Consistency in a band is like loyalty in a friend. It's a quality most noticeable when absent. Without it, you feel lost and betrayed, a sense of abandonment which causes you to question everything that you once felt to be true and important. Within its warm glow, however, what otherwise seems to be a chaotic world maintains some level of order, and all your being shines in gratitude.

For lovers of extreme music-- the type that sends the soul soaring in a burst of adrenaline-- Pennywise are the best friends one could possibly have. Champions of metal- tinged punk rock for nearly a decade, the band dutifully continues their loyal trend with Straight Ahead. The bass drum kicks in the beginning seconds of "Greed," setting the tone for the entire album: tight, focused, and unrelenting. Immediately, the listener is swept into a wave of heart- racing excitement which never loosens its grip until the final note of "Badge of Pride."

The rock is a sustaining force, not a destructive one, so just lock in and enjoy the ride. Let your vocal pipes roar with the closing chant of "Greed" ("Today is a great day for suffering"); lose yourself in the frenetic pacing of "Can't Believe It;" celebrate the victory of goosebumps over flesh while sharing in the uplifting message of "Still Can Be Great;" enjoy the surge of pride you get from responding to the individualistic anthem, "My Own Way."

Of course, too much consistency can be a bad thing, especially when artists simply repeatedly rehash tired formulas without lending anything unique or new to them. Thankfully, Pennywise guard themselves against this shortcoming by introducing unfamiliar devices into some to their songs. The wailing guitar notes of "Alien" provide an effective contrast to the power chords which normally shape the band's repertoire; the slower tempo of the song provides another point of departure for the band. A similar effect is achieved in "Badge of Pride" when guitarist Fletcher deftly incorporates delay effects into the song's mix.

Although most of these patterns may be familiar, they're always conveyed with a refreshing intensity. A long way off from becoming far- weathered musicians who sacrifice quality for the sake of indulgent experimentation, Pennywise recognize the importance of being there for you and constantly surpassing your highest expectations of them. On Straight Ahead, they make you happily aware that the relationship between artist and fan is the strongest it's ever been.

-Kevin Ruggeri