Strung Out – Prototypes and Painkillers

It’s hard to believe that Strung Out have been kicking around for over 18 years now.  A Fat Wreck Chords staple since the 90’s, Strung Out have amassed a respectable following and received favourable reviews throughout their entire career.  To celebrate, the band has released a convenient new B-sides and rarities compilation featuring demos, B-sides, splits, and former limited edition content originally recorded between the band’s formation in 1992 and their recent 2007 full length, Blackhawks Over Los Angeles.  With so many years under their belts, it’s not surprising that the compilation completely exhausts its physical medium, boasting an indulgent 25 tracks and nearly 70 minutes of playtime.

Admittedly, I was only introduced to Strung Out well into 00’s, with their unique blend of speedy power-metal and down-to-earth punk-rock initially grabbing my ear.  But the band’s history can be divided into two distinct eras: Pre and post The Element of Sonic Defiance (released in 2000).  This album represented a transformative stage in the band’s career.  In the 1990s the band channeled a rough pop-punk sound comparable to other bands on the Fat roster including NOFX and No Use For A Name, reaching it’s peak with 1998’s Twisted By Design.  But then the band flexed its creative muscles, initiating a sustained escalation of their metal influence and technical ambition in subsequent releases.  By the time I was eagerly anticipating 2007’s Blackhawks, the band had become known for its raging metal-inspired solos and grand scale production.

What does this near-biography have to do with Strung Out‘s substantive rarities compilation?  Well, Prototypes and Painkillers is a career spanning compilation that strongly emphasizes Strung Out‘s stylistic divide.  The track listing lacks obvious trends or themes, effectively placing gritty, demo-quality tracks from 1992 like “I’m Not a Loser” alongside glossy, polished songs like “Novella.”  At first glance the contrast can be jarring – especially for those like myself who warmed up to the band after their millennial transformation.  Interestingly though, over the years Strung Out have actually retained a surprising amount of common ground.  Specifically, their lyrics have always been dark and ominous – offering Prototypes a little more cohesion than I initially expected.  For example, comparing 1994’s “Season of the Witch” with 2002’s “Betrayal” reveals similar commentaries on society’s lack of human compassion.  The entire compilation is pretty grim for that matter, so don’t listen too closely or you might just get a little depressed.

From a fan perspective, the compilation offers a convenient smorgasbord of songs that, until now, have either only been available through sketchy online “resources,” or have been collecting dust in band’s private library.   From a rabid fan’s perspective (who undoubtedly already have mp3s of many of these songs), this compilation provides the first ethical outlet for possessing, and now owning many of these tracks.  Obviously of most interest to long-time fans, the album consists of seven unreleased tracks, half of which have never even seen a leaked or limited release.  The remainder has been available on everything from splits with bands like the recently renamed Jughead’s Revenge, to limited edition, pre-order exclusive editions of Blackhawks and An American Paradox.  Unlike rarities albums that simply throw a collection of tracks together without further explanation, Strung Out provides a short commentary overviewing where each song’s place in their history.  Tying each track to its context really helped increase my appreciation for Prototypes, giving the album a purpose, and myself a reason listening.

However, there is no denying that Prototypes and Painkillers feels like a rarities album.  During the past few years, bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and The Swingin Utters have released similar releases that feel complete as stand alone products.  Unfortunately Strung Out‘s stylistic evolution since 2000 prevents Prototypes from feeling like a single, natural product.  Even so, the album’s track-by-track commentary and sheer size make Prototypes and Painkillers a must-have for long time fans, and at the very least, an informative introduction to Strung Out‘s fractured past for more recent listeners.