STRUNG OUT shouldn’t really need an introduction unless you’ve been living in a musical vacuum devoid of any taste for the last few years. Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues is simply one of the best poppy-skate punk records you’ll ever hear and one of the fastest to boot. Twisted By Design showcases how incredibly talented the band are with amazing guitar work and equally blinding drumming with ever present huge melodic choruses. The Element of Sonic Defiance was a giant step in a heavier, darker and generally more experimental direction. Not just for the band themselves but for ‘skate-punk’ bands everywhere. 2002’s American Paradox probably stands up as one my favourite CDs of all time; the production is amazing, as was the musicianship and the band covered a load of ground musically (poppy-metal-hardcore-and every combination of the three) yet it still sounds effortlessly unique and fresh. It is, in my eyes, a record that isn’t easily topped. Exile In Oblivion would have to be nothing short of incredible just to be in the same ball park. So is the record up to the task? Look who you’re asking, then have shame on yourself for ever doubting. This is a very special album indeed.
Fans of ‘SO’ of old may have difficulty accepting this album as ‘SO’ at all, it is a very different record from the ones which gained them legions of fans in the first place. So I warn you, you must judge this record on its own merits and not against the likes of STWB or TBD as apart from a couple of moments this could almost be a different band. That’s not to say this record is bad, as I’ve already mentioned this is a very fine effort, in fact I’ll be bold enough to say it is sheer genius and I haven’t heard anything better this year and I doubt I will.
‘Analog’ opens things up and provides a good taster of what to expect from the rest of the thirteen track album; thunderous hardcore/metallic riffs, vocals switching from a melodic mode to full-on snarling barks at the bat of an eyelid. The drums, as should be expected from ‘SO’, are nothing short of jaw-dropping (see the bridge two-thirds into this song for the first of many examples). This track also generally sets the atmosphere for the rest of the release; angry, melancholic and generally pretty dark. The lyrics sum this up well; “… we are the dying, we are the lonely ones, we are the waiting…â€
I won’t beat about the bush, I’m giving this record 5 stars. I’ve listened to this album about four times a day since it came out, that’s over thirty plays so far and I’m not bored of it at all and don’t skip any tracks. I can’t remember the last time an album had this type of hold over me. So as opposed to my usual well balanced ‘pros and cons’ style of reviewing I’m just going to explain why this record is so good.
#1 The production:
It seems to be the case that at present bands either try and get the most polished sound they can and lose feeling in the process, or aim for a nasty low-fi ‘arty’ sound which either works fairly well or sounds like cat pissing on a paper plate. This album is different from both. It has gloss but it also has a lowish-key feel to it too; props to Matt Hyde (SUM 41, SLAYER, PULLEY, HATEBREED, SOUL ASYLUM and SUBLIME amongst others) for seemingly capturing the songs in such a fitting way. The way the drum fills are subtly kept in the mix or the way the bass cuts through everything like towards the end of the epic sounding ‘Scarlet’ are just generally little bits which impress me.
#2 Musical genius:
‘SO’ more than know their way around their respective instruments, that’s been no lie since day one. This album however, is packed full jaw-dropping moments; too many to list in fact, so I’ll just mention a few that spring to mind. The lead guitar work in ‘Blueprint of the Fall’ is stunning; incredibly effective, very piercing but not really showboating, it just feels ‘right’ if that makes sense. ‘Never Speak Again’ just screams brilliance whether it be the mad drum fill 27 seconds in, or the euphoric sounding guitars in the break (around 90 seconds in and lasting a fair while after). The speed up in the verse of ‘Scarlet’ also left me scratching my head in joyous disbelief.
#3 Catchiness
One thing this album has in abundance is massive choruses and damn catchy ones at that. After ‘Her Name in Blood’ weaves its way through several hard edged riffs the chorus just comes and knocks you off your feet; the super melodic vocals fit snugly over the simple structure with the lead guitar noodling sweetly in the background. ‘Swan Dive’ is a much poppier track but still packs a huge punch in the sing-a-long-ability steaks. The same can be said about ‘Anna Lee’ as I’m often left whistling the chorus melody much to the annoyance of work colleagues. The guitar lick in ‘Vampires’ is equally as seductive; simple, but so very effective.
#4 Vocals/lyrics
On the several reviews I’ve read prior to writing this I’ve seen Jason Cruz’s vocals come under attack. Now, his voice is distinctive I’ll say that, but to say he’s lost it seems a little unfounded. His voice seems as fitting on this release as it does on anything else they’ve done. Granted the shoutier bits are either love or hate but they seem more at home and more effective than some other vocalists efforts in high profile bands. Lyrically, I think this is some of his finest work. Cruz has always managed to match the feeling of the music with his choice of words excellently and this album shows that talent perfectly; distant and cryptic at times whilst emotion ridden and personal at others. A particular highlight is ‘Blueprint of the Fall’ which seems to hint at a post 9/11 analysis in an intelligent manner which doesn’t fall foul of the blatant ‘Fuck GWB’ bug which so many bands have caught lately.
This is a spectacular record. Whether the ‘SO’ fans of old will accept that the band has evolved over the last few years is unfortunately not so definite, but when a band continues to push the limits of what So-Cal. Skate punk bands can play I can’t help but a little bit excited. STRUNG OUT are one of the most exciting bands on the scene and have been for some time. Do yourself a favour and check this out like you’ve got a pair.
Here’s to progression, here’s to experimentation and here’s to the next STRUNG OUT record.
Mike
www.strungout.com
www.fatwreck.com