Review: Stretch Arm Strong - Engage

artist: stretch arm strong album: engage label: solid state records released: 2003 by: rob tatum Perhaps the most difficult thing for a band is to continually put out decent records and avoid having every album sound the same. Stretch Arm Strong’s fourth album, Engage, manages to prevent this from happening, and even surprised me a little here and there. My biggest fear for this album was that it would be too poppy and they would stray away from their hardcore roots (especially since their tour with A New Found Glory didn’t exactly help their reputation). After a couple of listens, my worries were put to rest. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Stretch Arm Strong, first, stop reading this and go buy their album Rituals of Life, which I consider one of the “must own” hardcore albums. Now that you have done that, you know that this five piece plays fast-paced, yet melodic hardcore. The majority of their songs focus on looking for the positive aspects of life and revolting against the negatives, and that’s still true on Engage. Songs such as We Bleed, Raise your Fist (which has a kick ass breakdown), and Defect encompass strong messages of not giving up on life and standing tall. These types of lyrics are the cornerstone of Stretch Arm Strong. This album is a little more poppy than their previous releases, but by all means, this is still a hardcore band. The first two songs on the album assure you of this right away. Blistering guitars and heavy beats fuel great sing alongs and remind you of what hardcore really is about. Vocalist Chris McLane reiterates his case as one of the best vocalists in hardcore. Joined by guitarist David Sease, they create some awesome vocal overlays on Engage that really enhance the flow of the album. The entire album isn’t as heavy as the first two songs and that’s actually a good thing. The songs Miles Apart and The Calling really break this album up nicely and make it a great listen. My only complaint is the cover of NWA’s Express Yourself which I find to be terrible. Normally the band does excellent cover songs (once again, listen to Rituals of Life), but this could have been left off the album and no one would have cared. Overall, I think album is excellent (minus the cover song). Time leads to change, and Engage is the type of change (progression) that bands strive for. This album may open some doors for Stretch Arm Strong because it doesn’t have to be limited to the hardcore genre. This is a must for any Stretch Arm Strong fan and a good start for anyone who hasn’t heard them before. favorite song: "defect" rating: 92%/100%