Undoubtedly, Battle For The Sun is not a bad album, but the separation of drummer Steve Hewitt, the substantially co-determined a decade the band's style has clearly left its mark. His successor, the 22-year-old Steve Forrest, comes from the American punk band Evaline and you can hear that the new plant also increased significantly. Its punchy, no-nonsense and straightforward game pushes songs like BREATHE UNDERWATER or THE NEVER ENDING WHY on his mark. Subtle arrangements or great mood as they created the group on masterpieces such as Black Market Music or Meds are, however, almost completely gone, all sounds relatively equal for rich widescreen Sound. BRIGHT LIGHTS is a good example, so that music has brightened, but who the Dark and menacing in the music of Placebo investigated - on this new album, he will find it hard.
From time to time the erstwhile qualities of the band shine through if, for example, in the soul-stirring way HAPPY YOU'RE GONE the tremolo vocals of the singer pours in Weltschmerz, the band switches back a gear and Brian Molko comforting words donates of lyrical depth. All in all, "Battle For The Sun", however, remains one of the weaker albums by Placebo.