i hear a few similar motifs on the new album from the previous one, but nothing that makes me feel like he didn't make a new album. trent repeats motifs all the time and people think it's cool how it connects his work...why can't gary do the same?
i listened to Savage this morning and i thoroughly enjoyed it. the guitar tone isn't quite as full as Splinter, which is about my only complaint. as an album, i feel like it flowed a bit better than Splinter, but there weren't as many songs that i absolutely loved. overall, a solid album, and it fits nicely with its predecessor as a suite.