Strike Anywhere "Dead FM" (Fat Wreck Chords)
By Jeff Dean
Thursday. Sep 28, 1:00 PM
Expectations too high?

I've been a fan of Strike Anywhere since the first time I heard their debut, Chorus of One. That record had a real impact on me at the time. I was fed up with hardcore! Everything that I had embraced for years was starting to turn stale. The musical direction of the "new bands" just seemed like a rehash of everything ‘80s. Enter Strike Anywhere: they had it! Everything that was missing. Aggressive yet melodic, great lyrics, and a singer who could give Dave Smalley a run for his money. I was instantly hooked. Every record they put out since then have been better than the last, with Exit English topping the pile. Holy Shit was that a good record! Its songs were perfect. The band really found their identity… which is why I do not know what happened on this latest release. It’s been three years since Exit English: did they lose their direction? Not to say there aren't good songs on Dead FM – opener “Sedition" is probably one of the band’s best ever – but the majority of the record just seems like filler to me. I don't know, maybe my expectations were too high or something. I mean, you wait three years for a new record and you really start to build things up in your mind. Compared to everything else in their genre, Dead FM blows it all away… but for Strike Anywhere, it kind of lacks what the last records had...
www.strikeanywhere.org
www.fatwreck.com

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Jeff Dean

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