Rarely has a press/public gap opened this wide in early 2026: 71/100 from critics, 53/100 from listeners on AOTY. Dom Lawson at Blabbermouth (8.5/10) reaches for the superlative: « absolutely killer and bereft of filler », « a hugely important next step » for Jennifer Haben’s band, whose voice he calls « warm, versatile and vivacious ». Metal Hammer (8/10) concurs. Kerrang! and Angry Metal Guy (6/10 apiece) cool things down.
The critical consensus: irresistible hooks, Haben at her peak, a production balancing « atmospheric subtlety and outright bombast ». The reservation: a weaker back half — AMG flags robo-vocals « more grating than cool » on « The Flood » and a guest (Asami) wasted on uninspired synth-pop.
Then there’s the sulking public. The drift towards Amaranthe-style symphonic pop lands badly with first-era symphonic metal fans, and 53/100 is not a footnote. The press says good record, the base says soft betrayal: we split the difference, and we log the gap.