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Earlier this year, we were blessed with the welcomed return
of the Bad Religion we once knew. A potent, aggressive
and insightful punk band that had softened on recent efforts,
but was now making its way back to the front of the pack with
a new album, Process of Belief. The same seems to
have happened with Face to Face, an equally powerful
punk band that had slowed down as of lately, creeping back
with 2000’s Reactionary, and now making a proper bid
for the punk rock crown with the excellent How to Ruin
Everything.
The band has returned to life as a three-piece, after the
departure of guitarist Chad Yaro that followed the
completion of Reactionary, and the remaining three
are doing just fine. Trever Keith masterfully blends
catchy hooks with crunchy power chords, all while singing
in a voice that sounds on this recording as passionate as
it has in years. Growled lyrics like “No love is unconditional!”
never fail to convince you that this is a band that actually
means what it says, whether it is taking on relationships
or consumerism. Scott Shiflett’s pulsating basslines
are both powerful and playful, while his background punk chants
offer plenty of opportunity to sing along, and it’s all held
together by the tight and thunderous drumming of Pete Parada,
who helps keep everything moving along at a furious pace.
The raw and gritty production, which comes as a result of
minimal guitar overdubs and recording live in the studio,
only helps.
The vintage sound of older Face to Face is back in full force,
made obvious from the opening “Bill of Goods.” Darker tracks
like “A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing” and “Unconditional” are
dispersed among catchier songs like “14 Hours,” “Shoot the
Moon,” “Graded on a Curve” and “The Compromise.” “The World
in Front of You” is perhaps the highlight here, achieving
a status akin to “I Won’t Lie Down,” perhaps the best track
(and a personal favorite) from the band’s 1996 self-titled
effort. The brutal “Waiting to be Saved” is another hot spot,
conjuring up memories of the classic punk rock you know and
love so dearly. On the other hand, the acoustic closing title
track is a heartfelt way to end the album, giving you a chance
to catch your breath before it all comes to an end. You may
recognize a couple of these songs, as “Bill of Goods” was
included on the Vagrant sampler, Another Year on the Streets,
and “Fight or Flight” found itself on a recent split EP with
The Dropkick Murphys. But even if you already know
these two songs by heart, they are worth hearing again.
Face to Face has been around for quite some time. They have
been to the major labels and back, gaining and losing fans
along the way, but it has all strengthened their resolve to
hold onto a status as one of the most significant punk acts
around. And just in case you somehow manage to dislike the
album, the guys stick with the tone set by the title and include
printed instructions on how to destroy it.
— Eddie Fournier
Track Listing:
- Bill Of Goods
- The Take-Away
- 14 Hours
- A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
- The New Way
- The World In Front Of You
- Why Would I Lie?
- Unconditional
- Shoot the Moon
- Graded On a Curve
- Fight or Flight
- Waiting to Be Saved
- Double Standard
- The Compromise
- How to Ruin Everything
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