Playground of the Damned is full of the Epic/Doom Metal the band is known for and is, as you would expect, dense and thought provoking. The overall tempo is slow and heavy. Shelton does nothing less than 100%, so a dozen or so listens later and I'm still trying to work out some of the more esoteric themes in his lyrics (and I'm no genius when it comes to allegory, so I may be a while...) Even songs that didn't initially click for me, like "Grindhouse," and ode to the gory filmmaking style of the same name, has grown on me. Arching over everything is the guitar work of Shelton. His riffs drive the songs while his acoustic playing conveys the emotions of the softer, soul-searching passages. Finally, the man PLAYS his solos. He is not content to simply throw a bunch of hammer-ons or arpeggios in the middle of each song. Shelton takes the time to work out how each solo will sound as part of the song. They are a joy to hear.