FROM THE ASHES by Pennywise

FROM THE ASHES

$11.38
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FROM THE ASHES

Reader Reviews
Pennywise are punk rock veterans. They have turned out a new studio release every 2 years since the late eighties, never once forgoing quality for quantity. From the Ashes is no exception. Many unfamiliar with Pennywise may write them off immediately for lyrics that are too political and music that sounds all the same. A diehard Pennywise fan, however, can tell you that their lyrics encompass a good range of thoughts and ideas about society, the world, alienation, and life. The music, while it may sound similar on the first listen, has some very distinct differences from song to song and album to album. Again, From the Ashes is no exception. As soon as the album begins it's already apparent that Pennywise has indeed come back full steam and kicked it up a notch. Shredding guitars, tight, masterful drumming, frenzied yet poignant bass fills and passionate, intelligent vocals are prevalent throughout the entirety of the CD. Songs like "Waiting", "Holiday in the Sun" and "God Save the USA" are impossibly catchy tunes that fuse the talents of all four members together into a tightly knit package. This is the formula that they have been using for well over a decade and while they have stayed strong and true to it, there's no doubt that they've expanded greatly. It's worked well in pleasing old fans as well as attracting new ones, however, that doesn't mean that Pennywise hasn't considered some experimentation. This is present in the album and provides a well balanced mixture of sounds within their style of punk rock. Tunes like "This is Only a Test" with it's short-lived but excellent acoustic parts, and "Yesterdays" with the audio accompaniment of children playing in the background during the bridge aren't particularly original, but what really matters is they fit comfortably, adding to and working well with their respective songs. One thing that I noticed when contrasting this album from earlier ones is that just about every song has two different guitar tracks playing over one another rather than just one. This creates a powerful melodic sound akin to a wall of music rather than a simpler guitar driven onslaught. Another difference I noted was the tone and content of the lyrics, which are less angry this time, and feature a more personal and hopeful view of the future and state of the world. Disappointment and disillusion is the prominent feeling in From the Ashes. This is a change from the last full-length, Land of the Free? that had the heavier sentiments of anger and disgust. Although this isn't their best or worst album it could hardly be described as mediocre. It's obvious that there was a lot of time and energy put into every aspect of the disc. If I had to pick apart any part of the album, it would be the vocals: everything is perfect about them (including the backups that are some of the most impressive I've ever heard from Pennywise), the production, however, is the problem, giving the vocals a slightly overproduced and unnatural feeling. Anyone who buys this album will be especially pleased to hear that it comes with a DVD chock full of cool footage ranging from live performances and studio recording/pre-production with interviews, to amusing and random havoc complete with vomiting and paintball injuries.

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