Hailed by critics and fans as one of the most important and creative releases during the brief punk-revival period of the mid 1990's, Face to Face's self-titled 6th album came as a shock to longtime fans - most of which were really beginning to wonder if they even had it in them to make a truly stunning album - and it helped change what most mainstream listeners understood as 'punk' music. Even moreso than their predecessors Green Day and the Offspring, Face to Face helped focus more attention on the real visionaries of punk rock - which helped spark a re-interest in bands such as Black Flag, Bad Brains, and the Misfits (although it could have been a coincidence, I like to think that this band deserves a lot of the credit for -not- sucking).

While this creativity was never repeated again on a studio album (at least to date, but I sure hope they make me eat my words with their next release), it doesn't need to be - every song here is near perfect. "Walk," "Resignation," "Handout" (the bassline is pretty much the blueprint for every Blink 182 song to follow), and "I Won't Lie Down" demand repeat listens, and over the years they haven't lost their stay in my stereo.

It's pointless to go over the tones and highlights of the songs on the album, as it is for every other CD that's on this site - but that's just my opinion. However, the status of this album, well - ask any fan of alternative, punk-revival (notice I say 'revival'), ska (revival) - and there isn't a doubt in my mind that they'd say the exact things I've said here. This record was -that- important, and it will continue to be, no matter how the band continues to tredge on, attempting to ruin it.