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American Steel

American Steel (1998)
New Disorder

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Contributed by: dlangl4
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on August 25th 2009

I have no idea how to even describe what this album sounds like. If you’re familiar with the rest of American Steel’s discography, know in advance that this album sounds nothing like the others. Not even a little bit. If anything, it kind of sounds like Rogue’s March, but that’s a stretch. Rogue’s March is tame compared to this. To put it simply, this is the most punk album I’ve heard in my life. No hyperbole. The speed is fast as fuck. The vocals are gritty and raw. The lyrics are intelligent and political. This isn’t the American Steel you know from Destroy Their Future and Jagged Thoughts. This doesn’t sound like Alkaline Trio or any other band like that. This is straight-up, in-your-face punk rock, and American Steel never drops the speed for a second.

And I’ll be fucked if this isn’t one of the best albums I’ve heard in my entire life. This is the best of the best folks. Very advanced street punk minus the negative connotation normally associated with the street aspect of street punk. I simply don’t know how else to say it. You just have to hear it for yourself. This shit owns everything even remotely like it.

With a running time just over 41 minutes, each of the 17 tracks of this album will leave you breathless. Not because that’s how good these songs are (even though they are that good), but because each track on the album knocks the wind out of you like a dropkick to the stomach by a fucking cannon ball. There is nothing negative to say about this album. No other albums sound like this. You just have to hear it for yourself.

As American Steel’s debut album, it can be a little hard to find (and maybe a little hard to swallow on your first listen). But New Disorder Records seem to have a few hard copies for sell and a digital download pack as well. Do yourself a favor and make an appointment for an old-school ass-kicking by American Steel.

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party-animal (September 16, 2009)

Besdies Crimpshrine, another good comparison would be Grimple.

Chadreligion (August 26, 2009)

why on earth is this just now getting reviewed????

oskorei (August 26, 2009)

I've never heard anyone compare a band to Crimpshrine on the .org. I love Crimpshrine so I'm definitely gonna try to track this down.

xshoutoutx (August 26, 2009)

PowderDaze (August 26, 2009)

this was the first Am Steel record I ever bought and I have always thought it fucking killed. Its what hooked me on the band and I've enjoyed their transition to what they are now.

KevinH (August 26, 2009)

Also, I have to disagree that nothing sounds like this. This is cut almost directly from the cloth of bands like Operation Ivy and Crimpshrine.

KevinH (August 26, 2009)

I like this record a lot, but I still have to say that Rogue's March is superior all-around.

phil_lewago (August 25, 2009)

i was into american steel when this was out then kind of lost track of them for years. then i heard the new album and thought it was a totally different band...fuck i'm old

telegraphrocks (August 25, 2009)

abracadaver (August 25, 2009)

Score is for "Landmine Lullabye," easily one of the top 20 songs I've ever heard. This shit rules.

Indecay (August 25, 2009)

By far my favorite American Steel album. Rogue's March comes close but this is just better. Reminds me of a fast and furious version of Crimpshrine. Latchkey Kid is my favorite song on there. Everyone should buy this and support New Disorder.

SmallYellowChair (August 25, 2009)

Love American Steel and all their records but never could get quite into this, I know its very different, should maybe give it more of a chance?

ashtraymonument (August 25, 2009)

landmine fuck i'm out of time

cuffer (August 25, 2009)

This album beats total ass.

Whats_Wrong_With_The_Kids (August 25, 2009)

This and Rogues March are so good. This is way different then anything else they have done. I really like their new stuff but this blows anything else out of the water.

party-animal (August 25, 2009)

This is one of my favorite records of all time. I heard this shortly after it came out, before I heard any of the other ones and it's still amazing. Hearing this first and falling in love with them you can only imagine what I thought when I heard Jagged Thoughts, not that I hate it but...

Every song on this album is amazing, one of the bands that made me keep listening to music when started to get bored with it. Also, the cover is the only band tattoo I have, probably the only one I'd ever get.

Good review too!

mpc (August 25, 2009)

Good review. American Steel, like PMFS, is one of those bands whose sound has changed so much it's hard to compare to their other records. I didn't like it when I first heard it (after I'd heard Rogue's March and Jagged Thoughts) but like it a lot when taken out of that context.

the_other_scott (August 25, 2009)

is that you, FuckYouOiOiOi ???

borntaloze (August 25, 2009)

i hate comparing this to the bands other albums cause it's so different. but on a whole it's my least favorite of theirs. it's that sorta ska thing they do every once in a while that kills it for me. however it's still a crap ton better than most of the other "street punk" albums that came out around this time.

eatdogs (August 25, 2009)

yeah, this album is the bees knees

thegreatestmanalive (August 25, 2009)

Rotting, Long Day and Cheer Up are some of the best songs I've ever heard. Fuck this album for being so damn good