Perhaps the international success of
Bat Out of Hell II came as a surprise, but it was no shock that the follow-up,
Welcome to the Neighborhood, was not, either commerically and artistically. While it nearly duplicates the sound and style of
Meat Loaf's previous hit album,
Neighborhood was recorded without the guidance of
Jim Steinman, who was responsible for the sound of both Bat Out of Hell albums. The music has all of the elements that made the previous records hits -- there are layers of guitars, orchestras, voices -- but without
Steinman, it's just not the same. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine