Allister

Countdown To Nowhere

Written by: PP on 29/12/2010 18:22:06

Before the likes of Fall Out Boy took the pop punk scene to mainstream recognition, it was filled with bands like Mxpx, The Ataris and the like. Awesome, high-octane, honest pop punk bands that didn't care for a polished sound, focusing on great, sing-alongable melodies without sacrificing the punk half of the genre. Allister was one of these bands, who garnered spectacular success particularly in Japan. They wrote a couple of excellent, early 2000s style pop punk albums about a decade ago, before releasing a miserable third album "Before The Blackout" in 2005, which led to the imminent demise and subsequent hiatus of the band in 2007.

The band reunited earlier this year and wrote a new album called "Countdown To Nowhere", to be released exclusively by Universal Japan across Asia. No idea why there's no promotion in the Western media for the record, because "Countdown To Nowhere" is every bit as good as the band's classics "Dead Ends And Girlfriends" and "Last Stop Suburbia". It demonstrates a definite return-to-form, a classic pop punk sound back from the days when that term meant half-n-half of both, not 70/30 split as it is these days. None of the songs are artificially inflated, though some are very mainstream oriented of course, but all of them have a great chorus that should have you singing along in no time.

The sound overall is basically an exact midway point between The Ataris and Mxpx, with nuances present from Midtown, Fenix TX, old American Hi-Fi, and "Sticks & Stones"-era New Found Glory. In other words, pop punk just the way I love it, as you might have noticed from my other reviews over the last couple of years. So if you hold any of the bands mentioned close to heart like me, "Countdown To Nowhere" is an excellent choice to get you through the winter months. It's a bright, summery pop punk album without the gloss and the polish of their more modern peers. It feels - and sounds - just right.

7

Download: Failure, Dance With Me, All We Need, Yearbook
For the fans of: The Ataris, Mxpx, Midtown, Fenix TX
Listen: Myspace

Release date 16.06.2010
Universal Japan

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