Rolling Stone's The 11 Best Metal Albums of 2023.

Rolling Stone includes "Life Is But A Dream..." in their list of The 11 Best Metal Albums of 2023.

"On their first studio album in seven years, A7X detonate a gigantic WTF bomb that makes even their most ambitious previous efforts seem modest and monochromatic by comparison. Metal is still part of the equation — thanks to Synyster Gates’ ripping guitar, M. Shadows’ dynamic pipes, and Brooks Wackerman’s punishing drums — but Life Is but a Dream‘s mind-melting roller coaster whips wildly through one musical realm after another, touching on jazz fusion, electro-pop, and ambient soundscapes. Even the most straightforward bangers, like “Game Over,” “Mattel,” and “We Love,” practically dare the listener to catch their breath before they’re suddenly turned upside down again. —D.E."