Strung Out : "Dead Rebellion"

 I understand that once punks learn to play their instruments they become metal bands. Even with this understanding, there was a jarring change in Strung Out over the years I was unprepared.  It had been some time since I listened to them so I had to go back and give their 19994 debut "Another Day in Paradise " a spin to refresh my memory. I am not crazy they were more of a Bad Religion-like take on pop-punk It's a bigger production for sure. Jason Cruz has improved as a singer, and there is less owed to Bad Religion. The opening track almost feels like Poppa Roach. Much like earlier AFI some moments feel like they are influenced by LA Guns. This band is from Los Angeles so that is not surprising. I some ways this is only the logical sound I should have expected from punk coming from the City of Angels in this day and age. 

"New Gods" makes more sense and sound a little more punk. Lyrically it seems like he is just quoting cliches. "White Owls" works better, and one weird thing is the album has a different sound after the first two songs, which is more raw and live sounding and works better for what they do. Cruz's vocals also get more melodic and dynamically nuanced as things progressed. He has always been one of the better punk singers. Not all of these moments are as inspired as "Cages" feels more like filler trying to find its place in 2024. "Empire Down' sounds like Duran Duran making pop punk. 

"Resistance" works well for what they do as it feels like who they are now meeting their earlier punk work. There is a little bit of that 80s hair rock feel in a few places. I don't mind their more melodic side in fact it is more interesting than if this was just a one, two, three, go... punk album. Most of this album's success of mistakes lies in how the two are integrated. The drummer to 'Ceremony" feels off in this regard. "Vanessa's Song" works really well at finding the best balance of sounds. "Dystopian Party Bus" marries punk with a more 80s radio rock feel. "Plastic Skeletons" ends the album with a little more middle-of-the-road rock feel. I will give this album an 8.5, it is better than most bands from the 90s  are doing,  for as long as they have been at it things were bound to change and they just became the kind of rockers their surroundings turned them into.The most punk part of it might be that Fat Wrek Chords is releasing it.  

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Strung Out : " Transmission. Alpha.Delta"

Never paid much attention to any of the Fat Records bands, NoFx had their moments , but never felt compelled to own any of their records during the 90s when this brand off punk came into prominence. It's almost hard to call what I'm hearing here punk. The guitar playing has plenty metal to it, at times it comes across like fast Nickelback. Sure I can hear the Bad Religion influence , and at one point they might have had a more honest punk sound, but it's pretty  slick uptempo hard rock to me . There is a metal bridge to "Rebellion Of Snakes" that gets more intense, before going back to the poppier chorus. By the time we get to "the Animal and the Machine" I am wondering why they was cropping up on my many end of the year lists by people you normally think of as metal writers. I get it in the next review I'm posting after this one you will see I listen to a little of everything as well, but I would almost prefer straight up pop to something pretending to hold onto their punk roots. It's just so middle road the edge is dulled.

The emo like "Modern Drugs" at least has more putting into the song written, leaving things like "Black Maps" which might have more metal influence in the riffing come across as being merely dialed in.There is a more deliberate pace to 'Spanish Days". They touch on some more melodic moments , but nothing jaw dropping, I almost prefer the more cock rock "Tesla" , no...not the band they have a song named that , but it must be referring to the guitar riffs as the lyrics have nothing to do with the scientist. It is actually one of the albums stronger songs. The vocals caress the melodies with more passion to them. "Nowheresville" sounds like a song Bad Religion left off one of their more recent albums. "Magnolia" at least has enough nuance to the melody to carry it.

The vocals are well produced on the more aggressive "Go It Alone", but the drums are rather annoying when the guitars are not compensating for them with a more metallic flare. There is a pretty cool break down of a bridge that is very metal, but too brief to really make this song excel. "No Apologies" is pretty bland and they don't regain my attention until midway into the final song "Westcoasttrendkill" which sounds nothing like a Pantera song. I'll give this one a 6, it's well recorded and performed, but doesn't really resonate with me, but I can hear what fans of this band might like, just to middle of the road for me.