From their 2019 release, and dubbed by many as Tool's rightful spiritual successors, WHEEL's latest releases sees them exploring similar grounds as their previous releases, supplanting more American tones and themes with - in my opinion - more generic ones. If their self-titled song "Wheel" is your barometer (spoiler alert: it's mine) for what they're capable of, this album will fall short of expectations. Not a bad release by any means, but where Moving Backwards achieved iconic levels of riffs and crescendos, Charismatic Leaders struggles to live up to WHEEL's original impact onto the scene, and yet delivers a powerful journey with the tropes and delights that WHEEL has cemented themselves as being known for. If their self-titled song "Wheel" is your barometer (spoiler alert: it's mine) for what they're capable of, this album will fall short of expectations.