Showing posts with label Millencolin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Millencolin. Show all posts
Millencolin - Machine 15 (2008)
01. Machine 15
02. Done is Done
03. Detox
04. Vicious Circle
05. Broken World
06. Come On
07. Centerpiece
08. Who's Laughing Now
09. Brand New Game
10. Ducks & Drakes
11. Turnkey Paradise
12. Route One
13. Danger for Stranger
14. Saved By Hell
15. End Piece
It's been a three-year wait for Millencolin to finally drop the follow-up to their 2005 Kingwood album, and although the band remains the same, in the interim Millencolin's sound has undergone a sea change. Although the group's genesis dates back to the late '80s, Kingwood returned Millencolin to transformative years in the early '90s, when they latched onto the SoCal sound and began unleashing exhilarating punk discs that powered them to worldwide fame. Machine 15's title presumably celebrates the band's 15th year of recording, but finds the quartet looking forward to the future. And that future beholds a band now discovering the joys of pop music. Of course, Millencolin always had a strong melodic bent, but now they've lathered the set in harmony by double- and triple-tracking frontman/bassist Nikola Sarcevic's vocals. The set-opening title track is just about smothered in them, and is followed by the one-two punch of "Done Is Done" and "Detox." Amazingly, the hard-driving "Done" features a string quartet, which heightens the song's tension, while the latter number jumps straight into '60s-rinsed pop-punk. "Vicious Circle" is even more startling, and will leave fans torn between heading for the pit or raising their lighters in the air and swaying along with this anthemic number. More surprises are to come; "Broken World" adds a touch of '70s rock to the band's punk sound, while "Danger for Stranger" again returns to the past, but this time with a mind-blowing meld of Cheap Trick and the Clash. By now, some fans may be screaming for relief, and it's on the way, for by and large Millencolin fill the rest of the album with straight-ahead melodic punk. And melody is the key to this set, for rarely has the band so consistently hit these kinds of tuneful heights, leaving the set awash in infectious melodies and anthemic choruses. The sound, thanks to Lou Giordano's production, is absolutely electrifying, while Millencolin's exhilarating performances suggest that they're more than ready for another 15 years. With the album's themes ranging from the politically scathing to the autobiographical, the lyrics invariably resonate as well. Millencolin open an entirely new chapter in their career, and it is guaranteed to be a real page-turner. Jo-Ann Greene, AMG
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Millencolin - Kingwood (2005)
01. Farewell My Hell
02. Birdie
03. Cash Or Clash
04. Shut You Out
05. Biftek Supernova
06. My Name Is Golden
07. Ray
08. Novo
09. Simple Twist Of Hate
10. Stalemate
11. Mooseman’s Jukebox
12. Hard Times
When Nikola Sarcevic's first solo project, Lock-Sport-Krock, was released in 2004, fans were shocked by how different it was from his work as Millencolin's lead vocalist. Instead of embracing the sort of brash, stomping, boisterous punk that Millencolin is known for, Sarcevic the solo artist moved in a much calmer, more introspective folk-rock/adult alternative direction -- minus the rest of Millencolin, Sarcevic favored an approach that drew comparisons to John Mayer and Gin Blossoms rather than NOFX, the Clash or Cock Sparrer. But the Swedish singer didn't become a full-time solo artist, and Kingwood -- his first post-Lock-Sport-Krock album with Millencolin -- finds him hell-bent for punk once again. This 2005 release doesn't contain even the slightest hint of Lock-Sport-Krock's singer/songwriter aesthetic; Kingwood is punk all the way, and the Swedes spare no passion on melodic but in-your-face offerings like "Mooseman's Jukebox," "Farewell My Hell" and "Shut You Out." Guitarist Erik Ohlsson has claimed that Kingwood is, as of 2005, "our best, most focused record yet"; the 'best' part is questionable, and many longtime Millencolin fans will insist that Pennybridge Pioneers is still the band's crowning achievement. But Ohlsson certainly speaks the truth when he describes Kingwood as focused; Millencolin does bring a lot of conviction to this material, which thrives on the sort of simplicity and gut-level rawness that old-school punk was known for back in the late '70s and early '80s. Kingwood isn't as essential as Pennybridge Pioneers, but it's still an inspired, enjoyable addition to Millencolin's catalog -- and while Sarcevic has a lot of potential as a folk-rock singer/songwriter, it's good to know that he can still belt out punk with a lot of passion and fury. Alex Henderson, AMG
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Millencolin - Pennybridge Pioneers (2000)
01. No Cigar
02. Fox
03. Material Boy
04. Duck Pond
05. Right About Now
06. Penguins & Polarbears
07. Hellman
08. Devil Me
09. Stop To Think
10. The Mayfly
11. Highway Donkey
12. A-Ten
13. Pepper
14. The Ballad
Pennybridge Pioneers is one of Millencolin's most emotionally compelling works yet, largely dispensing with the ska-punk shadings of past releases in order to concentrate on a straight-ahead, melodic punk-revival format. Bad Religion guitarist and Epitaph head honcho Brett Gurewitz produced the record, which features some of the band's best songcraft to date, and even dips into acoustic balladry (naturally enough, on "The Ballad"). Steve Huey, AMG
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Millencolin - For Monkeys (1997)
01. Puzzle
02. Lozin' Must
03. Random I Am
04. Boring Planet
05. Monkey Boogie
06. Twenty Two
07. Black Gold
08. Trendy Winds
09. Otis
10. Light's Out
11. Entrance At Rudebrook
12. Lowlife
So-Cal-styled skate punks from Scandinavia, Millencolin's sophomore effort For Monkeys absorbs the influences of Operation Ivy, Bad Religion and the like and spits it back out as taut, melodic hardcore with a decidedly European twist. Jason Ankeny, AMG
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Millencolin - Life on a Plate (1995)
01. Bullion
02. Olympic
03. Move Your Car
04. Killercrush
05. Friends 'til The End
06. The Story Of My Life
07. Jellygoose
08. Replay
09. Vulcan Ears
10. Dr.Jackal & Mr.Hide
11. Softworld
12. Buzzer
13. Ace Frehley
14. Airhead
After Swedish skatepunkers Millencolin dropped their first full-length, Tiny Tunes, in 1994, the group quickly assembled their follow-up, Life on a Plate, the next year. Both discs were originally offered in Scandinavia only, but after Millencolin began achieving substantial chart success in their home country, the group signed with Epitaph Records and this sophomore effort made its way to American shores in 1996. Millencolin's evolution toward a more song-oriented pop-punk sound is most evident on standout tracks like "Killercrush" and "The Story of My Life." The melodies and guitar riffs are tight and catchy, and the band's unique Scandinavian take on the crowded, some might say stagnant American punk subgenre of the time is as refreshing as it is accomplished. Vincent Jeffries, AMG
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Millencolin - Same Old Tunes (1998)
Tracklist :
01. Mr. Clean
02. Chiquita Chaser
03. Diznee Time
04. Domestic Subway
05. Fazil's Friend
06. Leona
07. House of Blend
08. Da Strike
09. Mystic Reptile
10. Dance Craze
11. Einstein Crew, The
12. Take It or Leave It
02. Chiquita Chaser
03. Diznee Time
04. Domestic Subway
05. Fazil's Friend
06. Leona
07. House of Blend
08. Da Strike
09. Mystic Reptile
10. Dance Craze
11. Einstein Crew, The
12. Take It or Leave It
After Epitaph's re-release of Millencolin's sophomore outing, Life on a Plate, became an unqualified success, the label decided to offer the band's other Scandinavia-only full-length, Tiny Tunes, to American listeners. Warner Bros. had expressed some displeasure regarding the debut's artwork and title, so after Millencolin's Swedish label home, Burning Heart, changed the record's cover and title, it was shipped across the Atlantic in 1998. The aptly renamed Some Old Tunes features much faster, more traditional punk anthems than Life on a Plate. There are enough catchy choruses and dynamic arrangements to satisfy pop-punk listeners impressed with the Swedish outfit's first U.S. disc. Leading off with the well-crafted standout "Mr. Clean," Some Old Tunes is an unrelenting collection of raw, energetic songwriting that includes other highlights like "Diznee Time" and "Leona." Fans of Millencolin, and '90s pop-punk in general, are sure to enjoy Some Old Tunes, a disc that might not be quite as accomplished as the group's other American offerings, but one that still deserves a strong recommendation.
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