Filter - The Trouble With Angels (Deluxe Edition) (2010)

Some have called this album a return to form; a combination of Short Bus and the Amalgamut... I personally think this was an attempt at a return to the band they once used to be but with a more radio friendly twist.  Admittedly, Richard Patrick sounds better vocally than he has in a long time.  I believe there was potential for more.  The album itself, starts off quite heavy with the opening track "The Inevitable Relapse" and keeps chugging along with "Drug Boy" but starts to lose steam at about the third track entitled "Absentee Father".  To be honest, I found the last album (Anthems For The Damned) to be a much more interesting mix considering the talent Richard Patrick was working with (i.e. Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit fame).  All in all, this wasn't unlistenable and I actually enjoyed it.  It's a fresh sound for Filter and it's nice to hear what they've become, but to say this a return to form is a bit of an overstatement.  The bonus disc with extra tracks was also very interesting by giving us a remixed version of "The Inevitable Relapse" which despite the changes still rocks pretty hard.  The rest of the tracks act as b-sides to the album which are alright, but I can understand why they were left off the album as they tend to act as fillers.

http://www.officialfilter.com/