Strung Out – Black Out The Sky

Strung Out has been a fixture in the punk scene for nearly thirty years.  Their unique brand of skate-meets-technical-punk defined them from their peers and evolved into the unmistakable sound they are known for today.  Front man Jason Cruz’s distinctive vocals have always blended with each salvo of forceful guitars in a synergy seldom achieved by colleagues. With Strung Out, fans have always received exactly what they’ve expected while avoiding rehash.  But for perhaps the first time in the quintent’s history, Strung Out’s new EP, Black Out The Sky, presents an entirely different side.  

Black Out The Sky serves as a curious blend of old and new, repurposing two classic tracks, and putting forth six new.  Each track is channelled through an acoustic lens, capturing a mature side of Strung Out that was perhaps only hinted at in Cruz’s latest solo work, Jason Cruz & Howl.  In an interview, Cruz identified the track “Town of Corazon” as his favourite in exemplifying the band’s biggest risks and most substantial growth as aging musicians.  The track is totally mellow, laid back, and makes no apologies for the change in direction. But these aren’t sunny day coffee house-type Matt Costa ditties, rather, they’re dark, introspective songs purposed around themes of rebirth and new beginnings.  Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising for a band known for their technical prowess, but the layers of acoustic strumming converge in crisp harmony for a masterwork of storytelling and songwriting.

The band has always toyed with a slight latino flare, and this shines through in the flamenco-tinged acoustic opener, “The Architect.”  In this regard, the album instantly maintains continuity with catalogue favourites like Blackhawks Over Los Angeles.  As the song speaks of self-acceptance and emerging from rebuke in a new light, lines like “I can exorcise the demon,” and “I can bleed, I can pay my treason” firmly drive choral momentum with remorse.  The title track takes a more conventional approach, and is one of a few tracks to harness the percussive power of stand-in drummer Sean Winchester. It’s a bigger sound, but no less intimate. Meanwhile, “Requiem” further explores the album’s dark brooding nature with Gregorian backing chants and a late song bridge that plugs the guitars back in for a hard hitting climax.  

The band further gives “Unkoil,” from An American Paradox, and “Matchbook,” from Twisted By Design the acoustic treatment.  Each song might as well be an entirely new composition, as the biggest thing they share is the lyrics.  “Matchbook” in particular harnesses the crispness of the band’s acoustic guitar strums in a way that cleans up the twenty year old tune in more ways that one.  Meanwhile, “Unkoil” transforms the original’s anger fuelled tempo into a wistful and uneasy exercise in inward reflection. In some ways it would be unfair to compare either song to their original counterparts, as each serves as a snapshot of musicians at very different stages in their career.

For long time fans, Black Out The Sky will be a shock to the system, more like a jolt to life than a punch to the gut.  In preparing fans for this stylistic experiment, the band was completely transparent about their current direction, stating “Sometimes, people want to maintain a youthful aura about their band. That’s gone. We’re old dudes. But we’ve learned a thing or two … Lemme show you a road that I found.”  In other words, Strung Out has turned a new corner, and you can either walk the other way and part ways, or join them on their new journey.  The choice is yours. I wholeheartedly endorse the latter.