Green Day | Father of All... | Album Review

Reprise Records

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

For a band who’s been creating music for nearly three decades, a listener would think that their style of music, as of late, is out of date in today’s modern age. Yet, in theory, that’s only partially true. With the release of their thirteenth studio album Father of All…—the uncensored version title being Father of All Motherfuckers—pop punk band Green Day showcases that they’re not close to calling it a career as a group yet fails at sounding like what people are used to hearing from the band.

Coming in as their shortest album created—26 minutes, 10 tracks—Father of All… takes a different approach in the pop punk, rock and roll genre compared to the likes of their smash hit album American Idiot in 2004. The track “Oh Yeah!” is steady in percussion, guitar rhythm, and the slight chime of tambourine. But there seems to be no riff or climax for audiences to enjoy in the long run.

“I was a Teenage Teenager” is subtle in guitar riff in the opening. However, once the chorus kicks in, the lyrics are washed out from the overpowering melody. The title track “Father of All…” is probably Green Day at their best, sounding like the grungy 2000s band fans are used to, creating an atmosphere of hype and edginess. Sadly, it lacks diversity when it meshes into the next track “Fire, Ready, Aim,” which consists of the same beat, creating a long and boring five-minute track.

“Junkies on High” follows the same pattern as “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” with a hard-hitting drop in percussion, guitar, and synth, with steady mellow lyrics and a chorus that crescendos to full capacity.

Father of All… is no American Idiot. But it’s not entirely awful. The latest release is fun and energetic and with some minor tweaking and fixing, the album is a hit. At the moment though, it’s just not the Green Day that audiences know.