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 Review by: Justin See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
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Published on July 10th 2007
An album as anticipated as this one is daunting to approach. It's tempting to write some sort of treatise on Against Me!'s place in the punk scene (if there is one), the nature of independent versus major labels, the "punk ghetto," and a whole heft of other topics. The one thing that all of these topics -- which are sure to be covered here, there and elsewhere -- miss the real point, which is the music.
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Like many people have said, to me it's not the fact that they sold out that makes me dislike the album. I could care less and I know most of us would gladly accept more money for doing what they've been doing all along. This reviewer doesn't know very much about music does he. they used to be the most punk motherfuckers around This is a good review. the album is awful, the review is good, the band members suck Has no one noticed that "Thrash Unreal" sounds exactly like "Tom Courtenay" by Yo La Tengo? Good album..... but it's just not the Against Me! mentality.... All I have to say is that I'm pretty tired of the punk community downing on others for success. I've been in to these guys for a while now. About six or seven years. Whenever Crime! came out. I think it was 2001. Anyway, that's beside the point. I've been delighted to watch Against Me! grow. I think their music now is just as intuitive and has just as much to say as before. People have trouble accepting that Against Me! up to Reinventing Axl Rose is not the same Against Me! we see today. And I don't mean that in terms of their ideals and beliefs. I mean that in terms of anarchists per capita. Gabel intended to take the current Against Me! to a level not known by the original lineup. Why do you think the lineup changed in the first place? In any case, anyone who says that they have become everything they hate hasn't done their research. Yeah, they play huge venues, but big deal. People talk about self-obsession being a big thing with the band these days and then talk about how "Reinventing Axl Rose" is about Against Me!. Isn't that self-obsession? Besides, they've even said that the song is not necessarily about themselves. Just about where they came from. Gabel still helps me get in to shows for free. Plus, they've been playing benefit shows for very credible organizations and have not accepted any sponsors. And don't even talk about seeing their shit on TV. Who gives a shit? Everyone knows the label has control over that. Against Me! is doing exactly what they wanna do, regardless of what the fans or anyone else thinks. Last I checked, that's the opposite of selling out. iv been an against me fan for many years but i think this album is very bland. ya i was pissed when against me joined a major label, but the reason was because i knew they would be ruined, just like AFI. Many bands on i feel are pressured to make something everyone will like and end up making music that isnt truly from the soul. which i think is what music is about. so fuck all you kids who give old against me fans shit because if you guys were fans of against me when we were you would feel the same way. amazing from start to finish. i apologize for any negative comment i've said before about against me.....i used to think tom's voice sounded like someone gargling a piece of shit, but this band has grown to be one of my favorites. Fuck the haters. i feel that their next album and its content will really prove their direction and hearts. hopefully it's better and longer. This album didn't suck casue its better than most shit, but certainly could have been better. YOu telling me they couldn't have thrown 1 or 2 acoustics near the end and make it a 12 track? So this is definitly better then Searching for a former clarity. That last comment was just way too funny/cliche. This album is fantastic. Dear Tom Gabel, what are you haters talking about this this the best album that theyve ever made Only ten tracks doesn't give you much margin for error. Half this album is catchy and pleasing to listen to, the other half is mediocre at best. The lyrics are pretty ordinary, and any remnants of the acoustic/folk AM! have been left behind. Score is for using cell phone service as a metaphor for a relationship on the duet song. i like it a lot. Thrash Unreal gives me goosebumps everytime i hear it. every song is lyrically amazing whether the tune is great or not, it's poetry in a way... you have to give that some credit. The Ocean is fucking brilliant. i'm gone. What a spot-on review. There seems to be a lot of people commenting to the effect that people should 'just talk about the record, not the band and their actions' etc.. but the whole point and beauty of punk rock is that its not just muzak for the drive to work. It matters absolutely what the band does, says and stands for in relation to their record. The two are not disassociated from each other. If people wanted mindless, meaningless pap sung by retards, the shelves of Virgin are stacked with it. This difference is doubly important when the band used to be so outspoken and representative of DIY punk rock values as AM! were. I didn't like this album at all at first. It has grown on me a lot more, but it still has some weak tracks. New Wave is pretty good, but pretty boring after a while. The chorus just isn't good enough to be played over and over. Up the Cuts is probably my favorite song on the entire album. I believe it has a traditional Against Me! sound, but less screaming. The chorus really makes the song. Thrash unreal is a great song but gets to be a bit much after the second time they play the chorus. White People for peace is a decent traditional song. Stop is a song you either like or hate very much. Borne on the fm waves is okay i guess. It never really goes anywhere, but it's pretty catchy. Piss and vinegar has a decent intro then pretty much sucks. Americans Abroad is pretty cool, but they couldv'e done more to it i think. Animal is just kind of weird for me. I dont really like it at all. The ocean is a pretty good song and definitly a grower. But besides all of the that I was really glad to find Toms voice to have gotten a lot better and not as raspy sounding oppose to searching for a former clarity. Honestly, the first time I listened to this I wasn't that impressed. After seeing them live again and hearing the songs from this in that setting I like them a lot more. It took me a few listens to get into the album and I still think there's some weak tracks but overall its pretty solid and not deserving of a lot of the shit its been getting. "against me! seems to have sadly become the biggest joke in punk. i s'pose we'll never know why they decided to "go for it", but maybe this is an example of what not to do. oh yeah, and anti-flag, a far inferior band had a much more impressive major label debut. somethin's wrong with that." I've got to disagree with the review. best review i have read and i felt the same way about new wave. i have never been looking as foward to an album coming out before and i felt very let down by it. but i must admit the more i listing to it the more i like it. nothing better than scott ripping on justing in the firsts few posts when justin wrote in my opinion, a good review in which he stated his points clearly. you dont have to agree with them. grow up scott and lose some weight. Pitchfork gave this record a better score than Punknews!!!!!!!!! Im suprised that nobody has commented that Stop sounds (stylistically) very similar to Unprotected Sex and White People sounds quite a bit like From Her Lips. Both Stop and Unprotected sex remind me of Franz Ferdinand, in a bad way. Might just be me, but this pissed me off just as much as the lack of decent lyrics or accoustic guitars. And Animal may even be the worst song i've ever heard. Lazy. Lets hope they can make another great record a few years from now disappointment. huge disappointment. so glad I saw this band twice before this thing came out so i didnt have to hear any of these songs. i've come to the conclusion that this album would be a pretty solid 7 if they had put the two b-sides on this While I certainly feel this is AM!'s weakest release I think that most of the bad reviews are based more on how people feel about the band and not the album itself. Like most of you I was disappointed with this release the first time I heard it. But then again I was disappointed with both Searching (always makes me think of JEW when people refer to it as Clarity) and Cowboy upon first listen. I don't know what all the "cool kids" are complaining about . . . this album is pretty solid. There is a handful of really good tracks: "New Wave", "Up The Cuts", "Thrash Unreal", "White People For Peace", "Piss & Vinegar". I enjoyed the album. I would've been sweet if they had mixed the Disco Before the Breakdown EP with Crimes and wrote songs based on that but this is good stuff too. They're not one of my favourite bands since the change in sound but I still like it. I've listened to New Wave a few times now and think it's great. This is the first time AM really sounds like a full band hitting on every note together. This album will be looked back on as one of their best right with RAR. Frankly I'm glad that Against Me continues to grow up. Sure, I like them more when they were in their Reinventing/Eternal Cowboy stage but I cant stand it when band sound the exact same on every album. The world only needs one AC/DC. Thank god Against Me isnt following in their footsteps and rewriting Walking is Still Honest over and over again. being one of those kids that have followed these guys for years from the 1st time i saw them play on the flatbed of a truck, i wanted to throw in a few words. Going in, I knew it was gonna be produced, i knew the old Against Me! was gone and I'd have to rely on Searching For A Former Clarity as the last official album before it all went public. "Scott clearly wouldn't care about them watering down and selling out - after all, he's done the same thing. Zing!" score is for when tom gabel drank my parents beer and threw my puppies in the microwave on high while shouting "gremlins!!!!" "not a fan of the production, where's the bass? Best review I've ever fucking read on this site. Well worded, well written, well done. I think the album is barely better then Justin gave it credit for, but Animal and Ocean are shit tracks. the last 2 sentences of that review would have earned an A in any journalism class. it gave me a headache, but i'm old and cranky. that being said, why is everyone here afraid to continue to embrace a band that they all claimed to "love" about a year ago. once in a while bands do make records that step a bit from their "sound" in an attempt to reach further audiences and yes, to sell a bunch of records. remember, AM now have to answer to the head of a label if this shit crashes and burns. this record isn't that bad. in fact, it's rather good. it's certainly still AM in every way. if you're looking for them to reinvent the reinvented axl rose, it ain't gonna happen. there's a few great tracks on the record, and a few no so hot ones too. but to throw against me into the heap of shitty commercial bands is unfair though. they've still got more heart, more to say and more going for them than 99% of the dog shit that's reviewed, reported on and celebrated by the kids who read/work/and play at the org. but what the fuck do i know. when i was kid, my mother played culture club records. not a fan of the production, where's the bass? Scott clearly wouldn't care about them watering down and selling out - after all, he's done the same thing. Zing! That review is so right on the money it was if I wrote it. That is exactly how my buddy and I feel. Huge AM! fan from way back and New Wave is so depressing!!! They need to drop Butch Vig and stop the double and triple layering of Tom's Voice. They are not a studio magic, pop-punk, Mtv band, they are best at making music with raw energy and passion. This album left me feeling sad, like a great band died, and I agree what in the F#@k is up with "STOP"? Are you freaking kiddind me? I thought it was a joke at first. That just might be one of the worst songs i have ever heard, Unlistenable!!! Americans Abroad, The Ocean and Up the Cuts were great live before the album came out. Thats what I was expecting, not the boring, lazy, heartless, souless tracks that was recorded. Well i could go on and on and disect each horrible track but I wont. Anyway thanks for writting an article that speaks for all the true fans of AM! and great music. Mike When someone says a band sells out (without being in a commercial for axe body spray, that is a valid reason), I automatically lose all respect for their opinion. I said that when I was in 7th grade. I will listen to music, if it is good, regardless of whether the band has "sold out" or not. Maybe that makes me less "punk", but I think the real reason for bands like Against Me! and Anti-Flag sign to major labels is to get their message out to a new group of people instead of just the same old fans who are so punk they just find reasons to bitch at yellowcard. To the person who said this the way you talked about this album, you probably gave it 2 stars too many. its not the greatest they've put out, they probably should have only realeased an EP, but it isnt nearly as bad as you make it out to be. It has some really good songs, and some not so good ones. I give it a 3. STOP! take some time to For those of you who bought this at a store, here is my suggestion, go back (MARCH back) and tell your parents they raised a friggin idiot I dont like the mature sound of New Wave as much as previous against me albums. Tom is still the fucking shit though! Yellowcard are religious? Cool, another reason to hate them more. I'm on Yellowcards Street Team and they REALLY frown upon tagging things in non-related threads, they ask us to do stuff on myspace, at church, at the mall with friends, not on boards. And if we cuss and they catch us, then we are off the team for good, they are pretty religious. What the fuck is with the Yellowcard street team or some such bullshit out with full force in this review? What is the deal about comments and being anonymous? Is it too much of a hassle to require everyone to at least make up a name? People could still read comments they just couldn't post them. Yellowcard okay and I don't think that I'll ever forget the have a TRL ready new CD called Paper Walls or whatever that fucktard said, but I kinda was getting into the back and forth but it's too confusing with all the random shit (I guess this isn't helping either, but maybe if it spawns some talk about comments and names). NEWSFLASH....You can still be a poser, even if you admit it. I think that if you "march back" to a store with a opened CD and demand another one, the only thing you'll get in return is laughter and lots of it. Does Yellowcard have some sort of contest to spam sites or something? Even if their next record is like "lightening striking twice" (god good that is trite) I doubt people here care, they already know if they like them or not. Go troll on AP or Myspace or something. Faggot. I like it. hahahahaha. just because it got all your undergarments in a bunch The post below was meant to be a quote...I fucked up...why is there no delete/edit option on this site....Arrrgh! For those of you who bought this at a store, here is my suggestion, go back (MARCH back) and tell the store clerk that you want to return it and the only thing you'll take in return is the new Yellowcard CD "Paper Walls" and if they give you any shit, then fucking go bat-shit crazy. It will give Yellowcard some much needed press time in the National News and it will let that store now that Yellowcard fans are here to stay. New Yellowcard "Paper Walls" comes out soon and it's better than New Wave, Yellowcard admit they are a band for a career, they can't be posers if they admit it. Oh man, that last comment. If I read one more FUCKING off topic post, I'm going to not visit this site for a while. Big deal. But who pays for the ads? The labels, if labels think people are coming to this site then guess what? FUCK. For those of you who bought this at a store, here is my suggestion, go back (MARCH back) and tell the store clerk that you want to return it and the only thing you'll take in return is the new Yellowcard CD "Paper Walls" and if they give you any shit, then fucking go bat-shit crazy. It will give Yellowcard some much needed press time in the National News and it will let that store now that Yellowcard fans are here to stay. New Yellowcard "Paper Walls" comes out soon and it's better than New Wave, Yellowcard admit they are a band for a career, they can't be posers if they admit it. Remember when Colin reviewed the My Chemical Romance album a while back? i'm 22, i live with my girlfriend, i go to university. hahahaha. hahahaahahaha. holy shit i almost wet myself. and yellowcard? people are debating the worth of yellowcard? fucking violins, brits with kids at the university. i can't take it anymore. i think i'm moving on to where ever the fuck old folks go to read about punk/independant music. Enough with the Yellowcard shit, who cares? There WANT to be rock stars, AM! want to be more like Bruce Springsteen, career musicians with a message. Can you not tell the difference between Yellowcard and AM! ? I don't know much about this band you are talking about, but if you want to talk about a band on a major label that stands for something, look no farther than Yellowcard. Their last one didn't get much label support, their guitarist (Ben) left, it was a rough time in the Yellowcard camp. Fans like me and other people on music boards like this stood by the band and eagerly wait for the new CD to rock us back to better times when Yellowcard was on TRL and headling Warped. Lightening can strike twice and I'm hoping for good things for Yellowcard's newest release! the keyboardplayer sucks said: What the fuck? This album was supposed to be awesome... Yellowcard's singer felt the same way after their 2nd CD (which is great) didn't take off. It still sold well, but it was a hard time for the band. Lucky for fans like you and me, the rough spot for the band is going to lead to some really good songs on thier new CD. I can't wait to get it and listen to it! I'm ready to rock! I have been a fan of AM! for some time and probably will like anything they do. The sad thing is a lot of people are going to say it sucks because they are now on a major label and the cool thing is to rebel against that. I will still stay loyal to a band I listened to all through high school not because I feel obligated, but because I still like what they are doing. Scott has a vagina... im quite sure. It's not a good album. Seriously guys, out of your houses. Go. Play soccer, go for a run, build a birdhouse, do something. "Punknews people make me laugh. This, my friend, is how it feels too care too much about some so trivial. It's just music. Get over it." "To be honest Against me (again no exclamation mark....cos they are full of shit) can get to fuck, not because they signed to a major, but they basically fucked over a lot of people to get where they are today. So in two years time when they are moaning that sire dropped them cos theyre shit, I will have no sympathy. Its such a shame that a band that seemed to stand for so much became exactly what they used to write songs in disgust of. that review was almost word for word plagiarized and someone exposed it in the comments ColdWaffles brings up a great point. You guys revoked a Good Charlotte review that was biased, but you leave this review up. This review is biased. It is a sad day when the absolutepunk.net puts up a better review. ColdWaffles brings up a great point. You guys revoked a Good Charlotte review that was biased, but you leave this review up. This review is biased. It is a sad day when the absolutepunk.net puts up a better review. The lyrics are fucking terrible. "I wasn't talking about his statement, I was talking about the lyrics to New Wave. Like the music or not, you have to admit that it's Tom's worst lyrical effort. Saying they're "thought-provoking and empowering" is laughable at best. Against me (look, no exclamation mark...hope I don't get fined by their manager) are quite possibly one of the most (if not THE most) contradictory bunch of assholes I have ever liked. I think Justin hit the nail on the head with this review. The only thing I would add is that "Up The Cuts" has some of worst lyrics ever written. I'm not a hater, I just listen a lot. Get fucked, Scott. I use your "magazine" to wipe the jizz off my bathroom walls. Before this thing goes off teh interweb forever I need to say: Seriously guys, out of your houses. Go. Play soccer, go for a run, build a birdhouse, do something. the good charlotte review was shelved because it was plagiarism. This is an original review. Blow me coldwaffles. I noticed that "New Wave" was written in yellow font on the cover and that reminded me that the Florida punk band Yellowcard is putting out a new CD soon. Do you think they will wear black clothes and sing on Conan? what a fuckin disappointment. 'His highest rating? For a Moneybrother record on Sabot, a label closely tied with AM! This whole biased reviewer thing just doesn't hold water, so quit being mean little bastards." I hate to speak for all of the users here, but: man, as much as most people seem to dislike this CD, none of them want to talk about Yellowcard. Can we talk more about Yellowcard's new CD and less about this bad vocal joke band? 2. The best stuff from this album, mainly "Thrash Unreal", Up The Kuts", and "Born On The FM Waves Of A Heart", sound more reminiscent of Searching For A Former Clarity than anything from the first two albums. If you exiled them after Searching, you really have no business passionately bashing a band you lost interest in, apparently vehementy, two years ago. It's not Reinventing, it's not Cowboy. It's New Wave. Don't hate it for what it's not. If you're gonna hate it for what it is, listen to it first. "The lyrics on "New Wave" are just as thought-provoking and empowering as they were on their other records" I'm prepared to get slammed, it's not like cynicism isn't in the air of Against Me! threads. But I don't know if I've met a previous fan yet who didn't cite how "un-AM!" this album is. Where the HELL are you all coming from? HIt me with your "it sure ain't no We Laugh At Danger" and "I just can't get into it, it's just not Re-inventing Axl Rose." Three full-lengths, a number of demo's and ep's, a DVD. It's a wonder how any of you who discredited the band for this album didn't jump ship two years ago. The following is a list of why this was coming, and why you honestly deserve to have your awareness checked. I heard Thrash Unreal on Conan today. Sucks its considered the best song on the album, cause I thought it was merely "pretty good". I don't think I'll be getting this. Score is for the havoc that this review unleashed on the 'org. Seeing as nothing gets the org community together like an Against Me! story - a review at that - I'd like to ask the following question: "The lyrics on "New Wave" are just as thought-provoking and empowering as they were on their other records" Meh, this CD is hit and miss for me right now. "White People for Peace" might be my new favorite AM! song, and "Stop" might be my least favorite. this band has always blown since it's conception. this album only proves to me that there are a significant amount of morons in this world that accept a singer who sounds like someone took a shit down his throat as talented, and music that can't even live up to the crappy singing. with a name like against me!, it's no wonder why this band feels at the brunt end of an attack. they suck ass and there's no saving that. it's sad what people accept as talent these days. LONG LIVE MC HAMMER The second half of the album is hot trash. Where's the Gogol Bordello review? this review is intirely SPOT ON. i couldnt agree more. Do they sound like Yellowcard? They have a new CD coming out soon, I wonder which one is better? Do they sound like Yellowcard? They have a new CD coming out soon, I wonder which one is better? it was me that said that it was james yelling fuckers at the end of americans abroad. i was wrong. it's tom. Warren Kinsella, a liberal political strategist in Canada offered up his thoughts on the new album, I can't really say that i agree with his conclusions but i think that some of you should check it out, http://www.warrenkinsella.com/musings.htm I don't know if anyone else noticed this, but looking at Justin's other reviews it appears as though he's a pretty tough grader. Lotsa low ratings for other records as well. His highest rating? For a Moneybrother record on Sabot, a label closely tied with AM! This whole biased reviewer thing just doesn't hold water, so quit being mean little bastards. As Fuzzy he even gave LTJ, one of his favorite bands a 2/5 as well. He's gonna be the kind of father that that cuts his own kid from the soccer team. I think the album is good. The thing that irritates the most about it is that there are only 10 songs. Most of them are pretty good, but couldn't they at least throw 2-4 more songs on there. i don't even care if they are bad. I think my biggest qualm with this record is that I was so desperate for answers from them and I feel like I didn't get them all. The songs...yes they are solid and this is a rock record. A good rock record. But we are all drifters looking for some redemption in four guys who seemed to know where to get the answers from. I know they are trying to get us away from thinking they are all-knowing beings of punk rock redemption, but I wanted more, needed more. Hopefully, we can find them on our own now. score is for Rancid's back catalog. hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha wooooooow. This is soooooooooooooooooooo bad. Scores for the new Bad Religion album. They had SFAFC at wal*mart when it came out. That was pretty much game, set and match. However, I do have hope that eventually this band will become okay again. I'm sorry. Let me rephrase that. *does deserve negative stars.* I'm really glad this got two stars, to be honest. I'm sick of the positive reviews on here. That Poet's Life bullshit Timothy Armstrong put out doesn't deserves negative stars. Actually, that should be a choice on the album score feature: NEGATIVE STARS. Great fucking record. It just keeps growing and growing... I gave this album an 8 out of 10. I don't think we can be mad, they told us upfront what this was going to be. It's not my favourite album, but its still worth listening to. i wish they would just announce the release date of their next album so we can start the countdown. How does it compare to the new Yellowcard punk CD? I think I'm gonna go buy this at Wal-Mart. thank fuck someone finally gives a score different than 4 to an anticipated album "First off I’m calling shenanigans on this comment. Read a couple of the previous Against Me! threads they are full of the whole “ZOMG! This isn’t anarcho folk-punk ANARKY!!!” statements." Great Album. Childish review. You kids need to get off your computers and go outside or something, for Christ fucking sake. ”This is such a ridiculous comment. Who was expecting a folk-punk album?” No, I'm sorry. I translated the german word into english literally and the result seems to make no sense to you... "The lyrics on "New Wave" are just as thought-provoking and empowering as they were on their other records" I like it. Very catchy. I wish it were a little longer, though. I've been listening to this album over and over again, and I've been a fan of this band since "Reinventing Axl Rose", but I first saw them live when they released "Eternal Cowboy" - this was when I could see them here in Germany for the first time. Since them I visited every gig they played around here. |
