After establishing a melody driven edge to today's punk in Lifetime, and re–configuring it in Kid Dynamite, the tested–and–approved duo of Dan Yemin and Dave Wagenschutz now offer their most distilled, aggressive approach as Paint it Black. Yemin "steps to the mic," conveying the intensely personal (try a brush with death) as well as the overtly political ("womb envy–"). Armed with the largesse of experience, the band isn't afraid to dispose with the guarded irony and get with the threatening urgency of a beautifully written "fuck you" song. Musically, Paint it Black draws more on traditional, aggro forebears, twisting it all rock–ready for the 2003 and beyond.