After countless threats to break up The Cure for years, Robert Smith has finally decided to shut the hell up, and with the release of this eponymous album, put all rumors to rest about The Cure's demise and start anew. Trying to shake things up a bit for this, their 13th album, Smith went out and hired nu metal producer/freakazoid Ross Robinson of Korn and Slipknot fame to produce this record, despite the collective gasp of every Cure fan on the planet. But in all fairness, Robinson does the best he possibly can here, and for the most part it sounds like he just stayed the hell out of Smith's way.

The biggest influence of Robinson here though has got to be on the first track "Lost" with it's untuned guitar strings and crunching rhythms, it sounds like The Cure's best attempt at a metal song. Vocally, this is the strongest Smith has sounded in years. It's too bad the material that's laid down here is some of the weakest in recent Cure history. Other than the excellent "Labyrinth," the first half of this self-titled album is damn near awful. I don't care what anyone says, "The End of the World" is the WORST CURE SINGLE EVER! Every time I hear it I cringe and think, boy "Friday I'm in Love" wasn't so bad after all. Plus on the frighteningly terrible "Us or Them," Simon Gallup just seems to be retreading his "Fascination Street" bass riff over one of the worst penned Smith songs ever. The album does start to pick up though at the beginning of the second half with "Alt.End," even if it sounds like "Club America" off of Wild Mood Swings. (I Don't Know What's Going) On is a simple but effective tune, and even though "Taking Off" is just a plain rip off of "Just Like Heaven" it still works. By the time Smith and company get to the last and best track, the 10 minute plus epic "The Promise," the Cure has fully recovered. With Smith screaming repeatedly 'You promised me!' at the end of the album, it's the only time I ever got those good feeling goose bumps all over. The Cure are definitely back in the limelight in a big way, but unfortunately it's with only a semi-respectable album.