Stereotyperider

Same Chords, Same Songs, Same Six Strings (2002)

Megan

The title of Stereotyperider's debut full length on Suburban Home Records really says it all. "Same Chords. Same Songs. Same Six Strings." This album is the same as any other "we're heavy, but dig deeper, because we're really melodic too" band. Whoop-de-do. Get in line with the rest of the boys. This album is take-it-or-leave-it.

Take this album if you enjoy a majority of the Fat Wreck lineup. Stereotyperider has a sound similar to many of these bands. Take this album if you're feeling like maybe there just isn't enough spirituality in your life and you want to rock out to a good old-fashioned God song without listening to MxPx, P.O.D., or heaven help you, Creed. The opening track "Closest Brother" has a strong spiritual understone to the lyrics. The spirituality theme shows up sporadically, in between songs about rebellion. Lyrically, the album is clever and the album insert is worth a few reads. Take this album for non-offensive background noise that will make you think, but not very hard. It's a fast, loud album with catchy riffs and heavy hitting drums that clocks in at just under 40 minutes.

Leave this album if you don't deal well with sub par vocals. The lead singer can't carry his voice very well, but still tries to do so. The songs also tend to blend together and aren't very easily distinguishable from each other. The "Oohs" in the chorus of "One's For You" sound amateur and played out. This is a mediocre album that has nothing to offer to set it apart from the rest of the bands out there today. Don't buy this album before listening to it, but if you see it laying around somewhere, give it a spin and decide for yourself.