Dual

After having a couple of recording contracts turn sour, this punk rock group offers up a look back and a look ahead. Classic three-chord, two-minute diatribes litter the nearly two dozen songs, from the opening riffs of "On a Fence" to a more powerfully heavy metal-oriented "Involved." The manic way each song is torn through gives the listener a sense of happy urgency. In only a few instances does it fall apart though, particularly on the twists and turns on "Someday." Die-hard punk fans should enjoy the often steady and tight musicianship, but to the casual punk listener of Blink-182 or perhaps Green Day, it can wear thin. Only rarely are their breaks in the assault, with a funky lull in the bridge of "SRM." Nonetheless, it's an adequate representation of a band still true to the punk ethos.