DESOLATION ROSE

It almost feels like a sing to give a TFK record only 3 stars, but while Desolation Rose is pretty darn good, I don't consider it essential, and the lack of anything I would call a truly great TFK song doesn't help its cause. That said, every song is good, the flow is great, and songs like Tower One and The Resurrected Judas came oh so close to being outstanding, but both seemed to lack that little extra something that could have made them truly great. Still really good songs overall, though.

Much of the strongest work from these sessions is on the bonus disc, namely the handful of instrumentals, the majority of which sound like vintage TFK, almost like they came from sessions from years ago.

Most of the band's essential work is the early stuff (the first five albums), Paradox Hotel, and maybe Unfold the Future (for the greatness that is Disc 2), so, again, while Desolation Rose is quite good, it just isn't essential. It is for TFK completists like me, only.