Review: Strung Out - Exile in Oblivion

artist: strung out album: exile in oblivion label: fat wreck chords released: 11/2004 by: rob tatum I can still remember the first time that I heard Strung Out’s Twisted by Design when I was a sophomore in high school. I thought to myself at that time, this band isn’t just a punk band, they are way more talented than the other Fat Wreck Chords bands and their music is just amazing. Fast forward seven years and my thoughts are still the same. Exile in Oblivion, the band’s most recent work, pulls you in right away with catchy, melodic hooks and keeps you guessing with some heavy double bass and fast flowing metal riffs throughout. Strung Out’s strongest weapon has always been their ability to write songs that you can’t help but sing along to. This album is no different. Each of the fourteen tracks is solid and will have you echoing every word from singer Jason Cruz’s mouth. His voice still carries the same power and energy as it did ten years ago when Strung Out formed. There are occasional screams that bring back memories of the Elements of Sonic Defiance EP from a few years ago, but the majority of the songs carry the same emotional vocals as Twisted by Design and are accented with great backing vocal harmonies. Musically, Strung Out has relied strongly on a similar formula for years, but it has evolved greatly with the addition of heavy beats (and even the occasional breakdown) and the timely use of metal riffs and solos. Don’t get me wrong, I would never consider Strung Out to be called hardcore or metal, but certainly don’t refer to them as just another punk band. The songwriting exhibited in the past ten years is rivaled by few bands and continues to be leagues ahead of a great majority of bands out there. Jason’s lyrics have progressively become darker through the years, but his ability to make them catchy is a staple of the band’s sound. I doubt that there are many of you out there that haven’t heard a Strung Out album, but if there are, this is great album to showcase what you have been missing for the past decade. Even after so many albums, the band is as strong as ever. Songs such as “Never Speak Again” and “Swan Dive” will show you the entire spectrum of the band’s sound. As with any Strung Out record, Exile in Oblivion will make sure that you won’t be listening to another record for quite some time. favorite song: "the misanthropic principle" rating: 90%/100% listen to strung out