I don't know if it's just me, but I find it kind of hard to review an All CD. After all they created this power-pop-punk sound that so many of today's pop punk bands seem to be trying to imitate. If you consider yourself a fan of pop punk and have yet to hear this band you definitely need to invest in some All CD's and enlighten yourself with probably the best band in the genre.
With "Problematic" All picks up where they left off on their last release, and they just continue to add to their signature sound. Overall the album definitely has that familiar All feel, yet if you listen closely you will hear things that you have yet to hear All do. More melodies in the pop tunes, Karl's busy bass just seems to keep getting busier, Stephen does some of the most creative guitar work I have ever heard on a pop punk release and Chad's vocals probably sound the best they ever have on some of these songs.
I have always been more of a fan of All's more melodic pop tunes and they certainly deliver those on this album. Song topics are similar to what you would expect from All cover topics such as lost love, the selfishness of man, materialistic people, standing up for yourself, and suicide. Yet with this release we also have All touch on subjects they have yet to address such as, hypocritical Christians who kill in the name of God which is address in the song, Crucifiction: "Pervert the Truth that Jesus said, go out and paint the town with heathen red, you praise the Lord and pass the ammunition what makes you think that God will love them better when they're dead. Onward Christian soldiers marching out to war. Jesus weeps and watches all you do I know if there's a Hell, it's met for you."
Probably the stand-out tracks on this album include, "Carry You", "Better Than That", "www.Sara", "Alive", "Lock Them Away", and "Teresa". Sure thats about half the album, but that should say something, this album is great. I have been a fan of All for quite some time and I can honestly say this is probably one of my favorites, if not my favorite album from them to date. You would think a band like this would slow down as they get older, but thats not the case for All. They continue to rock us and there doesn't seem to be anything thats gonna slow them down.
A-
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis 2000Reviewed by ConradStraight forward punk. This All album is pretty good. They run the gambit on topics from silly stuff to socially relevant topics. They even sing about hypocrite Christians who kill in the name of Christ. It's probably the best song on the album. These songs aren't too complex and many of the songs sound alike. I'm not sure there are any classics like "Ex-Girlfriend" on here but the level of good…Decapolis 2000Reviewed by Jim ShadyGreat Melodies, intricate guitar work, originality and intelligent, coherent lyrics - these are just a few things I look for when judging a good album. All is all of that. I just like the stuff that Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson think up. They are creative, honest musicians with free speech and social justices in mind. They say what they want but not like a thug, because they make valid,…Similar sounding releases
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