American Steel - Destroy Their Future
Rating
RIYL
The Lawrence ArmsNone More Black
Common Rider
Rancid
Operation Ivy
Label
Fat Wreck ChordsTracklist
1. Sons of Avarice2. Dead and Gone
3. Mean Streak
4. Love and Logic
5. Smile on Me
6. Razoblades
7. Old Croy Road
8. To the Sea
9. Or, Don’t you Remember?
10. Hurtlin’
11. More Like A Dream
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American Steel are an underrated, largely unheard gem of a band very close to my heart. All it took was a chance listening at a friend’s house to the opening track off their last release, 2001’s Jagged Thoughts, to get me hooked. But unfortunately, just before I had ever even heard them, the band decided to disband. Most of the members formed the very different (and very dance-y) Communique, but the magic, for me, was gone. But now the full lineup has unexpectedly regrouped and put out the best album of their career.
Destroy Their Future is best described as East Bay punk rock mixed with old school R&B melodies and drunken Irish fighting songs. American Steel are patently unafraid to delve into new and dangerous styles of music in their quest to craft the perfect song. Their compositions are tight knit and driving, with every instrument’s part getting stuck in your head at one point or another (most notable is the presence of some of the best back-up vocals I’ve ever heard).
Gone is the too muddy production that bogged down prior releases Rogue’s March and, to a smaller degree, Jagged Thoughts – Destroy Their Future captures every nuance of the band’s performances in a way that their recorded output never has before. Similarly, though the vocals still sound like they’re constantly shouted through a mouth full of gravel, the addictive melodies persistently cut through. Vocally, American Steel is known for having true emotion of the sort that blows any mainstream so-called “emo” act out of the water. These vocal parts never reduce themselves to being weepy – instead they are just heartfelt.
My biggest, no make that only, gripe with Destroy Their Future is that it’s too darn short. But the all important immediacy of the band’s songwriting would no doubt be compromised by self-indulgent solos, noodly jam sessions or even just the pressure of stacking an album with 15 or 20 songs. As it is, Destroy Their Future is a confident burst of a truly original vision of punk rock that should be required listening for any open minded fan of the genre.
--Jeff Latta
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Green Brook, NJ