Actually "i'll be your loaded gun waiting to come undone" is actually about Sex.... Not an actual gun.. Get the metaphor if your going to write a bad article.

Personally, I've been a fan of The Used from the very beginning of their music career and I would also like to say that I can say that I see both sides of this arguement as to the quality of this album. I can understand why some may dislike this album but, saying this album is horrible in every way is a very wrong comment, if not blatantly stupid. Obviously, if this band has an album out and an actual label, they are worthy of it along with the Gold and Platinum rating they have recieved in the past. Maybe your used to the bands in the gutter or the sell-outs? Whichever you choose, you cannot say The Used are terrible.

In this album, The Used, I believe have found a balance between the grime of their first album and their significant success found in, "In Love In Death". Where as some tracks do lack power and seem more like pop-ish tunes as found in, "Lies For Liars", the majority of the tracks have a potent combination of The Used's naturally grime, heavy guitar, and Bert's flexible voice that can range from a sheer scream to a soft, lullaby-like voice. This album represents the road this band has come down, their trials and errors in their music careers, and finding the happy medium between the sounds they've come across. Not only that, but it shows their significant personal growth and skill as they've strengthed as a band.

If anything, this band deserves you respect at the least for coming this far. So before you state your opinion, maybe you should shut up and actually listen to the music and understand it.

I give this album 5 stars, and state that it is one of the best and original albums this year.

"Whoever wrote this is clearly not a fan of alternative rock / post-hardcore music."

Alternative rock, okay. The Used can fall under that. post-hardcore? Not so much. They're much too pop-rock to be pushed in with the post-hardcore genre.

ah whatever to everyone...
i give it a 5 out of 5 stars!
yep.
isn't it nice to be nice :]

Another 'anonymous' with superiority complex (as the reviewer)...oh yeah right, the man man, Animal collective are good, but there's no the point of discussion here. It's about respect what artists do. I listen to and i know about many artists, a lot, i guess, more than you do, but i respect every way of showing their music... hahah...you're just another pathetic little guy, who thinks to listen the best!! Wake Up!! and smell the concrete!! by the way!! How old are you? 15? i hope so, if not, oh man!! this whole thing is pointless anyway...

I haven't even heard the album, and even I'm slightly offended by this review. Whoever wrote this is clearly not a fan of alternative rock / post-hardcore music, and so is going into this with a preconceived bias. Although I have heard 'Artwork' isn't great, it's an insult to the artist and to the entire profession of reviewing to simply write off an album as 'loathsome' without even properly reviewing it. Give an opinion, or some justification for Chrissakes- Spin aren't paying you just to sit there and whinge.

This album is terrible in every way. If you want to know what real creative music is, I urge you to listen to the band Grizzly Bear or Animal Collective or Man Man. That is creativity. This is two dimensional music. This is not unique. This is not special. Self-loathing music is so played out it makes me lose sleep.

Music with no innovation shouldn't be allowed to stick around and this album proves that. Hooray for my elitism!

A lot of extremes flowing through this commentation, so i'd like to say a piece that falls somewhere in between Deigotool's belligerence and Burritoeater's fanboyism (slap in the face, really?). Artwork isn't without it's faults, and anyone claiming that the feel of the used hasn't taken a humongous U-Turn hasn't paid attention. Yes I'd agree that it's obvious that perhaps Bert doesn't have that same raw quality he had back in the self-titled days, but at the end of the day, it's still the Used on the album, and I think it's fantastic, from start to finish. A real masterpiece, perhaps not in the eyes of the dedicated fan, but when you grab the album and listen to it for what it is, and perhaps less of what it isn't, or what it doesn't amount to, there is much there to enjoy.

I agree with diegotool. The Kornhaber's whole review is three sentences! I don't think he even listened to the whole album. They have a different sound from their previous albums, and more of a commercial feel to it. Sort of sounds like Story of the Years "Black Swan," but i like how the album turned out. My favorites were "Born to Quit," "Meant to Die," and "The Best of Me." These songs are good to work out to with an upbeat rhythm. Meant to Die talks about Heath Ledger, and his passing while Best of Me is more of a break up song. They also added a different pace with ""Kissing You Goodbye," and "Empty with You" which are more for the slower listener. But to give such a absent review, and a rating like that is a slap in the face to a group as established as The Used. Especially when written for an acclaimed magazine like SPIN.

First of all, I hate no one!! i don't waste my time!! I don't like pretencious people, as seem you are too, by the way; however, no one has the right of doing this, criticizing as something was a piece of s**t!!! That's my point of view. One thing, it's if i like it or not, but far from thinking I'm the right one to rate something, i do believe nothing deserves that kind of review or one and a half star!! This is not a fair review, it's just a lame point of view, as yours of course!!! Yours does not matter anyway, but from the spin, people use to think is true, when is far from the truth!!! If you are musician...so bad for your neighbours or friends, because your comment shows you know nothing about riffs if you think artwork's are mediocre; i bet yours are better, right? you poor little guy!!! Go and keep writing music, but, don't waste your time, i tell you, and learn to respect what other musicians do. you just got me laughed!!

Uh ive written music for a really long time now. and i have to say. this album is kind of lame. Mediocre lyrics and riffs throughout the entire album. I enjoyed they're last few albums (even shallow believer) but this album was a giant letdown. The only real standout to me was Meant To Die but i have a good feeling i'll be deleting it from my mp3 player in about a week when i get bored of it.
Oh and since your criticizing him, that technically makes a critic too. so why should we believe your opinions either? or mines for that matter? does it really matter at all? of course it doesn't. people have opinions. He expressed his, you expressed yours, and i'm expressing mines. If it matters to someone else is up to the reader to decide. but dont hate someone for having one.

Such an asshole who wrote this review!!! I guess you have written music, and you have and oustanding band, or you're a finest artist?? ain't you!!? You little piece of nothing....This is bull****, ARtwork might not be the bst rock album, but it's a good effort, it has many interesting things...Stop believing critics, that don't have anything else to do but just try to impose their points of views..and they're only pathetic human beings with poor judgmente, unless for a band they like...so annoying...no objective at all!!