Against All Authority show that they have not lost a step in the few years between this album and the last; the title track ties together Rancid, Rise Against, and the Bouncing Souls to create something that is mired in the older punk styles but still is extremely salient. Tracks are not long and the message that Against All Authority provides is crystal clear. When the band goes into the ska sound that they are known for (which happens during tracks like “Sweet Televised Destructionâ€), the momentum that they have created during the earlier tracks of the disc does not disappear. The band is mature enough to incorporate the disparate styles flawlessly.
The breakdown during “Sweet Televised Destruction†takes up the second half of the disc but really does more than fill up a few minutes, rather instead giving the track a completely new endpoint in comparison to where it started. The band jumps into the gaping space left by bands like Rancid during their “All Ages Show Tonightâ€. In a sense, the band even takes on the standards that the Planet Smashers raised above their head all those years ago. The band is not just resting on the precedent that the guitars or drums provide, and instead comes through with all members of the band acting as a whole. During tracks like “Collecting Scarsâ€, the guitars may be at the forefront but no one that actually gives this disc a fair listen can overestimate the effect that the bass has chugging behind the scene. Throw in the spastic drums that punctuate the track and the multiple vocals present during the track, and Against All Authority is an organized and balanced band.
The band adds in different amounts of their influences during different tracks on “The Restoration of Chaos & Orderâ€; this helps listeners make it through the entirety of the CD, as well as keeping things fresh for future listens. At some point, each of the tracks on the disc could be used for a radio single for Against All Authority. The band does not moderate their message even if the song sounds proper for the radio, and “The Restoration of Chaos & Order†is pointed at all of the problems that are currently present in the world, with the band’s warheads ready to go off at the smallest provocation. The band may be old hands in the genre, but this disc has the sound of a brand new band.
Top Tracks: All Ages Show Tonight, Radio Waves
Rating: 7.4/10
Against All Authority – The Restoration of Chaos & Order / 2006 Hopeless / 14 Tracks / http://www.punkbands.com/aaaonline/ / http://www.hopelessrecords.com /