I thought this was a pretty solid album. The guitar work was nothing new or special, but it isnt meant to be. Tom wasn't going for the innovative sound he had with RATM. this album is more about the lyrics and the message. I feel that the lyrics are above average. You can tell that Tom cares about the issues he sings about, and that he truly has a passion for them. I think the whole point of the album was to get his message and beliefs out there like he never did before. Let's face it, RATM was lyrically Zack's band, and Audioslave definitely did not give Tom the chance to really put his own views out there. This was his chance, and I feel that he made good use of it. I've listened to the album over and over, and each time I find some great lyric that I missed before. I've read many people saying that this album was bad because it didn't sound like Tom's old work. Well imagine that. It wasn't meant to. Get over it.