Descendents

Everything Sucks (1996)

Jon

1996 marked the first time in nine years that Milo Aukerman returned to the almighty Descendents. While the rest of the band continued as All, they never truly took the place of what Descendents paved the way to. 1996 brought Everything Sucks. A Powerhouse of a record with in your face guitars and lyrics. Basically, The Descendents were back and after eight All albums, fans couldn’t have been happier to have Milo back. Everything Sucks was quite possibly the most polished and well rounded Descendents record and while it got mixed reviews initially, the album stands as a solid release.

From the second Everything Sucks begins to where it ends was nothing but pure energy. “Everything Sucks” kicks right off where the band left off. Whether it was the excitement to return with Milo or just the raw emotion put into it, there's no doubt that the excitement shows. The album marks somewhat of a real full length in some ways. Though their sound didn't change drastically, it sounds more polished and raw than ever before. "I'm The One" has that classic Descendents feel to it and it's incredibly catchy that made it feel like the band never really left.

Some of the best songs on the album were the aggressively melodic driven songs that are easy to follow and get stuck in your head. Songs like “Caught” or “Sick-o-Me.” But then there are the melodically poppier punk driven songs that really held the album together like “She Loves Me,” “Thank You,” “When I Get Old,” and “I Won’t Let Me.” These songs will forever be Descendents classics.

Everything Sucks is definitely one of the more polished and balanced records. It’s extremely rounded out between the songwriting of four members who each have their strong writing styles. Whether it’s the drum driven songs of Billy Stevenson or the aggressive guitars Stephen Egerton throws in your face, nothing on Everything Sucks truly  sucks.