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Three years after their good rocking album AR '80, the band came back with this effort which is quite different in mood. Of course, on the guitar Du Cann has left and Gilmour (yes, David) came to give a hand to Vincent (but he was not alone in the guitar role).

While listening to the opening song, you can hear almost instantly that this album is going to be very different from its good predecessor. This effort sounds more electronic than truly rock unfortunately.

Still, while listening to a track like Taking A Chance, most fans of the early days are probably going to flee. Accordingly. Press next to avoid this awful electro-pop miserable tune (I should be granted to have listened to it completely).

This album is more atmospheric (Metal Minds), more easy listening than usual AR albums. The problem is also that it is more contemporary of its time. I mean that you'll have to bear lots of synth pop tracks (or part of tracks) which are not always great to listen to.

Some new wave sounds could be found on their previous album, and they are confirmed on this one as well. The upbeat part of Land Of Freedom sounds as a pure Ultravox! and a track as Machine is not alien to the incomparable Devo during its initial phase. It evolves impeccably into a great heavy keys part but I wonder if the average AR fans are keen on this...

I would say that this album is not as good as their previous reunion album. The great and heavy beats are almost forgotten and this album investigates more into specific mid-eighties sounds. These are less interesting and therefore this album is a bit of a deception as far as I am concerned even if Carnival is more in-line with the good old music that the band was used to.

Two stars is my rating because there is an evident lack of good song writing as well as moving songs (the poor closing Time is the best example of this situation). This is the last Atomic Rooster album. Vincent decided to leave our world some years after this album. RIP Vincent: you have greatly contributed to the evolution of music. I can only be thankful AND grateful for this. You were a GREAT guy.