The next band on the chopping block is a local (at least to me) punk band. I’ve seen them at Warped Tour and probably a couple other times but anyway, the band on the chopping block is Strung Out. I’m not gonna get too much into it so let’s take a look…..
Another Day In Paradise- this album is your basic Fat Wreck Chords sounding punk album. It does remind me of bands like Lagwagon (another great band) but aside from that, it’s a little on the derivative side yet I enjoyed it. I’ll give it 8/10
Standouts: Population Control, In Harm’s Way, Away
Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues- the songs on this one are sped up and there’s actually some pretty good riffage going on. I gotta say in all honesty. I actually enjoyed listening to this one more so than the last one. Overall, it’s just a much more fun album and I’ll give it a 10/10.
Standouts: Solitaire, Firecracker, Rottin’ Apple
Twisted By Design- this one definitely picks up where the last album left off however, the songs seem more cohesive/tighter and there’s even a tinge of metal. I feel like with this band this is one of their albums that’s considered a classic and for a good reason. Another very fun punk album to listen to and it definitely gets another 10/10.
Standouts: Too Close To See, Paperwalls, Ice Burn
An American Paradox- this one almost feels like they’re trying to go mainstream. I don’t know the songs kind of sound a bit slower and yet almost have a pop punk feel. I don’t know. I just didn’t really think this one was as strong as the last couple of albums so for that it’s going to get a 7/10.
Standouts: Alien Amplifier, The Kids, Velvet Alley
Exile In Oblivion- this one kinda feels like an amalgamation of the last two maybe three albums. It does have some slight hard riffs, but it also has that pop punk sound that was present on the last couple albums. I like this one a little bit more but again I just thought it was OK. I’ll give this 7/10.
Standouts: Analog, Katatonia, Skeletondanse
Blackhawks Over Los Angeles- you can clearly tell that when they wrote this album, they definitely going for a political album. Now, as far as how the music is on this album, it’s not as punk-y as some of their earlier albums, and you can tell that they were clearly trying to go for more structured songs. Personally, I found this one to be more on the boring side. I’m not saying this is a bad album but I just got bored with it and therefore I’m giving it 6/10.
Standouts: Blackhawks Over Los Angeles, Letter Home
Agents Of The Underground- I’d say that this one is more focused and certainly seems more structured. The problem with the last album that it was very uneven and had a lot of ups and downs whereas this one is a lot more consistent. Again though, it’s nothing mind blowing or new and I’ll give it 7/10
Standouts: Carcrashradio, Ghetto Heater, Dead Spaces
Transmission.Alpha.Delta- I feel like what they’ve been doing lately especially with this album is yes it’s got some punk, but their albums have had more of a pop punk kind of feel. I would say that again much like the previous album the songs seem a bit more structured and cohesive. Again, though at the end of the day, this album isn’t really anything new but it seems that they have found a formula and that they’re sticking with it. Overall, this album I think it’s just OK and I’m giving it 7/10
Standouts: Rats In The Walls, Magnolia, Black Maps
Songs Of Armor And Devotion- again this is kind of more of the same that we’ve heard from the last couple of albums. I must admit I am starting to miss their old kind of aggressive punk sound that they had from before, but I guess by the time you’re nine albums in it’s hard to be angsty. Still though much like the last few albums this one to me is just OK. It’s nothing special and this one in particular got kind of boring. I’ll give it 6/10
Standouts: Rebels And Saints, Daggers
Dead Rebellion- I this one kind of starts out more on the harder punk side of things which did get my hopes up a little bit but then, as it continued, it just started to go downhill. The first few songs I really enjoyed then it’s started to get just kind of boring. I’ve noticed that these albums have started to become more on the formulaic side. It’s a lot of wash, rinse, repeat. This one and the last you have not really felt like punk albums, but more pop punk albums. It’s not to say that this is a bad album however it’s nothing special I’ll give it 7/10
Standouts: Future Ghosts, New Gods, Signal Fires, White Owls
I will say the first few albums are really fun but then once you get to the later material as I’ve stated in this review, it just starts to become very derivative. Some albums are inconsistent. Some of them are more consistent than others, but I do wish that they would go back to more of their punk rock sound rather than this pop punk thing that they have going. I’m not saying that they have any bad albums in the bunch. There are just some that are better than others. Personally, I would revisit their older material rather than what they’ve been putting out lately. As far as a live show goes, I do remember them being a lot of fun.
Final Grade: C+/B-
Album Rankings:
- Twisted By Design
- Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues
- Another Day In Paradise
- Exile In Oblivion
- An American Paradox
- Agents Of The Underground
- Transmission.Alpha.Delta
- Dead Rebellion
- Blackhawks Over Los Angeles
- Songs Of Armor And Devotion
Sinister Reviews 