The Menzingers Take It Back To The 2000s With New Album "After The Party"

The 2000s were a golden time for rock music, and often times we look back at them with fondness. The Menzingers take us back to those times with their new album After The Party. 

Right off the bat, you're faced with some feel-good rock vibes, The Menzinger's fifth album getting off to a sweet start. 'Tellin' Lies' introduces the record with some very rock n' roll riffs, the powerchords chugging throughout the track as thick, gritty vocals chant above them. The song has a very fun atmosphere, if not a bit too aggressive. It's definitely something you can see being performed live with everyone dancing and singing along, though.

The problem that this record experiences is that it's entirely just an average record. The charm is used up by the first song, and the rest of it attempts to follow the same vibe. There are little moments of fun, like the lo-fi intro of 'Lookers,' but the cheerful rock vibe just doesn't have the same impact as it did when the record started, which is a problem considering it's the third song on the record. Not to mention that the words on this song aren't very pronounced - perhaps that's just them going with the punk fashion.

After The Party does come straight out of the 2000s, which does give it an element of nostalgia that makes the album tolerable. You can really hear that vibe in songs like 'Thick As Thieves' and 'Charlie's Army,' where the powerful drums and guitars really make the songs sound anthemic in that mid-2000s alternative rock fashion. It's almost outdated, however. It's always nice to have a throwback from that time in music to bring back nostalgia from high school or whatever it is you went through your life at that point, but if it's an entire album that has the same sound and same themes, it just really doesn't go anywhere.

After The Party isn't a bad album, just a very average one. The Menzingers take it back to the 2000s with this record, but fail to offer up anything new or exciting. It's a nostalgia trip, but nothing much else.

Favorite Track: Tellin' Lies

Least Favorite Track: Black Mass

Rating: 67 / 100

Buy or listen to After The Party here: