Kaizo Slumber - How Are We Feeling Today? (2023), 4/10

As someone who truly loved The Kaizo Manifesto for its energy and aesthetic, How Are We Feeling Today? felt like an ultimately unsuccessful attempt at expanding Kaizo Slumber’s sound. It certainly has its moments, but during its twenty-five minute runtime it jumps so frequently between staggeringly different experiments that it never settles into much of a rhythm and does not accomplish much beyond scattered pleasant moments that are too few and far between. Of course this itself does not discount the value of the album as an experience, but some of these songs just do not work in conjunction with Kaizo Slumber’s sonic and production aesthetics. You can hear the potential in some of these samples, but the accompanying instrumentation simply does not elevate what could be an album of greater impact. That being said, it still amounts to a relatively enjoyable digital hardcore release in comparison to most.