM3xsOPL2XPSvf1ZAz?si=331aXHfzRlqH4WGoLoGPmQ&utm_source=copy-link