I gave this album 4 stars because, although it's trully an amazing album and one of my favorites, it's a real doozy to listen to. I both love and hate this technical death metal stuff because, even though it's incredibly awesome to listen to, it takes a few listens to get used to. It took me a few weeks to catch all the zings and zangs and little hooks and subtleties that make this album make sense. After I caught all that, this became one of the best albums in my collection. But until I got used to crazy rhythms and off-kilter time changes, it just seemed like a garbled mess. So beware. If you're easily befuddled by technical music, stay away. But if you like your death metal incredibly talented and crazy, buy this album!