I hope this message finds you well,
Allister Rox!
I can listen to them for days no years.
Love you guys.
10 for all Allister stuff.
'A Lotta Nerve" BEST SONG ON 'BEFORE THE BLACKOUT'
'West Bound' BEST SONG ON 'LAST STOP TO SUBURBIA'
'Jimmy's Dream Girl' BEST SONG ON 'DEAD ENDS AND GIRLFRIENDS'!
____Dead Arrival.

The song Scratch rules, I do have respect for Allister

It all sweet smells and puppy dog tails as we track through the latest effort from Chicago-based Allister. I was only semi-impressed with their last album, LAST STOP SUBURBIA, and was hoping for something a bit less poppy, but it seems things are destined to stay the same. BEFORE THE BLACKOUT offers a mix of very catchy songs laced a bubblegum pop-punk feel. Fans of the pop-punk genre will be quite happy with this album, but I suggest staying away if you are looking for something with balls and grit. This is just a little bit too sweet for my liking

excellent album

I Can listen to tHiS FoR HouRs!

i love it

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 at 11:47 PM (EST)
My Score:

sweet ass pop punk!!!

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 24, 2005 at 7:33 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Dude Great album. Last Stop to Suberbia was a kick ass album to. I love them both. Thank you for staying together cause I love you. I am proud of you guys. Thanx.
____Dead Arrival

Personally, I still think Last Stop Suburbia is a better album straight through. However, this album is pretty solid and is still a step in right direction for Allister, especially after a couple years break since the last album and a few lineup changes. Thanks for not breaking up.
-chris

since Green Day has released about 20 albums now, "Dookie" is easily considered "early Green Day".

biotch!

allister haha...music for pricks

The people who make fun of Allister are usually more mature than your average Drive Thru kid. They too fell into the the "pop punk" trap and listened to shit like Fenix TX and Midtown. Now it's time to warn others. You will mature and will only like bands like The Bouncing Souls. You will laugh one day, when you realized you spent an hour of your life reviewing Allister.

Response #2

-rest_easy I think you said a lot of it well. If you aren't into a certain kind of music, why are you getting into this. If you've heard the album and like or don't like it, agree or disagree with me, then go ahead and post what you feel. If you just don't like the band, or just don't like the genre, as in the person who just spoke out against pop-punk, then you shouldn't be posting stupid responses here. Just because you don't like a genre, whether it be pop-punk, rap, or country, that doesn't mean the review is stupid, or that the band is stupid. When you review something, you review it for the content of the album, possibly in comparison to previous albums or other albums in the genre, but it is pointless to denounce something simply because of the genre.

-Just wondering, because I'm not familiar, what was the midtown stuff that went down?

-Yeah, early Green Day was make-up free. Plus, I don't think the analogy really applies.

-As far as the name comment, this is not my real name. I am wary of people with the name jockmcbored. It's part of my name, but I'm not just posting on here under my full name.

William David - sorry but i'm always wary of people who's surnames could be their 1st.

I have to say tho that this is an excellent review. Told us what it sounded like and the good/bad bits.

liked their 1st album, not the 2nd but now defo won't buy this.

as for the numpty who thinks "early green day" = dookie...... try the 2 albums before that

what exactly is "early green day" anyway? dookie?
so allister is as good as dookie? i don't think so!

(by the way, this goes to show that any shitty band can put out a mediocre record and get at LEAST 3 stars on this site)

earily green day had makeup?

Allister = Early greenday minus the makeup

Moo

i thought that punknews.org did not review the drive thru stuff after the midtown shit went on ...

Who the fuck said that shit!?!?

I can't believe I misquoted. Fuck IT up it's stupid ass. Damn I deserve negative points for that one.

I remember liking Allister after their first cd came out, then I realized it sucked. Guess what? That's right, fuck pop punk. Fuck up it's stupid ass.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 17, 2005 at 10:57 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I cannot stand comments like this: "I can't tell the difference between Allister, Mest and the Sugarcult. I'd rather listen to the Lawrence Arms."

So why are you posting here? No one cares what ya'all listen to the column is to comment on the album. I, and I'm sure others here as well, feel dumber for having read statements such as the above quoted.
I enjoyed the album to the point where I am satisfied from listening to it. I will not be exclaiming to everyone I see go out and buy this album! but if someone asks I would say yeah if definately check it out.
-rest_easy

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 17, 2005 at 7:40 AM (EDT)
My Score:

arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh

One word regarding this review;

Disjointed.

It can be fixed easily, but sayin'.

Posted by William_David on 2005-10-15 16:42:33
My Score:

A Response to my fans and sworn enemies...

-The Fraggle Rock cover was welcome...enough said.

-This is not Nickelback, I promise you that. Maybe you think a band playing the same 4 chords over and over is more punk, but I admire a band that puts more thought into their music.

-aahhhh, have you heard the CD? Do you have anything to back up your comments?

-Superdude...funny. I wasn't saying they should be praised nor shunned for sounding like Lit, it's just a comparison for people to get an idea of what the sound is like. Whether you like it or not, when I mention Lit, everyone sees to know who I'm talking about, right?

-Who cares if it's main stream or not? Isn't a good record a good record?

-sickboi, thanks for the opinion. I don't expect everyone to like or dislike it. I think it's cool enough that that the style is noticable. For better or worse, it's obviously differnt from others.

-William David

ugh, that last thing i want to hear is a band like Allister "maturing"

Home Grown did the same thing and look what happened...

Blagh, this is going to sound sad, but I liked Drive Thru a lot more when it was mindless pop-punk, and not this self indulgent "trying to be something we're not" emo-pop-punk

I can't tell the difference between Allister, Mest and the Sugarcult. I'd rather listen to the Lawrence Arms.

"Their new sound is reminiscent of Lit’s catchy rock style. There are also traces of Bowling for Soup"

What a way to promote an album. Its a hell of a lot better than what this douchebag reviewer has said. Of course it is overproduced, what drive thru full length hasnt been overproduced in the last 4 years??

Moo

............there's a place we used to go....................

fall out boy > allister

aim?

Someone should send me that Fraggle Rock cover, that song ruled.

- Kirby

Great Album I love it. As my nick name states Arrival I will say I LOVE! Allister so I am ashamed of the fools righting bad reviews cause this album kicks ass. This album ROX!

their first record was a solid pop punk record

catchy songs, not too slick or overproduced, occasional musical fuckups etc.

Best Superdude comment yet.

I really do not like this kid's writing style.

Lit? Bowling for Soup??? Wow, two of the shittiest bands ever recorded. I can't imagine a CD I want to listen to less than this if that's what it sounds like.

Somewhere down in fullertown theres a place...........

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 14, 2005 at 2:36 PM (EDT)
My Score:

There's a few really good songs on this cd but as a whole this cd just sounds way too mainstream. If this cd was on Capitol Records it would be more appropriate. Some of the songs sound just like Simple Plan.

Last Stop Suburbia was an outstanding pop punk album. That cd from start to finish is one of the catchiest punk cd's of all time. I rank it right up there with ......Anywhere but Here by The Ataris.

The Ataris however have progressed nicely with slower songs but still maintain their ultra-catchy melodies. This new Allister cd is a step back, it almost sounds like they're restricting themselves to please a major record label even though it's not on a major label. Pop punk is meant to be catchy, not dark.

Posted by poopypants on 2005-10-14 13:31:04
My Score:

I really like this cd. its everything I like about pop punk. yea, a lot of the songs are about breakups, but the singer really DID breakup w/ his girlfriend of 4 years before writing this cd. and they arent sappy ass breakup songs either, they're pretty mature but nothing deep.

i dont' think its very different from 'last stop suburbia' just a little more mature, 'blackout' and 'waiting' are a bit edgier than their normal sugar coated stuff.

paul

2. Where are the switches?

They have pull chains

Superdude rocks.

And I agree with him on the last point. Evolving to sound like Lit is a good thing?

hahah that last comment is hilarious!!! great cd!!!!

This review was pretty good, but here's how I would make it better:

1. The cover is very unrealistic. There's isn't light bulbs in nature.

2. Where are the switches?

3. If they're pushing a darker image, why do they have lightbulbs on the cover? Those are bright.

4. Maybe the light bulbs are there because of their fondness for Lit that you mention.

5. People liked Lit?

this cd is god awful.

in order:
dead ends and girlfriends (good fast pop-punk)
last stop suburbia (a bit overproduced, but still mostly good songs)
....

before the blackout (this cd is just terrible. the song lyrics are the most predictable i've ever heard and the music is uninspired. overproduced to the max)

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 14, 2005 at 8:29 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Last Stop Suburbia was a solid but totally unchallenging pop punk album with a few standout tracks and a lot of filler.

I suppose it's positive that they don't want to just regurgitate taht album again and are trying to develop as a band but if that means sounding like Lit and Bowling For Soup I think I'll pass.

"grow on you" buzz word for shite-oldpunker-

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 14, 2005 at 6:41 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I wasn't a fan of their last record, and based on the Lit and rock riff comments, I could only imagine that this sounds like Nickelback playing a safe version of pop punk.

Yuck. No thanks.

Didn't know they'd finished the album. I may check it out, the last 2 were pretty good. Certainly in no rush to buy this.

Posted by AlmostPunkEnough on 2005-10-14 05:08:28
My Score:

i remember Romper Room, my brother used to love that shit when he was 2 or whatever. that and Mya the Bee, he would sing the goddamn song all the time.

anyway, this is actually pretty damn good as far as pop-punk goes. a million times better than Fall Out Boy or garbage of that nature. i would give it better than a 7, but it's just too derivative. whatever though, it's fun and catchy as hell, so suck it.

Allister's not terrible

Last Stop Suburbia was a very good pop-punk album

I look forward to listening to this.

fraggle rock was cool but this is definately butt rock

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 14, 2005 at 12:33 AM (EDT)
My Score:

ironicly enough, this cd cover reminds me of that one even in blackouts cd.

I'm mildly hopeful for this CD.

ifraggle rock was cool i guess

anyone ever see that show romper room i think? it was a bunch of pre schoolers and trhe host had a mirror, and she ended every show with "i see billy, and mike, and blah blah blah"? had to be mid 80s

- jones the bones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

Yeah, this is the band that did fraggle rock as well as the backstreet boys cover song on one of their records.

Dance your cares away, worries for another day

is this the band that did the fraggle rock cover awhile back? or was that a different bunch of sallys?

- jones the bones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com