I don't know if this is Pennywise's best album since the late nineties, but it's damn good, regardless. Fans of the band should like it; people who don't like Pennywise probably won't.
"All Or Nothing," the first track, and the first released prior to the record, is a good, fast opener. Sounds like a traditional Pennywise song, and Zoli Teglas' vocals work well; not quite the same style he uses with Ignite; he hits a tone somewhere between Ignite and Pennywise the way their previous singer, Jim Lindberg, sang.
That said, he does manage to stretch the limits of what Lindberg likely could have pulled off, on songs like "Let Us Hear Your Voice," a fun sing-along, and "Songs of Sorrow."
His voice sounds good, and it makes sense he'd change from what he did with Ignite, since Pennywise writes a in a different style that doesn't quite allow for some of the long, stretched out vocal melodies Teglas pulls off with Ignite. What he does on this album fits with the music.
"Revolution" is a good mid-tempo jam, but the lyrics are a bit vague, leaving you wondering what revolution they're referring to, exactly.
"Tomorrow" is a fun song, but I guess they forgot they already have a song called "Tomorrow." This one's not as a good as that one, but it gets the job done.
Some of the lyrics rely on cliches and generic-sounding slogans (so we know that wasn't just coming from Lindberg), but they're no worse than some of the 80's straight edge bands I love. I don't know if that's exactly an approval--I think they could try a little harder--but there's nothing on this album as bad as "Take this confusion all away / We need the answers here today" from the previous one, "Reason to Believe."
The artwork is traditionally unremarkable. The Pennywise logo is cool-looking and all, but this album looks just like the self-titled record and "Full Circle," albeit in different colors. But no one buys Pennywise albums for the artwork; they haven't had a truly interesting design since "Land of the Free?"
This album is being described as a sort of shot in the arm for a band that's been around a while and is some years past their peak in popularity. I hope it works, 'cause it's a good album, and I'm sure Zoli fronts a good live act for them the same as he did for Ignite, and the same as Jim always did.
Pennywise fans will probably enjoy this record. Those who like Ignite but not Pennwyise--probably not. Zoli brings something new to the table, but musically, it's traditional Pennywise, and his vocals on this album don't necessarily represent the best he is capable of.
Production-wise, it sounds slick, like an Epitaph release, though not over-produced or heavy on overdubs, like "Rise From the Ashes."
A number of songs on "All Or Nothing" leave an impression when the album ends. Standouts include the title track, "Let Us Hear Your Voice," "Seeing Red," "Waste Another Day," and "We Have It All."
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