[.ca] Land Of The Free

From Amazon.com:
On Land of the Free?--a record inspired by the worldwide protests against the World Trade Organization--L.A. skatecore veterans Pennywise claim to have written "a soundtrack for political activists all over the world." That this, their seventh album, is one of their finest to date is not due to any inspired political invective. The anthemic barrage of the opening "Time Marches On" sets the tone for an album whose music impacts like a police baton charge. Pennywise work so well as a complete band, it's often nothing short of breathtaking; just listen to the way Randy Bradbury's deft bass lines cleverly weave around the chugging juggernaut riffage dealt out by guitarist Fletcher Dragg on the towering holler-along "F**k Authority." The politics might not be expressed with an eloquence as revolutionary as Pennywise clearly think, but forget about that. Land of the Free? is a reminder of the sheer seismic power of punk rock. --Louis Pattison

This Album kicks A**:
This CD is amazing. Best songs, Land of the Free?, F*** Authority and WTO. Anyone who likes Pennywise should buy it.

Pretty mediocre "modern punk"...:
With this record Pennywise truly solidifies their place in the modern punk scene... as one of the most boring bands around. Musically, it's very standard Pennywise. Nothing new or exciting about them, as they comform to the same formula they've been using over and over and over again. Lyrically, it comes off as something written by an angry 10 year old. There's not a trace of intelligence or true feeling to be found. Pennywise isn't one of those bands that used to be really good and have grown stale (The Offspring)... because Pennywise were never good to begin with. They started out as young Bad Religion wannabes and evolved into... well... older Bad Religion wannabes. If you want true socially conscious punk rock, there's a million other bands more worthy than Pennywise. Seriously.

Pennywise kills all!:
Pennywise is the best punk band. Its pretty simple, all of there songs kick ass and anyone who doesnt like them deserves to die. The guy way op in the first 20 review who gave away all his cd's cause he "lost his support for pennywise" he deserves to be brutally tortured, then die. If you like punk rock theres no reason not to buy this cd or any of pennywise' other cds.

Land of the free:
Land of the free is more powerful than From the ashes(not that FTA don't rock, it rocks trust me!) for some reasons, it has a type a punch on this one that isn't on other PW albums, which make the mood of the album really louder and powerful!

Land of the free?:
Sometimes you have to go backward to make progress, which is just what Pennywise have done. Teetering on the brink of total commercial lameness with previous studio outing 'Straight Ahead', the band have gone back to the garage, and dragged themselves away from the precipice. Gone are the "nice" Offspring/Green Day guitars, the slick commercial production and the sickly pop songs. Back are velocity, rough edges and attitude. In the old days, Fletcher's guitar playing buzzed along like Thrash Metal minus the crunch and the solos, something akin to what Suicidal Tendencies produced on their debut or Johnny Ramone speeding on a potent batch of amphetamines. The drumming has been not far behind. Both disappeared in recent years, but have thankfully returned. Also back are the yobbo shout-along choruses. And perhaps most importantly, Pennywise have resuscitated their social conscience. There's no escaping the socio-political messages, but there's none of the overbearing PC preachiness of bands like Propagandhi and Anti-Flag. The entire sound is reminiscent of a turbo driven Bad Religion. The Bad Religion comparison is perhaps not too far fetched, as Brett Gurewitz co-wrote one of the tracks Lead off single "F**k Authority" is probably a bit obvious in its aim to escape the grips of FM radio and MTVapidity, but that doesn't make it a bad song. It's a catchy high velocity So-Cal punk song with a bit of a political message. And the rest of the album is pretty much standard Pennywise. If you've heard the 'About Time' album, then you've basically heard what's happening here. There are plentiful Bad Religion-isms to be found. The vocal melodies are poppy, but not pop - its just Pennywise doing what they do best. It's an excellent accompaniment for boarding, whether it be surf, skate or snow, but with more of a political bite than in the past. If it opens the eyes of even a few more blissfully ignorant teens to what's happening in the world, then great. If not, it's still a return to form for Pennywise.

• Time Marches On
• Land Of The Free?
• The World
• F**k Authority
• Something Wrong With Me
• Enemy
• My God
• Twist Of Fate
• Who's On Your Side
• It's Up To You
• Set Me Free
• Divine Intervention
• WTO
• Anyone Listening