A new album by PENNYWISE.
A new album from perhaps the hardest melody punk / California punk band.
If No Fx is too soft and hardcore is too hard, then you turn to PENNYWISE. That was the case five or ten years ago, and we want to see if the band continues to confirm this with “All or Nothing“ or if the gentlemen are slowly getting old.
A new singer is on board, which at least makes one curious, as the singer is always the figurehead of the band.
The band kicks off the album with the title track “All or Nothing“. After the first few seconds, I grin, after a few more seconds, I am genuinely happy, and after a few more seconds, I start bouncing around the apartment like a puppet on a string.
PENNYWISE are back would be an exaggeration, as they were never gone, but they are indeed back and in absolutely top form!
The song “All or Nothing“ is 100% Pennywise. This is a song that could play on a quiz show, and I would automatically guess PENNYWISE.
My goodness, I am blown away. This is pure PENNYWISE.
The next songs continue in the same vein, especially “Revolution“ is a real hit and will rock live like an opener crashing down a government building.
This is fast, powerful melody punk as one wishes and knows it, from the times when you were still in the sweating crowd at the front. This is the sound of a generation, oh what am I saying, of a genre.
Even though the album has a few lulls towards the end, it is still the best album from the California band in years, perhaps even in their entire band history.
Lyrically, the songs may be a bit more straightforward than before, but that doesn't detract from the matter. It is important to bring people together to make the world a little better. The lyrics to “Stand Strong“, “Let us hear your Voice“ or “We have it all“ all go in one direction. The direction of standing up for oneself and staying true to oneself. Not staying true to oneself in the sense of ignorantly going your own way, but in the sense of realizing your life dream and doing what you wish for.
PENNYWISE set their own monument with “All or Nothing“.
In short, concise, and to the point, the conclusion is:
ALL OR NOTHING is 100% Pennywise, it doesn't get any better than this!
