I'm not sure what number I would give. I've listened to it a couple times now, and I like it, but there's something about it.
I don't at all agree with the "stitched together" comments. I think the songwriting is pretty good, I think the playing is strong. I am a Blackmore maniac, so I love the Deep Purple-ish nature of a lot of the material.
I have a couple recurring problems though:
- the sound; no, not brickwalling, but the same-iness of it all. It's all midrange. The guitars are all that 2005-ish Alter Bridge sound (the start of Signs of the Times, the start of Opus Maximus, for two examples) and it blurs with the bass, so that I can only honestly remember one noticeable bass line (in Opus Maximus), which, with Billy Sheehan, is a travesty. The keys have that rumbly Hammond-y sound for much of it, so it is competing with the guitars and bass, and then you have JSS singing in that mid-rangy gravelly tenor and it's all a big mush.
- JSS. Look, the dude can sing, no question. I get it, he's a talent, unadulterated. But this album needed some contrast, and he was just the guy to give it, and he didn't. Coming Home is what, 4:22, and there are THREE generic metal screams in that song. You've got one of the better singers in rock, you've got two guys (at least) that can do backing v's, I would've liked to have heard some more variety in the vocals. More melody, more contrast from the "rock" of the music. This was always the magic of Purple (with Gillan) and Rainbow (with all four singers, even Doogie). That intro, to I think it was Labyrinth, made me cringe.
I'm parked somewhere around 7.5 at this point. I'd like to give it at least one more listen, though.