We've all heard the caveat: Never judge a book by its cover. I imagine the same could be said for CD packaging. If accurate judgements could be based on packaging alone, Lagwagon's Double Plaidinum would be an incontestable classic; a conceptual hybrid that incorporates both the greatest- hits/ remixed Kiss collection, Double Platinum and "The Beverly Hillbillies" is nothing short of brilliant. Unfortunately, superficial assessments ignore the essence, and the keen originality evident while looking at this product is seriously diminished once one reaches the listening stage.

The first major Fat Wreck Chords project, Lagwagon quickly established itself as a bridge between two genres of music that normally wouldn't be caught dead together: Southern California "punk" and progressive metal. (Yes, indeed, these boys are indebted as much - perhaps even more - to Rush and Iron Maiden as they are to NOFX and Bad Religion.) Despite the bizarre formula, it worked, and fans came to appreciate this band's quirky time changes, chord progressions, and guitar harmonies. Therein lies the problem with Double Plaidinum. For a band that consistently challenged our comfortable notions of three chords and steady beats, this is a surprisingly straightforward album.

At first, this modified approach seems to work. "Alien 8," "Making Friends," and "Unfurnished" are refreshing departures from the traditional Lagwagon catalogue: they're tight, concise, catchy songs complete with refrains and regular rhythms. Soon afterwards, however, the band seems to lose touch with exactly what it was that drew people to them in the first place. In case they need to be reminded: We have enough bands with albums that carry the same general tempo throughout; we have enough bands with progressions that we can pick out almost immediately after the song begins; and, for the love of all that is good and pure in this world, we have enough freakin' bands tampering with ska!

Double Plaidinum is by no means a bad album; nevertheless, I expect more from this band than a mediocre effort-- one that is "listenable" and quite good "at times." And though I won't be listening to the album very often, you better believe that my poster of the cover-art is hanging loud and proud in my room.

-Kevin Ruggeri