Pennywise
From The Ashes

THE REVIEW

"From The Ashes" is an album that, while remaining in its usual HC-Pennywise style, manages to unleash great emotions and lots of melody, thanks to Fletcher's gritty riffs and the usual rhythmic speed of the statuesque Byron, proving that it can still contribute significantly to the now faded worldwide punk scene. The lyrics are marked by the tragic events of September 11th, which shook American civilian life, tying back to the socio-political themes of the previous "Land Of The Free" and the passing of Fletcher's father.

It becomes clear from the very first track "Now I Know", punctuated by the usual infernal drumming accompanying Lindberg's energetic voice, that we're dealing with a truly well-crafted record. It is followed by the exhilarating triptych of "God Save The USA", a protest against the American government, "Something To Change", and "Waiting", with choruses that have a strong impact. After "Salvation" comes the beautiful "Look Who You Are", prompting us to discover our personality within our shattered society. The good momentum continues with "Falling Down", characterized by a forceful intro that paves the way for a classic HC ride, followed by "Holiday In The Sun", very fast with a beautiful solo, and "This Is Only A Test", which, besides being very beautiful, is also the band's first-ever song to use an acoustic guitar. With "Punch Drunk" and "Rise Up", they return to the old and powerful sounds, then move to the slow but still intense "Yesterdays", one of the best tracks, characterized by Lindberg's poignant vocal line. The last two tracks "Change My Mind" and "Judgement Day" are also anthems of protest and resentment towards American politics and the greater interaction of the masses with it.

Unlike the latest efforts, in this new chapter, the band has managed to compose numerous songs that never tire of being listened to; indeed, it's really hard to find even a slight falter in its overall 40 minutes. Ultimately, this album can be considered a welcome and unexpected surprise because although it has a form and sound that has become typical for this band— a sound that, after all, is their actual strong point—it perhaps represents the pinnacle of maturity from a technical/musical perspective and in terms of lyric composition, continuing positively the glimpse of semi-evolution that began with "Straight Ahead".