Customer Reviews

Home From Home

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yes, I think Millencolin's Home From Home is, in my opinion, the best punk rock album of all time. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's the most important punk album, or the most influential or original or anything like that, but it is the best of the stuff that's out there. I've been listening to punk a LONG time, and enjoyed Millencolin for the most part. I have a few other albums and they're all good efforts, but nothing could prepare me for this one. I went into a record store and had a listen to the first track, Man or Mouse, and it absolutly blew me away. I immediatly bought the album and have held it at the top of my collection ever since. Millencolin's songwriting has come a long way since Pennybridge! That little extra angst really helped them find a great sound. The reason this album is the best is because it is the ultimate punk album. Every song is a perfect 10! If I were to ever get emotional over a record man, this is it!!

Preemptively speaking, I will go so far as to name this CD the number one album of 2002. I don't know who will be able to top this hard hitting wall of sound. Lets take a brief walk through the life of the band Millencolin. About 10 years ago the band emerged from Sweden with and infectious, high speed, Bad Religion influenced sound - 2 parts punk, 1 part ska. Over the years following, the band initially headed toward a much more ska influenced sound, before pulling back, then dropping it altogether. Pennybridge Pioneers was the product of this switch, which was overall a good, solid album - yet it does not hold a candle to their latest release. Now, with a much smaller helping of punk, dictionary definition style, our boys from Millencolin have grown a sound all their own. Not only developing musically, but lyrically as well, the sound of Millencolin is now unmistakable, and will undoubtedly carry them on to the forefront of their genre...

Before Millencolin, I used to only be in the rock/metal style of music, then one day I was talking to a friend, and they told me to look into the song "Kemp" by Millencolin. Totally unsure of what to expect from not really listening to punk style music before, I was blown away by this entire album. 13 tracks of non stop, blood pumpin tunes. There isn't a single song on here that I don't like, that's why its so hard to recommend a few songs as the best, when they all rock so much. This CD has definatly got me looking into many other punk artists, as well as other previous albums from Millencolin.

If you've never heard anything by Millencolin before, I highly suggest that you do. And if you're a long tme fan of Millencolin, what the heck... might as well get it for your collection already, because there is no way you can go wrong with "Home From Home" by Millencolin

Millencolin is one of the best bands on the market right now, ...

Pennybridge Pioneers seemed to be the first CD where the band stuck almost entirely to a Rock/Punk music style. However what was delivered on the CD was full of hits and unique songs. Fox, No Cigar, The Ballad and Penguins and Polar Bears were all original and fun songs. MIllencolin attempted to take the formula with Pennybridge Pioneers and use it with Home From Home, which turned out to be bad, big time.

The CD starts off strong with two songs "Man or Mouse" and "Fingers Crossed." But as the 4th track begins to play, repetition sets in and very little of the bands talent is actually put to the test. Lead singer Nikola Sarcevic's is a great asset to Millencolin. However in the CD you can barely hear him effectivly as he is using every ounce of breath he has to keep up with the beat of most of the song's, which is ridiculously fast. Guitarists Ohlsson and Färm seem to repeat the same stuff over and over in more than half of the songs on the CD.

Also obvious is the shortness of the songs, and the milliseconds in between each track. What makes telling the difference between the tracks so difficult is that as one song ends, another almost immediatly begins. This was either a huge error made by whoever layed out the CD, or a choice made by the band to have a "keep the tempo going" feel throughout the CD.

But in the end this is Millencolin, a band that has been producing 4 and 5 star CD's since it's inception. Pumping out great CD after great CD can give a band high expectations to all of it's fans. Home From Home is of course not without some great songs. Namely Fingers Crossed, Happiness For Dogs and Kemp. Purchasing this CD is absolutely optional to new fans of the group. Die hard Millencolin fans have more reason than others, with some slightly memorable lyrics and songs.

I've liked Millencolin for a while, but I've never actually bought anything buy them. I was routing through some boxes of second hand music and noticed this album, it was £5 so I thought what the hell and bought it, Wow it's amazing! I am amazed it's the best album in ages even though it's been out 2 years how I didn't buy it before, so many regrets. I absolutely love it! These are my views on the songs!

Man or mouse 10/10 - You honestly can't beat this song, it has this beat you have to love, how could anyone not sing along. Nikola has a voice that just grabs you!

Fingers crossed 10/10 - although I don't like it as much as the first one, you have to like it the chorus has such class!

Black Eye 10/10 - This is kind of a ballad in a weird way, Maybe it's just me being weird because it isn't slow it just has a soothing feel!

Montego 9/10 - It was very hard for me to knock this down to 9 but I can't give every song 10 I do love the song but it's not got the same appeal although it still has that Millencolin feel!


Punk Rock Rebel 10/10 - What a song after listening to the album for the first time this was the song that stood out the most and it's still as good now, the lyrics aren't bad either.

Kemp 9/10 - It doesn't stick in your head as much it's a song your more likely to forget, even though the guitar part isn't the most complex thing you've ever heard, I love it I will have to learn it!

Botanic Mistress 10/10 - This is a really weird thing to say but I don't think this is as good as the songs I've given 9 but I just love the whole effect it's completely different!

Happiness For Dogs 9/10 - Another kind of Ballad in a weird way lets just jay you couldn't really rock as much to it although it does have a very cool appeal!

Battery Check 10/10 - Mainly cos this was the song that made me write this review even though I had piles of homework I don't think it was particularly this song but the whole quality of all the songs put together. This song kind of sets that minor (as in musical minor, the opposite of Major, not meaning bad) ballad feel off again

Fuel to the flame - 9/10 - Another song carrying on the superior quality, has an overall minor sound

Afghan 10/10 - I love this song defiantly one of the many highlights an excellent song!

Greener Grass 10/10 - It's got a similar guitar sound as Botanic Mistress but this song is much better the whole thing is put together much better. It would be amazing to pogo to!

Home from Home 10/10 - Usually the last song on an album isn't as good even though it should be one of the best along with the first track as that is the one that the listener remembers but this one is good in fact it's great on the whole album this is the song that fits the end mould best it shows the bands energy and gives a happy refreshing buzz!

Overall what an album I really suggest you go out and buy the album you don't know what you're missing. Buy or Die!

I own Pennybridge Pioneers and when i heard the Millencolin had a new cd I was wondering if they could top there old one. When i first opened the package and put it into my cd player I was amazed. They've done it again. Every song on this cd is amazing. They've got catchy lyrics and the guitar player has gotten even better then before. Before i listened to this cd I liked millencolin but now that I own this cd Millencolin is now my favorite band. I recommend this cd to everyone.

I cant really describe why I felt let down by this album but I just did. Although I still like most of the songs on this album, I would much rather listen to "Life on a Plate" as well as "Pennybridge Pioneers". To this day, "Life on A Plate" is one my favorite albums and this new album pales in comparison to that one.

Millencolin is an awesome band that has a sketchy past. That is to say, they have had a hard time deciding on how they want their band to sound. They started out by playing fast, funny punk with a NOFX-ish beat. Then, they began experimenting with a bit of watered down ska (which was simply awful, except for the song "Monkey Boogie" which essentially made fun of itself). The albums "Some old tunes" and "For Monkeys" thus turned out to be a mixed bag for me, because I would somewhat enjoy their attempts at punk, but always skip past the lame offbeat ska tunes. With the arrival of "Pennybridge Pioneers", Millencolin finally got it right. They took on a slower, more rock feel and were able to impress me thoroughly. "Home from home" is an equally good effort, and it seems they have refined their style even more to their advantage. Each song is very catchy, and the instrumentation seems more solid than ever. The only drawback is that this is NOT punk anymore. Any past similarities with punk rock, or the punk rock scene have all but disappeared. Curiously, they are still marketed by Epitaph as being punk through the "Punk-O-Rama" compilations. Anyway, the album is a great ROCK offering, and is a must-buy for fans of Millencolin or strightforward rock music. Those expecting any fast or thrashy music should look elsewhere.

This album isnt bad but isnt good. Track 2 (Fingers Crossed) and track 3 (Black eye) are about the 2 best songs on the album. The beats get very repetitive after a couple of listens and wouldnt be an ideal choice for a first time listener.
Id highly recomend getting 'Pennybridge Pioneers' Or 'Life on a plate' because those albums has diversity and awesome tracks.

Over all id say you should only have this album if you are a real fan who needs it in the collection or if your mum gets it for you for your birthday.

I really dug this album. I think it's my favorite Millencolin album, as said before...it is "softer" ...but I have less dispairaging comments about the softness of it. Songs like "Battery Check" and "Fingers Crossed" are the ones I enjoyed most thoroughly even on repeat listens.

The repitition of the album is just a matter of the "feel" of the album as far as I am concerned. Pennybridge's strengths are essentially just brought through as a whole album. To me, No Cigar and Penguins and Polarbears=Nine out of Eleven songs on this. It is their newer sound as opposed to plainer pop punk of old... definetly evolved from the days of "Boring Planet" ...a song I enjoy plenty, but I have to give this album a solid 5 for simply being the best CD I've stuck in my player all year. It could have benefitted from a very "The Ballad"esque song though.

"When will I live my life for me? When will do what I want to? When will I let myself be free..."
-Battery Check