With
On the Front Line
, veteran New York punkers
the Casualties
explode like a match on gasoline. Vocalist
Jorge
stands out in front of
punk revivalist
fare like
"Criminal Class"
and the title track, as the quartet brings to mind front-runners of the genre's second wave like
G.B.H.
and
the Exploited
. Yet for all of their ranting, rapid-fire trad-
punk
ways, the topical fare found on
"Media Control"
"Death Toll"
is planted firmly in 2004. While drummer
Meggers
is unstoppable, it's the blistering guitar lines by
Jake
that ring out loud throughout
. The disc's standout anthem,
"Tomorrow Belongs to Us,"
captures
at their most capable -- replete with harmony vocals. Fans of direct, aggressive, chant-along
will not be disappointed. ~ John D. Luerssen