Review Summary: Raging against a new machine….
Upon starting up Subliminal Criminal by Long Island’s Stray From the Path (SFTP) it is not far-fetched to imagine that the band was listening to early Rage Against the Machine on repeat during the writing process. Angry, juvenile, and bordering on the ridiculous their latest effort may be paying lip service to the 90’s and the bands hardcore roots but it’s a fun ride. This is one of those times you need to let go a little bit and enjoy the sheer madness that flows from your speakers.
“It may not be about race, but it is about color. May have most of them fooled, but not me mother***er”. Spat with vitriol reserved for the most angst ridden millennial Drew York spews forth line after line of hardcore poetry. Just about every song has a brazenly cock-sure one liner that is sure to bring a smirk to just about anyone’s face. “Every rich white kid’s got something to say… SHUT THE *** UP!”. Normally I would be harping on lyrics this ridiculous; however the delivery here is done genuinely and makes for enjoyable ride over a scant 32 minutes. Listeners are given little time to sit and think about exactly what is going on; which is perfect.
Keeping the same lineup for the third album running the band is not going to win over anyone with progressive riffing and technical malleability. What they do however is play some slick, dirty New York style hardcore with a bit of that 90’s experimental vibe (ala Mr. Morello and Rage) to avoid being “just another generic ‘core band’. If you have listened to their last few albums the tone and pace are basically on point with what has been done before. Not to say that the band has not improved over the years. Subliminal Criminal finds them perfecting the sound that is somewhat uniquely SFTP. Distorted, heavy and a bit funky in places; the instrumentation here really would not have been out of place 20 years ago. Though slick studio work definitely makes a difference, the bombast is technically superior; this is a fun one to blast with the windows down and the bass cranked up.
“Mic check, is this thing tapped? ‘Cause I can’t say *** without being hacked”. Lyrically the songs range from the absurdly angry (First World Problem Child) to socially relevant (D.I.E.P.I.G.) with content dealing with everything from class warfare to sexual predators. Guest appearances throughout the album help to break the monotony of York’s screaming deliver. Cody B. Ware’s appearance on ‘Future of Sound’ blends a welcome hip hop flow to the mix and come across like something that would have been on the Judgement Night soundtrack. While the music is on point, the lyrics and delivery are the star of the show. You’ll find yourself quickly screaming along, head bobbing to the beat.
Did SFTP reinvent the wheel? No. Hell, they basically borrowed a ’67 Hemi from Rage Against the Machines garage and took it for a spin 20 years later. Is this a really fun way to spend 32 minutes? Absolutely. If you have remotely enjoyed the bands last few releases this will work for you in spades.
