Not as viable as before

The Methadones - Not Economically Viable
(Thick Records)
2 stars (out of 5 stars)
Reviewed: Nov. 29, 2004

Review by Tony Bonyata

On The Methadones' third full-length release Not Economically Viable the quartet offers up yet another full-throttle platter of high-octane power-pop punk anthems. But instead of taking their music in a new direction, they now seem content to merely rely on a formula that's worked wonders for countless other bubblegum-punk bands that still continue to rear their ugly heads some ten years after Billie Joe Armstrong first gave himself the creeps.
Songs such as the fierce "Sorry to Keep You Waiting" and "Turning Inside Out" successfully incorporate a strong sense of songwriting craft with a similar unbridled enthusiasm reminiscent of both Foo Fighters and Green Day. The powerhouse number "Hit a Nerve" also manages to perfectly couple the uncaged ferocity of The Stooges with the dumb-but-irresistible immediacy of The Ramones. But other than these few standout moments, the rest of the album seems content to cater to the under-fifteen sect (which isn't necessarily a bad thing if MTV's TRL is your ultimate goal).
Despite the abundance of high-energy, hook-laden numbers that race throughout this fast-paced album, the similar tempos and the unsupervised level of testosterone ultimately leaves you with the same sense of annoyance that your pestering, string-bean brother's weak headlock did so many years ago.
I used to think these guys were actually trying to separate themselves from the throngs of sugary sweet, pre-pubescent punk pap that their music walked a little too close with in the first place, but now I have my doubts. And even though it may have been originally written about a failed relationship, surely even vocalist / guitarist Dan Schafer has his own doubts when at one point during the album he bemoans, "What went wrong? We can't go on this way." He's right; they shouldn't.