Having listened to the album a few times. I think the album is definitely better then Recovery, I thought Recovery was a sappy, pop album and a disappointment because Cold Wind kind of set the tone for a Relapse 2 type sound. Then it devolved into a sappy mess of me against the world against all odds type songs, that was sort tired when he did Encore. The problem is when you invoke the namesake of your best album and one of the best albums of the past 15 years expectations are sky high. Again he teases us again when he put out Berzerk one of his best singles in a long time, imo.
The problem is that without the day to day struggles and honestly the drugs gave him a unique edge when he did his music, and his constant contact with hip-hops underground kept him sharp. The problem now is that, he has become the very thing he used to rebel against a decade ago. So when he digs on celebrities in 2014 it sounds forced and rings hollow. He's at his best when he kind of breaks the 4th wall and digs into himself, and I like his heartfelt stuff too, but it has become so formulaic and trite that his lyrics lose steam. If I hear another song with him and Rihanna or some 2nd rate Hailey Williams impersonator, I will jab my eardrums out with a rusty icepick.
Em needs to just get back to the fundamentals, keep his production circle to more established hip hop producers (even himself). Keep that 12 step motivational fluff to a minimum and just have fun out there.