by Conor Glassey
The much-anticipated new full length from the boys of Simi Valley was almost worth the wait. This is clearly the same Strung Out that I have grown to love. It has Jason’s gruff vocals for the verses with the sweet melodies when the chorus breaks in, the super slick dueling guitars, and of course the jaw-dropping drum fills that make up Strung Out’s signature sound. However, it sounds as though Strung Out is not even trying to progress. As much as I like Strung Out, this album is just more of the same. It sounds like an album full of b-sides. There are a few pretty good tracks, "Velvet Alley", and "Cult of the Subterranean" being my favorites. But even those don't come close to my all time favorites. It also has a few pretty bad tracks, especially "UnKoil" and "Sattelite." The rest is just middle of the road. There is nothing spectacular, all of the songs are held together with the glue of mediocrity. Unless you’re a die-hard fan, stick with Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues or Twisted By Design.