It seems as though the majority of things in life fall far below expectations. Whenever I get really excited about something I hype it in my mind. My anticipation grows and grows until that event occurs. When the event actually occurs I find that it wasn't quite as amazing as I thought it would be. Recently, the reverse situation has occurred. The new album by Brand New, "God and the Devil are Raging Inside Me" is absolutely incredible. Whenever I hear that a band that I enjoy is going in an experimental direction I get really nervous. This usually means that the new album is going to suck. Brand New's album is entirely different. This third album is truly the manifestation of the evolution of this music group. On their first album YFW, Brand New was a really good punk band with nothing more. Their follow-up 2003's Deja Entendu, Brand New showed the growth that had taken place. Both lyrically and musically this album was leaps and bounds beyond their previous album. Instead of simple punk with simple lyrical about breaking up this album had incredibly depth. G&D Raging takes this to a whole new level. Lyrically, it is a masterpiece including artfully placed quoting of Rudyard Kipling. Musically, it is no slouch either bringing a wide range of sounds together in a beautiful amalgamation of gorgeous harmony and discord. In a life where only my family doesn't disappoint I can now add Brand New to those who have received immunity from doubt.