To start things off, I’m happy that American Steel is back. I’ve long said that their back catalog was always tremendously underrated and belonged in the same class as East Bay based acts like Crimpshrine, Pinhead Gunpowder, Fifteen (I guess all the Aaron Cometbus related bands really), among others. So when a “reunion” was announced at the beginning of this year, I was more than ecstatic. And the announcement of a new records in the works!? Double score.

After a few years going at it with a new wave twist under the moniker Communique, they were now going back to their roots and I think most were all for it. But with Destroy Their Future, the band’s first for Fat Wreck, the band seems a bit unsure of what band they are still going for. While some may hear a lot of Jagged Thoughts (Lookout!) in the new album, I feel like this album sounds more like b-sides and left over material from their Communique days .

More or less, I’m disappointed. I had a ton of expectations of what this album would sound like and it just didn’t meet that mark for me. Although it would seem that transition back to being American Steel wouldn’t be difficult, the album proves that the identification of the separate bands may have been more dramatic than realized. I don’t hear a “Optimist” anywhere on these tracks. I don’t hear any gut-wrenching, pain-ridden tracks that make me what to scream my guts out while I pound fist on a bar.

Frankly, I just don’t feel  much of anything from the record. It’s the favorite band mentality if you will, I expected so much because I just love this band. Certainly, I couldn’t be happier they are back but American Steel is clearly a different beast than they were eight years ago.

Tags: Album Review, American Steel //