01. Farewell My Hell

02. Birdie

03. Cash Or Clash

04. Shut You Out

05. Biftek Supernova

06. My Name Is Golden

07. Ray

08. Novo

09. Simple Twist Of Hate

10. Stalemate

11. Mooseman's Jukebox

12. Hard Times

Kingwood
Millencolin

Esteemed punk rock juggernauts Millencolin have returned to their roots on Kingwood, a cathartic but infectious assortment of tunes that is as collectively uplifting as it is unstoppable. "I think it's our best, most focused record yet," guitarist Erik Ohlsson attests, and in the length of time it takes for these dozen explosive songs to play out, punk loyalists will reach the same conclusion.

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CATALOG DATA

No: #82043

US Rel. Date: 04/12/2005

EU Rel. Date: 03/29/2005

Type: Full

Punknews.org

J Kyle

Opinions seem to widely vary regarding Millencolin, so I'll get a few things out of the way first. Not only is Pennybridge Pioneers my favorite Millencolin...

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Opinions seem to widely vary regarding Millencolin, so I'll get a few things out of the way first. Not only is Pennybridge Pioneers my favorite Millencolin album; I also consider it to be a near-flawless masterpiece and a must-own for any punk rock fan. Secondly, Home From Home wasn't entirely bad, just inconsistent. That being said, if "Black Eye" or "Happiness For Dogs" didn't do it for you, you might not find much to like on Kingwood. Finally, if you're waiting for Millencolin to bring back the ska, you're out of luck; there's nary an upstroke to be found on this album.

As promised, Kingwood is a faster, more aggressive offering than the mid-tempo, rock-oriented Home From Home. From the opening track, "Farewell My Hell," Kingwood moves along at a frantic pace, with plenty of driving power chord riffs and anthemic choruses. The balladic "Shut You Out" is one of the few subdued moments among this set, and even the poppier cuts ("Cash Or Clash," "Ray") are loud and punchy. This is far and away Millencolin's best-sounding effort yet; the guitars are big and crunchy, and vocalist Nikola's voice is noticeably clearer than on Home From Home. In short, this album demands to be played loudly. These songs are also more textured than those on previous outings; the eerie guitar feedback sounds at the end of "Novo" and "Stalemate" and the piano in the bridge of "Stalemate" are prime examples of this. It's a subtle change, but a welcome one. There are plenty of good, catchy tunes (and thankfully, very little filler) on Kingwood, such as the anthemic "Birdie" and "Biftek Supernova," which recalls old Bad Religion. The real standout here, however, is the penultimate track, "Mooseman's Jukebox." With its driving shuffle beat, thumping bass line, and a chorus that just begs the listener to sing along, it's impossible to sit still through this song, and I have found myself returning to it more than any other track on this album.

Lyrically, Kingwood has less tongue-in-cheek humor than Millencolin's previous albums. There are no songs about Nintendo, Vulcans, or foxy motor scooters to be found here. Instead, we are given heartfelt, meaningful lyrics about living up to one's potential ("Birdie") or the frustration of feeling constrained by others' expectations ("Ray"). The lone exception might be the aforementioned "Mooseman's Jukebox," the verses of which are simply other bands' song titles cleverly arranged to form rhymes. The other songs, however, are more compelling on an emotional level than much of Millencolin's older material. It's hard to listen to a song like "A Simple Twist Of Hate," with its sense of urgency and anger, and not feel affected in some way.

Beginning with Pennybridge Pioneers, Millencolin have been abandoning their earlier skate-punk leanings in favor of perfecting the art of the straightforward punk rock song, and with Kingwood, this metamorphosis is nearer to completion than ever. It may not topple Pennybridge Pioneers as their best work, but it's a far better foray into this new sound than Home From Home.

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Average Fan Rating: 4.38

Wigmoso

06/17/2006

This is better than "home from home", but thats not saying much. A mediocore CD from an amazing band, i recommend sticking with the old stuff.

punkestdude

04/25/2006

AWESOME! but Not the...

AwesomE albUM!! but Not BeTTER than HOME FROM HOME

Punk_Athena

04/23/2006

Just Great

I just can't get tired to hear it

antiflag23

04/19/2006

4.7 outta 5

Very good. more hardcore than "Home From Home". Short Album, only like 30 mins. Get IT.

Jp_McNab

01/23/2006

Jp_McNab

It's not what I expected from millencolin, I don't believe that it's a good one, it's just a should-have-it just cuz you should be a real fan, or not? I am, I bought it, I'm not proud but you can hear it. I still think that Home From Home it's the most focused album from Millencolin. Don't get wrong, I'm as human as you all are.
Take Care.

brammyg

11/08/2005

Great Album!

I love the new Millencolin album! It's been in my player since I've boughten it. The music on Kingwood resembles the music on every other Millencolin release. Great disk.

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KingwoodMillencolin

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LATEST NEWS

CATALOG DATA

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Punknews.org

J Kyle

Wigmoso

06/17/2006

punkestdude

04/25/2006

AWESOME! but Not the...

Punk_Athena

04/23/2006

Just Great

antiflag23

04/19/2006

4.7 outta 5

Jp_McNab

01/23/2006

Jp_McNab

brammyg

11/08/2005

Great Album!

Kingwood
Millencolin

Kingwood
Millencolin