SMASH [Vinyl]

Offspring: Dexter Holland (vocals, guitar); Noodles (guitar, background vocals); Greg K (bass); Ron Welty (drums, background vocals). Additional personnel: Jason "Blackball" McLean (vocals). Recorded at Track Record, North Hollywood, California. All songs written by Offspring except "Killboy Powerhead" (The Didjits). Building off the success of its Orange County, California hardcore roots and a feature spot in snowboarding advertisements, Offspring is suddenly seeing more commercial success that it ever could have dreamed of when it was formed as yet another Southern California hard-core punk act in 1991. SMASH is a generous helping of guitar power-pop. The delightful Middle-Eastern surf guitar on "Come Out And Play" hides harsh sentiments in poppy guitar riffs. Singer Dexter Holland mocks the school systems that think the solution to school violence is to "keep them separated," to segregate rather than educate the kids about the dangers of carrying guns. As Holland advises his fans, "Hey pay no mind/If you're under eighteen you won't be doing any time." Offspring's power is in writing anthemic guitar rock that effortlessly slips from genre to genre. From the humorous ska-flavored "What Happened To You?" to the sing-along guitar riff in "No Self Esteem," SMASH is by no means a smash hit, but it has certainly gotten the exposure this one-time hardcore band deserves.

• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: Pop