Strike Anywhere

Just nothing special about this album. Good effort, but honestly can't say i can recommend this.

I was quite shocked upon surveying the other reviews on this page to find that a few people had given this album only 4 stars. To me, this album deserves 5 stars, hands down! From beginning to end, this album delivers some of the most catchy and relentless hardcore punk out there. From the depths of Thomas' raspy voice comes addicting yet simple chants along with throaty screams and touching, heartfelt melodies. From their worldly & political lyrics to their driving musicianship, this album lacks next to nothing. The drums play a major part in keeping the song going and Eric does a great job. My favorite track is "Til Days Shall Be No More". It is the final track on the album and I think they couldn't have ended it much better. It starts off with an aggressive feel which continues throughout most of the song. Then it goes into one of the most amazing breakdowns I have ever heard. Towards the end, the overall feel of the song begins to slow and Thomas' voice takes the wheel. The song ends with Thomas holding the words "Our illusion..." and a series of well-placed crescendos and decrescendos of the final chord are heard.

But moving on from that, every track on the album is nothing less than a 4/5. Great album. Go buy it. End of story.

If you are a hardcore fan don't be disturbed by the more melodic emeregence in this album. The music is still aggressive, driven behind a tigh rhythm section and the vocals have not 'weakend'. If anything the emotion is more expressive and urgent. Reminds the listener of Good Riddance, Stretch Armstrong, Sick of it All, old 7 seconds. This album won't allow you to keep your ass glued to the floor, you will be up and rockin'.

Upon listening to Exit English, the thing that sticks out most to long time fans is the rather dramatic slowing down of their sound. This is a well worn path by myriad hardcore bands before them but it always stings a little when you hear a band start to sound "mature". You want a hardcore band to be a hardcore band otherwise you'd put a different record on but before you write these guys off as a flash in the pan hear me out.

It's clear on this album and their debut record that these guys are talented musicians. As in the past, the songs on here are tight as hell but what's clear on this record is that they can write compelling melodic riffs with the best of them. They also employ a slightly different tack than a lot of melodic hardcore bands. Rather than try to add melody to the speedier parts they tend to keep them fairly distinct. So you'll hear the blazing double time riffs segue into a slower, more melodic part or they'll start a song with a slower tempo only to bust out the four to the floor hardcore. This is an interesting approach as it keeps a clearer tie to their previous work but allows them to expand the songs with new melodic elements.

The other area they've also added more melody is in the vocals department. They don't pull this off quite as well because this guy is really a screamer at heart which is probably why he joined a hardcore band to begin with. At slower speeds he's really missing the passion and anger that turn many of their faster songs from good to great. This is probably the biggest drawback of this record as opposed to their last record but it's not a show stopper in my book.

While I prefer their speedier cuts, I can't deny that some of the more melodic parts are not extremely effective. You can see this most clearly on their opening combo cut "Amplify"/"Blaze", and later songs like "Aluminum Union"; and "Extinguish". The melodic parts ultimately made these better songs than they would have been had they relied solely on their previous songwriting approach. So while I do mourn the loss of their undiluted hardcore attack I have to admit that these set of songs are more unique, better written and will probably outshine their debut as time goes on.

I'm assuming this more accessible approach has made this band blacklisted by some people in the hardcore scene but I think these guys have the talent and songwriting chops to continue successfully down this path.

Check out more reviews at ohboydestroy.

Strike Anywhere sound great! They are smooth and have a certain punk feeling to them. They really can't be centered in one catagory because they have so many influences. Rise Against influences are prevalent on this CD and I think that's why I love it.

"To the World" is an awesome song that gives you an adrenaline boost. It's a fight type song that hits close to home. Strike Anywhere have done a good job at not sounding the same on every track.

Pick up this CD. I believe it shows the true world that we live in while having you sing along long after you listen to it.

THIS ALBUM IS AMAZING!!!!!AND EVERYSONG IS JUST THAT. ALL THE TRACKS HIT YOU LIKE A TON OF BRICKS BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY WARM YOUR HEART WITH THE AMAZING VOCALS, AND HEARTFELT LYRICS. ITS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO PICK A FAVORITE BECAUSE EACH SONG IS JUST AS GOOD AS THE LAST. ANY FAN OF PUNK MUST OWN THIS TODAY. GREAT MUSIC WILL NEVER DIE AS LONG AS BANDS LIKE STRIKE ANYWHERE ARE AROUND

This album is one of the best Punk albums I own. I guarantee these guys will be as big as Rise Against or AFI are now. Their music is melodic, energetic, and catchy. There also very political. This album is a great representation of their work. Go and buy this album!

Absolutely FANTASTIC melodic hardcore punk. Great Voice (cross between Russ from GR, Tim from Rancid, and Rise Against) and great band. Buy now, or else...

okay, so i'm sitting here listening to strike anywhere's "change is a sound" and i can't get enough of this record. its soo catchy, yet its soo...angry and hard and fast and..AMAZING. strike anywhere has a rather unigue sound, while not really doing anything new. i guess they just do it about 100 times better than most bands in the gere. the lyrics are basically all politically-influenced but are soo personal and sincere that you know the singer is pissed off and wants to really try and change things. i dunno, all i can say is if you're into fast, catchy, politically-influenced hardcore punk, then if you havn't heard this...do so now.

Fav. Songs:
"You're Fired"
"Sunset on 32nd Street"
"Refusal"
"Riot of Words"
...but they're all REALLY good, so check out the album

I saw this band about a month ago never heard of there music before then. I was going to see the bouncing souls and didnt know of any openers and strike anywhere came out and played a great show with so much energy....I bought 'exit english' and 'change is a sound' i suggest if you like fast hardcore punk with meaning check out this group.

So, while this is only a CD of b-sides and what not, I would have to say this CD is almost as good as most of their regular releases and better than a certain one (ahem... Exit English), for one reason and one reason only. Energy. Let's face it, Strike Anywhere is a band that consistantly brings insightful lyrics, melodies, catchy guitars, and the occasional bass-line, on every CD. What they DON'T bring on every CD, it seems, is energy, which is basically what makes or breaks every single CD by this band. This one has it, and boy will it take you for a ride. The guitars are fast, the drumming is ruthless, Thomas is screaming a lot more often than he is singing, and while he does sing, that raw sound of the hardcore battlecry is much more appreciated, at least by me, on a Strike Anywhere CD, so that's a plus. Some of these songs appear to be quite old, judging by the poor sound quality on a few of the songs towards the end of the CD, but it reminds me of the crappy sound quality that my band deals with when we record, so why not hear that from these guys too on songs like "Sunspotting" One other thing that brings this CD out is that they have a few songs that aren't all about the working class or the downtrodden and government's impact on the aformentioned working class and downtrodden. While that will never get old, change is always welcome, and it's was really cool, at least for me, to listen to "Two Sides" for the first time, which is definitely the best song on the CD, and think to myself, "Wow, this can relate to anyone, not just the antidisestablishmentarianists, for once I don't feel like Thomas is a million IQ points smarter than me, he is an actual guy."

For Strike Anywhere fans, definitely have "Change is a Sound" and "Dead FM" before you pick this up, it's not a place to start like that one dude said, sorry to contradict you so. Once those are in your CD collection, it's between this and Exit English, and I'm leaning towards this 'cause let's face it, Exit English was kinda boring and monotone.

What happened to good punk rock? I don't know, but here's a fresh song for your coffee grinder. Sounds like a mix of old Blink 182 and Op Ivy. Are you awake?

Not to be a bickering contrarian, but this isn't merely a collection of B-sides as stated by the 2 previous reviews! It's actually the bands demo, which was later released as their first ep, and some covers and compilation tracks. Now that we have gotten that out of the way...this is the beginning of an awesome melodic punk powerhouse. These recordings are way more impressive in my opinion than the debut lp "Change Is A Sound", which seemed a bit unfocused and a little stale. Exit English redeemed them in my book, but the original 5 song demo/ep is a crucial own for anyone slightly interested in this band! Recommended for fans of Dag Nasty, Gorilla Biscuits(there are covers of both bands on this release), Good Riddance, as well as newer bands Like Comeback Kid and From Ashes Rise. Awesome melodies, righteous politics, and a little fun thrown in the blender give you the perfect soundtrack for a Critical Mass ride, an anti-WTO protest, or just cleaning the house...Change is indeed a sound!

First off I am a little biased because i'm such a huge Strike Anywhere fan..I own Change Is A Sound which is an amazing album, and also am a huge fan of Exit English. I've seen this band live and have talked to the members- so overall, i just love this band, because they bring something new to a completely dead style -punk-. This CD is nowhere close to change is a sound or exit english, but i dont think it was meant to be...it's just a few b-sides, but they still rock. The stand out track is definatly "chorus of one", an excellent live song. So if you're going to get into strike anywhere, don't start here, go get yourself a copy of "change is a sound" or "exit english"- hope it helps.

Overall, a decent collection of songs from an excellent band. While it's quite mediocre compared to "Change Is A Sound" and "Exit English," it still was very good. "Notes On Pulling The Sky Down" is absolutely superb.

It's got a couple of good, short and melodic politically charged songs that pack a good punch but it's only a couple. You can tell that these guys are starting to go real poppy.

How To Pray, Dead Hours, Gunpowder and Ballad of a Bloody Run all suck. They're horrible songs.

The songs that really stick out (for me) are Prisoner Echoes, Instinct, The Promise, Allies, Speak To Our Empty Pockets and House Arrest. The unmentioned songs are all mediocre.

I bought this CD at the perfect time. It was like a year ago and I was standing in the record store with Jared and Jake and I remember I was on Spring Break and had a lot of money for some reason and was looking for new music to try. The name "Strike Anywhere" had been thrown around a little here and there among fans of bands like Rise Against and the like, so I thought why not? I bought this CD with two other, and ironically I don't remember what the two others were.

Probably because this one was sooooooo good. I popped this in for the first time on a 4 hour car drive from New York to Ohio, not knowing what to expect because I'd only heard one Strike song before. The CD opened up with Thomas's typical screaming vocals to a peaceful little guitar riff, then continued to hit me in the face with fast paced, catchy as god punk rock with amazing vocals and incredible energy. Every time I thought the CD was going to slow down for a second, like the intro to "Instinct" because the previous 5 or so CDs I bought before that followed a formula where the 2 or 3 fast tracks were first and then it relapsed into ballads and crap, but then it would pick up again and continue assaulting my ears in the best way possible. This CD basically came at the best time possible from a band that I had known basically nothing about.

Musically, this is a gem. The two six string guitars work together perfectly, rarely playing the same thing but sounding very well together and also giving Garth's bass time to shine as well in bass driven songs like "How to Pray." I actually give credit to the drummer in this CD as well, and I rarely do that 'cause I am a guitar player and know nothing of rhythm or drums, for knowing when to spread himself about the whole kit and when to blast the living be-jesus out of the snare. Thomas's voice is one that I instantly fell in love with, because he's one of three vocalists who are both equally talented at screaming and singing and can go back and forth interchangebly (The other two are Tim McIlrath and Jay Navarro). The lyics on this CD are the most insightful political lyrics I've ever listened to, and I listen to an unbelievable amount of political music. You can tell that Thomas did his research before writing the really political songs like the opening track by the little footnotes in the booklet, but then there are also times when you can tell that he was just in a real manic mood and just took the pen to the paper with all the malice he had, and those songs are really good too.

In conclusion, if I was going to be stranded on an island for the rest of my life with a CD player and 5 CDs, this would be one of the ones I chose to take with me, because it's seriously awesome. I bought their previous two works and they don't compare, (even though they're still really good, especially "Change is a Sound") It's also cool that these guys are big enough that their CDs can be found in FYE's all over the country but small enough that they don't acquire all the haters and "SELLOUT!" hype that bands like Rise Against do. It helps them stay truer to their sound. I'd recomend this to everyone except deaf people, and I'd say new fans should start here because you really can't do any better. I'm a tough tough critic but this piece of work blew me away. Standout tracks are pretty much every one but if I had to pick three they'd be "Sedition" "Hollywood Cemetery" and "Iron Trees," but again, that was hard to do because every track is perfect. GET THIS CD!

I was expecting this to suck considering everything they've done had been a step-down from the album before. But I think it was actually a nice step-up from Exit English (which was a total disappointments after Change Is A Sound). This album actually has fast songs again. And where as til this day, I still can't tell the difference between songs on Exit English, Dead FM has a lot of dynamics to it. The vocals are a little less abrasive. But the album is still energetic. The lyrics are still well-crafted political hymns (much unlike Against Me or Anti-Flag who have very simple cliche lyrics). Cool guitar work. Fast songs, slow songs. Most the tracks are have an upbeat feel. Decent drum sound. Bad bass sound. Thin guitar sound is pretty thin and low in the mix. But in the final process, the album sounds really together. Probably one of the best mixes, considering the vintage equipment used. Its a good album. Go buy it.

The FM airwaves wouldn't be so dead if they were injected with this commanding collection of politically & social charged punk rock anthems. Wake up radio, this is the music for the repressed rock masses.

Along with Change is a Sound, this is by far the best of Strike Anywhere. I bought this CD the day it came out and immediately started playing it and syncing it to my ipod. Dead FM is a great CD and I have nothing bad to say about it. If you like Strike Anywhere (or punk rock for that matter) than you will like this CD.

You ever come across a band so depressingly good it really annoys you that you're not in the band? I have - Strike Anywhere. From the opening scream of "TO LIVE IN DISCONTENT" to the final strum of guitar, this record grabs you by the face and doesn't let go. I challenge anyone to do something else while the record's playing - it's really difficult to not pay attention and sing along. This recording even has an advantage over their great full-length album "Change is a Sound" in that the smaller number of songs emphasises the variety between them so the tracks don't homogenise as much.

Right, I'm off to the underground, America, 1999, but it could be any year........

Just buy it, OK?

this is album is so insane. from the ashes of the late great Inquisition, strike anywhere are here to seriously rock so hard. the vocals are scratchy and are so easy to get into. the old-school hardcore sing alongs are so tight. and the political lyrics are intelligent and make you think. this follows the same vein of kid dynamite, but there's a little more metal to it. and its not really as alternative-leaning as inquisition. but god, this cd is so tight. it pulls you in and you never stop listening to it. its catchy and hard and very fast. if you want to have some fun, but at the same time being political and open-minded, get this cd. and go see them live. youll have your fingers up there, and youll be grabbing for the mic before you know it.

It's got a couple of good, short and melodic politically charged songs that pack a good punch but it's only a couple. You can tell that these guys are starting to go real poppy.

How To Pray, Dead Hours, Gunpowder and Ballad of a Bloody Run all suck. They're horrible songs.

The songs that really stick out (for me) are Prisoner Echoes, Instinct, The Promise, Allies, Speak To Our Empty Pockets and House Arrest. The unmentioned songs are all mediocre.

I bought this CD at the perfect time. It was like a year ago and I was standing in the record store with Jared and Jake and I remember I was on Spring Break and had a lot of money for some reason and was looking for new music to try. The name "Strike Anywhere" had been thrown around a little here and there among fans of bands like Rise Against and the like, so I thought why not? I bought this CD with two other, and ironically I don't remember what the two others were.

Probably because this one was sooooooo good. I popped this in for the first time on a 4 hour car drive from New York to Ohio, not knowing what to expect because I'd only heard one Strike song before. The CD opened up with Thomas's typical screaming vocals to a peaceful little guitar riff, then continued to hit me in the face with fast paced, catchy as god punk rock with amazing vocals and incredible energy. Every time I thought the CD was going to slow down for a second, like the intro to "Instinct" because the previous 5 or so CDs I bought before that followed a formula where the 2 or 3 fast tracks were first and then it relapsed into ballads and crap, but then it would pick up again and continue assaulting my ears in the best way possible. This CD basically came at the best time possible from a band that I had known basically nothing about.

Musically, this is a gem. The two six string guitars work together perfectly, rarely playing the same thing but sounding very well together and also giving Garth's bass time to shine as well in bass driven songs like "How to Pray." I actually give credit to the drummer in this CD as well, and I rarely do that 'cause I am a guitar player and know nothing of rhythm or drums, for knowing when to spread himself about the whole kit and when to blast the living be-jesus out of the snare. Thomas's voice is one that I instantly fell in love with, because he's one of three vocalists who are both equally talented at screaming and singing and can go back and forth interchangebly (The other two are Tim McIlrath and Jay Navarro). The lyics on this CD are the most insightful political lyrics I've ever listened to, and I listen to an unbelievable amount of political music. You can tell that Thomas did his research before writing the really political songs like the opening track by the little footnotes in the booklet, but then there are also times when you can tell that he was just in a real manic mood and just took the pen to the paper with all the malice he had, and those songs are really good too.

In conclusion, if I was going to be stranded on an island for the rest of my life with a CD player and 5 CDs, this would be one of the ones I chose to take with me, because it's seriously awesome. I bought their previous two works and they don't compare, (even though they're still really good, especially "Change is a Sound") It's also cool that these guys are big enough that their CDs can be found in FYE's all over the country but small enough that they don't acquire all the haters and "SELLOUT!" hype that bands like Rise Against do. It helps them stay truer to their sound. I'd recomend this to everyone except deaf people, and I'd say new fans should start here because you really can't do any better. I'm a tough tough critic but this piece of work blew me away. Standout tracks are pretty much every one but if I had to pick three they'd be "Sedition" "Hollywood Cemetery" and "Iron Trees," but again, that was hard to do because every track is perfect. GET THIS CD!

I was expecting this to suck considering everything they've done had been a step-down from the album before. But I think it was actually a nice step-up from Exit English (which was a total disappointments after Change Is A Sound). This album actually has fast songs again. And where as til this day, I still can't tell the difference between songs on Exit English, Dead FM has a lot of dynamics to it. The vocals are a little less abrasive. But the album is still energetic. The lyrics are still well-crafted political hymns (much unlike Against Me or Anti-Flag who have very simple cliche lyrics). Cool guitar work. Fast songs, slow songs. Most the tracks are have an upbeat feel. Decent drum sound. Bad bass sound. Thin guitar sound is pretty thin and low in the mix. But in the final process, the album sounds really together. Probably one of the best mixes, considering the vintage equipment used. Its a good album. Go buy it.

The FM airwaves wouldn't be so dead if they were injected with this commanding collection of politically & social charged punk rock anthems. Wake up radio, this is the music for the repressed rock masses.

Along with Change is a Sound, this is by far the best of Strike Anywhere. I bought this CD the day it came out and immediately started playing it and syncing it to my ipod. Dead FM is a great CD and I have nothing bad to say about it. If you like Strike Anywhere (or punk rock for that matter) than you will like this CD.

This is the best cd of strike anywhere!
real punk-rock love it :P

This is where Strike Anywhere's legend begins. Originally issued as their demo and later released by Red Leader on CD. Everything about this ep is awesome;recording, song writing, musicianship, and politics. Recommended for fans of Good Riddance, Avail, Boysetsfire, and Thrice. Fast melodic hardcore with a serious political agenda and unrelenting energy...don't miss out on the revolution!

Just nothing special about this album. Good effort, but honestly can't say i can recommend this.

I was quite shocked upon surveying the other reviews on this page to find that a few people had given this album only 4 stars. To me, this album deserves 5 stars, hands down! From beginning to end, this album delivers some of the most catchy and relentless hardcore punk out there. From the depths of Thomas' raspy voice comes addicting yet simple chants along with throaty screams and touching, heartfelt melodies. From their worldly & political lyrics to their driving musicianship, this album lacks next to nothing. The drums play a major part in keeping the song going and Eric does a great job. My favorite track is "Til Days Shall Be No More". It is the final track on the album and I think they couldn't have ended it much better. It starts off with an aggressive feel which continues throughout most of the song. Then it goes into one of the most amazing breakdowns I have ever heard. Towards the end, the overall feel of the song begins to slow and Thomas' voice takes the wheel. The song ends with Thomas holding the words "Our illusion..." and a series of well-placed crescendos and decrescendos of the final chord are heard.

But moving on from that, every track on the album is nothing less than a 4/5. Great album. Go buy it. End of story.

If you are a hardcore fan don't be disturbed by the more melodic emeregence in this album. The music is still aggressive, driven behind a tigh rhythm section and the vocals have not 'weakend'. If anything the emotion is more expressive and urgent. Reminds the listener of Good Riddance, Stretch Armstrong, Sick of it All, old 7 seconds. This album won't allow you to keep your ass glued to the floor, you will be up and rockin'.

Upon listening to Exit English, the thing that sticks out most to long time fans is the rather dramatic slowing down of their sound. This is a well worn path by myriad hardcore bands before them but it always stings a little when you hear a band start to sound "mature". You want a hardcore band to be a hardcore band otherwise you'd put a different record on but before you write these guys off as a flash in the pan hear me out.

It's clear on this album and their debut record that these guys are talented musicians. As in the past, the songs on here are tight as hell but what's clear on this record is that they can write compelling melodic riffs with the best of them. They also employ a slightly different tack than a lot of melodic hardcore bands. Rather than try to add melody to the speedier parts they tend to keep them fairly distinct. So you'll hear the blazing double time riffs segue into a slower, more melodic part or they'll start a song with a slower tempo only to bust out the four to the floor hardcore. This is an interesting approach as it keeps a clearer tie to their previous work but allows them to expand the songs with new melodic elements.

The other area they've also added more melody is in the vocals department. They don't pull this off quite as well because this guy is really a screamer at heart which is probably why he joined a hardcore band to begin with. At slower speeds he's really missing the passion and anger that turn many of their faster songs from good to great. This is probably the biggest drawback of this record as opposed to their last record but it's not a show stopper in my book.

While I prefer their speedier cuts, I can't deny that some of the more melodic parts are not extremely effective. You can see this most clearly on their opening combo cut "Amplify"/"Blaze", and later songs like "Aluminum Union"; and "Extinguish". The melodic parts ultimately made these better songs than they would have been had they relied solely on their previous songwriting approach. So while I do mourn the loss of their undiluted hardcore attack I have to admit that these set of songs are more unique, better written and will probably outshine their debut as time goes on.

I'm assuming this more accessible approach has made this band blacklisted by some people in the hardcore scene but I think these guys have the talent and songwriting chops to continue successfully down this path.

Check out more reviews at ohboydestroy.

Strike Anywhere sound great! They are smooth and have a certain punk feeling to them. They really can't be centered in one catagory because they have so many influences. Rise Against influences are prevalent on this CD and I think that's why I love it.

"To the World" is an awesome song that gives you an adrenaline boost. It's a fight type song that hits close to home. Strike Anywhere have done a good job at not sounding the same on every track.

Pick up this CD. I believe it shows the true world that we live in while having you sing along long after you listen to it.