I wouldn’t say Staring Back crept up on me – after all Nick reviewed their early records way back in 2001 – but the way in which the band launched themselves back into the world with ‘On’ is quite astonishing. ‘The Mean Streets Of Goleta’ wasn’t quite as good as it should have been; a record which has elements of majesty and beauty, but never really pulls it off. ‘On’ is an entirely different beast altogether, a pulsating skate-punk frenzy that hammers machine gun drumming and precise lead guitar riffs that peel off one another in a way Strung Out and Lagwagon have managed to almost copyright. By ‘eck is ‘On’ a great album.
Just in the way their labelmates Over It have managed to mix fast-paced beats and riffs and offset them with melodic vocals, Staring Back remain a little harder and a little faster, but just as catchy. The guitars scythe and cut through layers of thick vocals, with the drums pounding at 100-mph. Matt Evans’ vocals shine above many of his peers, while the twin guitar attack of Ryan mendez and Nick Long are highly impressive throughout. The licks on ‘Version 2.0’ and ‘X-Out’ are superb, while the hardcore-tinged ‘Haunted’ and ‘The Problem With Fire’ will send you into air-drumming overdrive.
The only reason I re-discovered this band was through the new Pastepunk compilation, so I guess it goes to show just how valuable samplers are. ‘On’ is a masterpiece, a fantastic record which rattles and rolls through 12 slices of catchy melodic skate punk. If the last Lagwagon and Strung Out records disappointed, then Staring back certainly won’t. This record may be 18 months old, but it is certainly worth picking up.
www.staringback.com
Lobster Records
Paul