We can dispose of this fairly quickly, being that the difference between this and other instrumental housey stuff will go over the heads of people who aren’t rave veterans, while fans of the Chemicals will buy this no matter what, as they should. The idea behind this is a conceptual ebb and flow pursuant to their live shows, very few traditional vocal lines per se. No “Salmon Dance” joking around in this one; the fellas have obviously been listening to old Astral Matrix and such, so it’s basically break out the head drugs and strap in, it’s your funeral.  The only song with the big-breakbeat stomp you’re looking for is “Horse Power” at mid-album, while “Wonders of the Deep” wraps things up on a high, hopeful note. This experience does require sitting through all 5-count-em minutes of weird bad-falsetto nonsense on opener “Snow,” which ultimately coheres with the rest of this if you stick with it. B

— Eric W. Saeger