It's the quality that makes a dramatic hero tragically faced with insurmountable circumstances, he (forgive the gender- biased language, ladies and gentleman, but from antiquity onwards the roles have been assigned to men) fights on, despite the overwhelming reality that he will ultimately fail. His unrelenting spirit testifies to the extraordinary character that elevated him beyond the norm, until he allowed a fatal flaw to set him upon a path of self- destruction.

Hyperbole aside, Screeching Weasel have followed the tragic path as well. Once the post- Descendents leaders of melody- infested punk, they have since resorted to assimilating sounds rather than pioneering them; "Count to Three," the album's opening track, establishes a kinship with the New Bomb Turks apparent throughout much of the album.

Of course, the chicken- and- egg dilemma could be posed here. I mean, Ben Weasel and company have certainly had a profound influence on innumerable bands, and therein lies the frustrating irony. So many bands have taken on the Screeching Weasel sound that its possibilities have been exhausted to the point where even the originators are hard- pressed to present it in a new and exciting way.

That's not to say they don't make the attempt; remember, their situation has become tragic for that very reason. They've definitely given thought to the excessive production that obfuscated many of Bark Like A Dog's grander moments. Here, the production is much more direct, though I swear the bass player forgot to turn on his amp. Ben has limited his use of the ultra- nasal singing voice, returning instead to the throaty emanations characteristic on My Brain Hurts (in my humble opinion, the Holy Grail of their discography). And the band's vacillating interest in both ultra- fast and steadier statements remains one of their greatest strengths. It just seems that the countless personnel changes have seriously affected the band's gestalt. To make matters worse, the liner notes inform us that Ben recorded the vocals in his bedroom while the album's music was recorded in the studio-- a separation of spirit that's painfully apparent.

I respect Screeching Weasel's unflinching attempts to provide the world with songs heavy in heartbeat and catchy in chorus, but I think it may be time for them to reassess their patented approach. After all, they've led the way before, and plenty of people followed.

-Kevin Ruggeri

"Breaking Point"

[Real Audio Stream]