5/10
Their sound, and indeed their fanbase, can easily be divided into two camps. Before 'Only By The Night' and after 'Only By The Night'. That album may have been their biggest commercial success, but has since been considered a curse on their career as it simultaneously alienated their initial following and gave them a benchmark they surely would never hit again. However, since that release, the band have managed to create some competent work and the same can be said for parts of their latest album 'WALLS'.
While the record's lead single, and coincidentally opening track, 'Waste A Moment' filled us with promise that Kings Of Leon would be heading back to their core sound, it seems like the rest of the album has fallen back into their recent comfort zone with little to offer in memorable material. And while their last full-length 'Mechanical Bull' showed a great deal of promise, it seems that they may have finally run out of steam on this release.
This sounds like nothing more than a watered down rendition of what the band used to be. Regardless of how you felt about that opinion-splitting album, you can't deny the passion that ran through it. Something that is definitely missing on this new record.