The Art of Survival (album)

On 27 July 2022, Bush announced that their ninth studio album, titled The Art of Survival, would be released that October. In a statement issued by the band, they confirmed that the record had been written and recorded in 2022 and that they'd been working with producer Erik Ron, who'd produced two singles on the album's predecessor. The album is the fifth since the band's reunion in 2010, and the second to feature Gavin Rossdale as the sole original band member. The announcement of the new album on 27 July coincided with the release of the album's first single, "More Than Machines", a politically charged anthem themed around US abortion laws and climate change, which had been debuted in concert 4 days prior at the Atlantis Concert For Earth in the Azores, Portugal. Influences on the album's sound include Mastodon, Slipknot and System of a Down. == Content ==

Carla Valois Lobo of MusicOMH described The Art of Survival as "post-grunge done right", while Guitar.com labelled the album's sound as "polished, modern hard rock". The Soundboard described the album as a "churning approach to grunge and alt-metal". Overall, Sputnik Music stated that the heavy, bass-driven sound of the record brings to mind the post-metal of At the Soundawn and the desert rock of Kyuss. The more subdued moments of the album included the track "Creatures of the Fire", a ballad recalling the band's 1995 hit "Glycerine". Rossdale described the song "Judas Is A Riot" as being a reference to people he perceived to "drink the Kool-Aid and worship a freak". == Reception ==

{{Music ratings Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic described The Art of Survival as Bush's best effort since their 2002–2010 hiatus. John Aizelwood of Classic Rock gave a largely praising 4-star review of The Art of Survival. Sputnik Music described The Art of Survival as having little in common with the band's 1990s self and as "easily [their] most unique" album. British newspaper The Telegraph gave a mixed three-star review of The Art of Survival. Reviewer Siobhan Grogan described the record's social commentary as "clumsy" and as having "the thoughtful gravitas of a teenage boy". Nonetheless, Siobhan opined that the album's heavy sound suited the lyrical sense of doom, praising songs such as "Slow Me", "Human Sand" and "Kiss Me I'm Dead", and stated the record had a "powerful, personal relevance". All Things Must Change was described in May 2023 by Blabbermouth as a "bruising heavy rock song". == Track listing ==

Bush • Gavin Rossdale – vocals, guitar production • Chris Traynor – guitar • Corey Britz – bass • Nik Hughes – drums Additional personnel • Erik Ron – production, mixing, guitar, background vocals • Tyler Bates – additional production (tracks 7, 8) • Sacha Puttnam – keyboards • Chris Athens – mastering • Anthony Reeder – engineering • John Ewing Jr. – engineering • Isabel Gracefield – engineering (6, 10) • Connor Panayi – engineering assistance (6, 10) • Neil Krug – artwork • Dale Voelker – design • Thomas Rabsch – band photo == Charts ==

For "All Things Must Change": == References ==