On the Front Line

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" and "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 On the Front Line. The disc's standout anthem, "Tomorrow Belongs to Us," captures the Casualties at their most capable -- replete with harmony vocals. Fans of direct, aggressive, chant-along punk will not be disappointed.