Agents of the Underground

Strung Out | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 29, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fat Wreck Chords
• ASIN: B002LBGB5Y
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,955 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Over their tenure as the progenitors of the metal-infused punk sound, strung out have yet to get complacent. Instead, like a championship fighter that gets stronger with every round, they continually unleash a battering assault of technical guitar work and gripping melodies. Agents of the underground with blisteringly fast riffs, crushing rhythms, and powerful vocals, it is quintessential strung out, yet the band manage to evolve their sound. Enlisting the producing talents of cameron webb (motorhead, social distortion, danzig, pennywise), the success of the collaboration is overtly apparent.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Back to their melodic roots., September 29, 2009

By 

Eric Robertsen Jr. (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Agents of the Underground (Audio CD)

It's hard for me to grade a new Strung Out record because Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues is one of my top three records of all time, of any genre. So even if a new Strung Out offering is really good I find I have to force myself away from unfair comparisons.

Agents of the Underground is a really good record, much better than Blackhawks Over Los Angeles. If you're like me and you were getting tired of the metal-ish thing Strung Out had been experimenting with over the past few albums you'll be pleasantly surprised. This album is more melodic, more closely resembling their older music, pre-Twisted By Design. If the songs from Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues were played at half-speed, it would sound like this album; melodic yet slower than their previous melodic offerings. Black Crosses, the album opener is absolutely excellent. It's the most up tempo on the album and the most similar to Suburban Teenage... and Twisted By Design. The rest of the album sounds like Suburban Teenage played at half speed. Good but not the best.

If you're already a Strung Out fan I highly recommend this album. I'd say it's their best since Element of Sonic Defiance. If you're new to Strung Out I'd try Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues and Twisted By Design first. It's great to hear new music from one of the best punk rock bands of the past 15-20 years. They've still got it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3 stars to 4 after 8...beers, October 9, 2009

By 

D. J. Galante Jr. "GoaT" (watchcity, Ma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Agents of the Underground (Audio CD)

I've always liked these guys. Too punk for the metal kids, too metal for the punk kids, really. After 10 PBR Lights (there IS a PBR Light-$20 a case...bargain!..and it comes in a nice white and baby blue can) and 3 spins of this CD, I have enough drive to review it. I saw these guys years ago, and they were pretty killer. The bass player had long hair back then. That was cool. Anyway, as a 34 year-old curmudgeon who pretty much hates everything, I enjoy this record. It's like Pop for metalheads. Solid drumming, sweet shred, and as catchy and devastating as pig flu. The dude has a good voice. Songs that make me turn my head are "Vanity" and "Andy Warhol"...as a matter of fact, "Andy Warhol" is classic Strung Out. Too bad Andy Warhol was a D-bag. They should have called it Lou Reed. I read a story where Lou Reed pooped on a plate on a guys chest. Gross.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, September 30, 2009

By 

Jacob Brown "JBVR6" (Danville, Ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Agents of the Underground (Audio CD)

While many people talk about Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues as being Strung Out's best work I completely disagree. That album is good but it is inferior to many of the bands later releases such as Twisted By Design and Exile in Oblivion. The musicianship of Srung Out really started to stand out on Twisted By Design. On that album, Strung Out proved they weren't your run of the mill punk band and that they were technically sufficient and a notch above their peers. While many followers of this band disliked the departure from the fast skate punk material of the early albums and venture into metal inspired punk, the band has done a 180 and caught many people off guard. Agents of the Underground does show the band has returned to their roots but the metal influence is still there, and the songs are still technical. This is a great album and one of their best imho.