98 Mute is a band that is often unfairly overlooked as being merely a "Pennywise clone". Their last album "Slow Motion Riot" was my one of my favorite albums of 2000 and now the boys are back with "After The Fall", a 13 song LP that tackles issues ranging from drug abuse to friendships to social issues in society.

Soundwise, this album is very similar to the last album, except that this album feels a bit more blunt and aggressive. My personal favorites are "Injection", a song about drug abuse and self destruction, and "Bullet For You", a song about the meaning of a strong friendship. As usual, in "Pennywise-ish" style the lyrics are very positive and urge a change for the better, and the music gets you feeling good. They also experiment a bit in this one with the song "Small Minds", a mid-tempo tune that is a bit softer than the rest with the vocals still raging, it comes off as a very interesing and enjoyable song.

Overall this album is about what you'd come to expect from 98 Mute- fast, propulsive, positive, and socially aware. If you're a fan, you'll love it- if you hatem', you probably won't enjoy this album. That's my two cents. Your opinions?