I’ve only had the chance to hear the first few songs and it was while I was getting ready for work. Very stoked to sit down tonight with some good headphones and listen to this front to back.
I can’t remember the last time I heard someone say, if ever, that an album was too long. Maybe Dream Theater’s 6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence, which was primarily caused by the Ruddess wankfest that comprised the 2nd half the album.
I don't think folks mean that it's too many minutes, just that it's a slog to get through.
EDIT:
Alright, made it through my first full, non-stop listen. I think @KnightBrolaire pretty much hit the nail on the head.
The pre-release singles are the weakest tracks, and the best on the album are the slower more melodic tracks.
It's not a bad album, but it could have easily been paired down by 1/4. I totally understand the folks saying it's too long, but honestly, it's not egregious.
My biggest gripes: no big Mastodon guitars, the production is "interesting", vocals are probably the worst they've been, and there's just not a lot of hooks to keep you coming back.
It seems they're falling into the trap a lot of heavy bands do when they age, going for more ambience and soundscapes. Which a lot of people dig.
I don't know, it's better than I expected it to be, but I don't know how much I'm going to listen to it again. Maybe it'll grow on me.