On first listen it's good, but I think comparisons with Brave New World are extreme. Final Frontier was a better effort for me; still in the proggy direction but definitely a LOT less "fat" that needed trimming. Plus, 'When The Wild Wind Blows' remains one of the best songs they've ever written as far as I'm concerned.
Having said that, the two longest songs on this record (Empire of the Clouds and The Red and the Black) are two of the best (alongside Tears of a Clown). But I'm finding the mid-length songs like Shadows of the Valley and The Great Unknown suffering from a bit of an identity crisis - a strange mix of the epic and the shorter, more uptempo tracks of their youth but not comfortable with either description.
In terms of post-reunion albums, based on one listen:
Brave New World > Final Frontier > Dance of Death/Book of Souls > AMOLAD
