Dec 16, 2017

After a couple listens in full, I feel like I can give a pretty good summary of how I feel about Revival two days after release. Opinions are subject to change but these are my initial thoughts and review of the mess that is Eminems 9th studio album.

I'll get it out of the way immediately: Revival isn't trash. I've went back and forth on how bad I really think this album is, and after my last listen I can honestly say that it's a pretty average project from a rapper who lost his way a long, long time ago, but it's not garbage.

Walk on Water would only work as an opener if the tracks that followed it lived up to the subject matter and sentiments stated on it. The first time I saw the tracklist, this being the opener was the first thing that stood out to me. Not the poppy features, not the song titles or number of tracks.. Walk on Water to set the album off. It's not a terrible song but besides Beyonce it's ineffective and flat. Eminem doesn't want to let his (#fansdown) but immediately does so to begin the album.

Believe isn't as good as I thought two days ago, but it's most definitely one of the better tracks on here.

Chloraseptic is average. Phresher was solid but eminem didn't do anything for me here.

Untouchable has problems but I still think the last two and half minutes are great.

River might grow on me but as of now it's another generic radio record where em is outshined by the feature. Ed sheeran killed it

Remind Me is bad. Won't back down bad. So many cringe worthy bars within the first 45 seconds, it's almost unlistenable

(this is where the album gains a sort of momentum)

Revival Interlude is beautiful

Like Home grew on me a lot. Potential top 5 song on Revival

Bad Husband also grew on me but not very much. It's cool to hear him apologize to Kim but with this song I feel like the subject matter has been covered before and better, but it's alright

Tragic Endings is.. a highlight? Definitely a Recovery leftover but could have been a highlight on that album as well. Skylar Grey also did a really good job on that hook

Framed is good. Relapse like content without the accent but with the stop and go flow. Somehow though, it works

Nowhere Fast shows eminem actually rapping over a decent beat and has some memorable lines, even if some of them are for the wrong reasons (he's not better than he ever was) I do like his bridge near the end

Heat is atrocious

Offended is alright but gives off too much Shady XV vibes. His wordplay is incredible here though, at the very least

Need Me isnt needed

(strongest three song run starts now)

In Your Head is a solid song and I think that sample works really, really well.

Castle might be the best Eminem song since Deja Vu. That chorus is 10/10, Eminem's bridge is 10/10, the Dear Hailie part is 10/10. Everything about the song is classic

Arose is good on its own but is elevated by the rewind to Castle. I feel like where Bad Husband was rehashing things we pretty much already knew, Arose gives new insight to Eminems situation in 2006-2008. Great way to end the album

I think I said earlier today in a thread that this is Eminems worst album yet, but only because the lows are so low and the highs too few. With that said, it might be better than MMLP2. Time will tell. Gotta say though, the middle to end of this album is much, much stronger than the beginning.

5/10

 

Dec 16, 2017

The part where you said "this is where the album gains momentum" is actually opposite for me, that is where the album nosedives until the last 3 tracks

 

Dec 16, 2017

Believe aside, I don't know if I would keep any of those tracks before Like Home. This is the worst opening run to an eminem album yet

 

Dec 16, 2017

I would take 9 out of 17 songs on here, maybe 10 if River grows on me. This album should have been so much shorter and it could have easily topped MMLP2 from the jump

 

Dec 17, 2017

Yes he is b---- f--- you

 

Dec 17, 2017

Thanks, I've never done nor posted a review, thought I'd try to sum up my thoughts on this album and it was longer than I expected. What are some things we did/didn't agree on?

 

Dec 17, 2017

Album grew on me. Some songs i still hate.

Castle still amazing.

Chloroseptic is actually my second favorite now. I really didn't give it any chance before but its pretty good. I think this might be the most confident I've heard Eminem in a long time.

Tragic Endings is ok. This could've been a good single. Agree about a Recovery leftover.

Like Home is actually really solid. I skipped it the first listen lol. This is way better than untouchable. It sounds so much more genuine... How did they choose Untouchable over this song as a single?

Believe and Framed are guilty pleasures. Framed would have been my third favorite song on Relapse under Deja Vu and My Mom.

In Your Head was another song I didn't give a chance... Really good song.

Arose is another highlight.

Those are the only songs I f--- with...but in saying that, I actually think this album is way better than MMLP2 and might be better than Recovery. Its not as consistent as Recovery but the highs are way better for me.

I kinda regret calling it trash. I would've never given it another listen if not for Castle.

 

Dec 17, 2017

Its kind of a shame because the marketing and song selection was f---ing awful. I made my own track list of 10 tracks and I feel it kills Recovery.