Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 06/17/2008
The Offspring's second album for
Epitaph did the impossible: it landed in the Top Five, unheard of for independent records.
The Offspring crossed over due to the raucous, Eastern-tinged single
"Come Out and Play," which stopped and started just like
Nirvana, only without the Seattle trio's recklessness. The record stayed in the charts because
the Offspring sounded relentlessly heavy, no matter how much the band claimed to be
punk. Their tempos are slower than traditional
hardcore, and their attack is as heavy as
Metallica. But they acted like they were
punk, with odes to no
"Self Esteem" and singing about fighting in school. Nothing on the album matches the incessant catchiness of the singles, but
Smash is a solid record, filled with enough heavy riffs to keep most teenagers happy.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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