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Strung Out have almost fallen off the map recently. They wrote a couple albums that weren't up to their potential (they weren't bad, but most fans of theirs knew that they could do better), and I was expecting more of the same with Blackhawks Over Los Angeles. What I got was one of their best records to date, if not THE best overall (it will be hard to surpass the meaning that Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues had for me while I was growing up), and I couldn't be happier.
Musically, Strung Out finally achieved their goal of perfectly blending metal and melodic punk rock. They pulled this off by mostly sticking to the melody, while letting the heavier parts trickle in for added bonus. The drumming of Jordan Burns is top notch here, easily his best drum work to date (and he is a pretty amazing drummer). The guitars sail along at a quick pace, going through a multitude of ideas in a few short minutes, and making them all flow together like a river. The final piece, and I must say strongest piece, to their puzzle, vocalist Jason Cruz, puts forth a wonderful performance here. His voice is always great, but he has some of his best vocal phrasing on here, and he shows a wide range and wrote some great lyrics for this album.
Being a Strung Out fan for 12 or 13 years, I never thought that a new album of would have a song that would not only become an instant classic, but become one of my favorite songs from them. Enter "A War Called Home." This song is an orgy of musical movement all blending perfectly together while still be good enough to stand out individually (if you're listening to a specific instrument). Cruz does nothing short of an amazing and meaningful job with his phrasing and lyrics, something that people will be singing along to and quoting from for a long time. The whole album is full of incredibly enjoyable and strong songs, but this one is just over the top as far as greatness goes.
I was so excited after first hearing this that I had to call someone to tell them how good this album is, but they unfortunately weren't home, but I have been recommending it to friends, as this should make its way into everyone's collection.