You cannot even imagine how much I have been waiting for this new Strung Out album; my favourite metal-hardcore band is back and the five guys have no time to lose. In fact they bring out 13 of the best tracks this Simi Valley band ever wrote. “An American Paradox” has it all: intense and introspective lyrics, powerful guitar riss mixed with some metal guitar hooks, unique vocals and choruses and the ability of making you enjoy the rhythm of every beat. Not to mention, the cd comes out in a great package, with a booklet that is as big as a poster and with some awesome futuristic artwork.

The record starts with “Velvet Alley”, a song that values by itself the price of the record; strong rhythms, melodies and great speed, just like “Alien Amplifier”, which sums up quite well the attitude of Strung Out: guitar driven sound, metallic and infectious riffs and a lot of melody: not to mention, the perfection of everything, from the sound of the guitars to the drums ( and I wonder how Jordan can play so fast on some songs) to the use of three, as if two were not enough, guitars, one on the other and the third over everything. But if someone says that “Alien Amplifier” is the best song on the album, don’t trust them, just wait to listen to “Cult of the Subterranean”, “Satellite”, “Cementery” and “An American Paradox” itself: the ability of these five guys as musicians and songwriters is amazing: I think they are the most unique and best musicians around today,and not only in the hardcore punk scene, but all over the world, even better than all those metallic crappy bands that go to Ozzfest. Probably it is not easy to say which is the best tune of the whole record but “Dig”, already featured of the Fat Club 7inch, is very far to get on that place: a great intro, and some good invectious rhythms, but I guess everyone is gonna have its own favourite tune. In general the songs are not as metal as on the previous EP, but they are a way between the old “Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues” and “Twisted By Design”, with maybe some less metal music and roary voices, but with that kind of attitude anyway.

If you never got to listen to Strung Out, go get this now, and then you will possibly get all of their stuff, as the almighty “Twisted By Design”, which remeains the best album Fat Wreck ever released; in the meantine I enjoy myself listening to “An American Paradox”, which is the second best album Fat ever released, and I can only pity the fool who does not hear this. Also, I shall run to buy the limited edition with the previously unreleased song “Don’t Look Back”.|carlo@staff.truepunk.com