There’s no proper introduction for The Offspring, who’ve come out blazing with their eleventh studio album, Supercharged. With great energy throughout and a classic sound that doesn’t need fine-tuning, one of the most successful punk bands takes another step forward.
Like some older punk bands, the group feeds into more of a nostalgia factor on this record. This is efficiently executed in just the instrumental alone. “Light It Up” is the best track for this feeling.
The track is very fast-paced. Drummer Brandon Pertzborn, known for his work with Black Flag and Marilyn Manson, leads the attack with high-powered toms. Pertzborn does seem to lose steam in the middle of the track, but as soon as he’s out, he’s right back in with a powerful fill to push the tempo.
On the other hand, the guitar work doesn’t do anything too crazy. A few excellent solos compensate for their lack of changing notes with a pure wail. What sticks out even more are the few out-of-the-box choices in instrumental inclusion.
On “Make It All Right,” a Boys Like Girls drum machine opens on a British talking vocal that sounds much like Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale. After that, the song dives into a more repetitive call and response that doesn’t disappoint.
However, the best song on the record takes an exciting turn into metal and stadium rock that will keep the listeners hooked. The Offspring show their “amor” for this South American nation on “Come To Brazil.” It’s a track that doesn’t sound like a tourist trap but a powerful stadium rock knockoff with one of the best guitar solos on the record and occasional moonlighting as a Ride The Lightning-era Metallica track.
“It doesn’t matter how many times we came / ‘Cause they want us back again just the same / And the flights are long, but they won’t stop / Until we come to Brazil.”
Overall, The Offspring continues to be adventurous and creative, even when their music gets repetitive. They’re a classic band without a fixed sound and a lot of flair for the dramatic.
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