To quote the song, "Make it stop please, make it stop.". Anyone familiar already with this record has probably read with bated breath, waiting for this track to be mentioned. '(Can't Get My Head) Around You' begins with vocals that, even to the untrained ear, simply can't be Dexter (if they are, I think I need to give Offspring's back catalogue a listen again) and then cuts to a slice of their trademark punk/metal with a nice wah-wah solo courtesy of Noodles. The band fool around with vocal effects and shit, but it doesn't do much to detract from the blandness of the track. Slowed down, could-be-Nickelback straight up rock. I guess this track could be labelled as the 'Original Prankster' of Splinter, but it's a fun song that will probably do pretty well commercially, if not just for that keyboard line.
New single 'Hit That' begins normally enough, then cuts to a genuinely catchy synth keyboard line reminiscent of hip-hop, and even featuring programmed drums. After a few of these, you start to wonder if the band will pull something else out of their asses, for a change.Īnd then, they do. It's a good tune, yeah, a real singalong, but then, so is every other Offspring song. However, even cool 8 bar drum fills can't save this song from descending into typical Offspring fare. This song contains what is probably my favourite 'punk' drum fill ever (check it out, 46 seconds in). Next comes 'Long Way Home', showcasing for the first time Josh Freese's talents. If you're a pretty undemanding music fan who appreciates a good song but doesn't see past the unoriginality factor, you'll enjoy this. The first 'real' track, 'The Noose', is a lite-metal/rock/dare-i-say punk track, with all the staples of an Offspring song fast drumbeats, tons of harmonized 'whoaaa-ohhh-oh' backing vocals, and typical 'punk chords'. It's an opener I can't take seriously due to its AFI similarities, but works well as an introduction to the record, showing how Splinter is more of a re-hash of other, better ideas, as opposed to brand new ones. However, having lived with this record for a few weeks, I can safely say it isn't like Smash.īeginning with opener 'Neocon', this record immediately reminded me of AFI's 'Miseria Cantare' and 'Strength Through Wounding', right down to the drumbeat-led rhythm, the chanted vocals (which incidentally were recorded in the UK at the Reading Festival, by the entire crowd). Preferring their older albums (ironically, the ones with multiple word titles) to the newer stuff, I was happy to hear quotes from singer Dexter Holland saying this record would be more like Smash era Offspring. I came to this record hoping it would reassure me as an old Offspring fan. Drum duties on Splinter have been handled by Vandals/A Perfect Circle drummer, Josh Freese, and live, the band are touring with the cooly-monikered Atom Willard. Other problems faced include main axeman Noodles breaking a finger, delaying the recording process, and the minor issue of the band's longtime drummer, Ron Welty, quitting the band after 15 years to focus on his side project. Noodles (guitarist) claimed on their site that the reasoning for this was not impending legal action from Rose's lawyers, but the fact that "After an exhaustive marketing study we've discovered that our fans only want Offspring records with one-word titles.". Originally titled Chinese Democracy (You Snooze, You Lose) as a 'fuck you' to Axl Rose, who had been planning this title for his long awaited (11 years and counting) new Guns 'N Roses record, the band eventually opted to drop this title for Splinter. Their last few records have been hit and miss, and Splinter is no exception. Offspring have a strange legion of fans ranging from Orange County punk rockers remembering their sun-kissed punk beginnings, to the 'hey-look-its-those-pretty-fly-guys' fans who would be amazed to learn that this record is their seventh. This was always going to be a difficult record to make.