Tracks:
1. Cold Wind Blows: 8/10 Eminem's middle finger to his critics is as brutal, mean-spirited and foul-mouthed as ever. And it's still utterly awesome.
2. Talkin' 2 Myself: 8/10 maybe not one of Eminem's absolute best, but still a thoroughly effective and moving track about his problems during his hiatus.
3. On Fire: 7/10 the angry side of Eminem is as entertaining as ever, although it's evident he's running out of zingers and bars against his critics.
4. Won't Back Down: 8/10 even after all these years, Eminem's anger, energy, rapping ability and incredible lyrics are so powerful they'll leave you dazed.
5. W.T.P.: 6/10 a pleasingly light-hearted song, but this fairly forgettable party song doesn't offer much more than just a mildly entertaining diversion.
6. Going Through Changes: 8/10 not necessarily as inventive as some of Eminem's other tracks, but its raw power is undeniable.
7. Not Afraid: 7/10 a more generic and commercial song for Eminem, but it gets its job done and is ultimately stirring without being super depressing.
8. Seduction: 6/10 as a song it's perfectly OK, but if I could understand what it's actually about that'd be appreciated.
9. No Love: 8/10 a sorely underrated song. This is a full-on and ferocious track where even the bizarre decision to same Haddaway's 'What is Love?' works well.
10. Space Bound: 7/10 a thought-provoking relationship song that makes for an interesting listen, although it's somewhat superficial.
11. Cinderella Man: 6/10 there are good bars here and there, but it's another one which sounds fairly tired instead of dramatic.
12. 25 to Life: 6/10 an evident filler track, this has punch but does sound like a bit of whiny rant at the same time.
13. So Bad: 7/10 another filler song, but it is undeniably quite fun.
14. Almost Famous: 6/10 with this song, many good lyrics get lost in overly chaotic writing.
15. Love the Way You Lie: 8/10 another one of Eminem's more commercial songs, this one feels like it's been somewhat trivialized. As a result, it's easy to forget how stirring, powerful and genuinely sad the song really is.
16. You're Never Over: 7/10 the first half of the song is unfocussed, but in the second half the track emerges as a successful and touching tribute to Eminem's sadly now-deceased best friend.
17. Untitled: 5/10 a hidden track which maybe should have just stayed hidden. It's a group of decent lyrics in search of meaning, purpose and some sort of order.
Best song: Won't Back Down
Worst song: Untitled
Summary: On the whole, pretty good stuff. It's still not as good as Eminem's older stuff but that's fine. His classics are so good it's no wonder he may have exhausted his creativity a little. But he still has a lot to say. Sure, the writing is often samey and chaotic while none of the songs could be considered an Eminem classic, but it's still thoroughly competent and decent music. It's an energetic, often thought-provoking record that can go into generic territory but it still makes for an enjoyable, stirring listen and there's plenty of recommend it.
Final rating: 7/10
