When Bands Change Their Sound...

Soilwork has lost a lot of the layered melodies and keyboards/lavish production that made me really like them in the first place. They do more of a harsh garage sound now, and I'm very particular about the raw-sounding bands I'll listen to.

In that same vein, I actually really like the new direction In Flames is taking. I liked Jester's Race pretty well, but I feel like they've come into their own being a groove metal band and definitely have a great sound using more synth and polyharmony. (Full disclosure: hated Soundtrack to your Escape, half-and-half on Come Clarity, and two thumbs up for Sense of Purpose.)

Juno Reactor sure seems to have taken the piss on their last album. I was a faithful follower for a while there because of their willingness to mix genres, but it seems like they really shrank up and went more traditional techno with "Gods & Monsters". Where did the flutes, drums, and world instruments go?

How ya doing, buddy?