by: Sun-J
2002's release, Home From Home was a new direction for the racy Swedish act. It was much slower and more melodic than their past albums, and was received by fans with diverse reactions. With 2005's Kingwood the trio have seemed to somewhat return to their brew of fast, power chord driven songs, such as those littered all over 1996's acclaimed, Life On A Plate. Formed officially in 1992 the three skate punks from Örebro, Sweden began forming a cathartic but infectious assortment of tunes that rivaled NOFX, Operation Ivy, The Descendants and even Green Day at times. Millencolin is made of members, Erik, Mathias and Nikola.
The album opens with "Farewell My Hell" which features a dark riff, but immediately transcends old school Millencolin. "Shut Me Out" is a surprisingly melodic piece with a soothing intro graced by vintage Millencolin riffs and drum signatures. "Biftek Supernova" is the fastest song on the record, as well as one of the shortest. The track catches you off guard with such a frantic pace after the peaceful "Shut Me Out," but the bizarre lyrics provide an interesting alternate to the busy backdrop: "I had a dream last night, a dream about a bear, dancing in a trench coat, hat, and vest. It didn't take me long to get me well aware of who was hiding underneath that dress." "My Name Is Golden" features open handed strumming followed by "Ray," a pop punk anthem that is soon to be a single. The intro to the next song, "Novu" features a fantastic panning effect which sets the tone of the track by creating a mysterious vibe. "Mooseman's Jukebox" features an incredibly catchy chorus and the albums finale, "Hard Times" impresses but is a bit to lengthy when in comparison to the other tracks.
As expected, the album is full of catchy choruses and quick hitting riffs. The lyrics are that expected by any pop punk these days. Though they could have been a bit more complex, it's a hard argue based on the simple structure of punk songs. Millencolin doesn't cover any new ground, nor do they continue with the sound found on Home From Home. Instead the trio return to their original roots and are sure to impress any nostalgic punk fan.
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