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Reviews
Punk band, Millencolin moves in a different direction on "Machine 15"
Date published: 5/8/2008
BY GORDON PHILLIPS Through their past seven albums, Millencolin have been known for their fairly predictable skate-punk sound, led by the strong Swedish accent of lead singer, Nikola Sarcevic. Their sound has always been fairly similar to that of The Offspring--verse, chorus, verse and distorted guitars on every song. And so, I was very surprised to find that their newest album, "Machine 15," branches out in new directions. The first thing I noticed about the new album was the pristine recording quality, which was, overall, very similar to the latest release from label-mates, Motion City Soundtrack. Like Motion City's "Even If It Kills Me," "Machine 15" has its fair share of quirky beats and catchy choruses. The songs themselves are also a newer sound for Millencolin. Moving away from fast, simple songs--and the reliance on distorted power chords and drums that their previous releases were characterized by--Millencolin employ keyboards on a number of songs, and even what sounds like a string quartet on "Saved by Hell," "Ducks and Drakes" and "Done is Done." However, "Machine 15" does contain its fair share of classic Millencolin material. One of the singles off the album, "Detox," is a prime example of this, with a catchy pogo-ready chorus. For the older fans, Millencolin did not completely break away from their classic pop-punk sound, but, instead, gingerly stepped in an interesting direction that leaves me anticipating their next release. Millencolin can either choose to pursue a new, popular, experimental sound or keep to their punk roots. In the words of one of their own songs, "Brand New Game," "Machine 15" is perfectly described: "I'm not the same/ The years have passed/ It kind of scares me how it went so fast/ This brand new game, the lives of past/ And all I wanted was to make it last." Gordon Phillips is a junior at Stafford High School.
Date published: 5/8/2008
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