The story of the Offspring can now be considered well known. In 1994 the band unleashed a punk rock boom with the legendary album Smash. The fact that the albums never again matched the status of that album was mainly a concern of critics and not of the band itself, which kept releasing records that they themselves supported. For example, Ixnay On the Hombre (1997), Americana (1998) and Conspiracy
… Of One (2000) are all excellent records that more than exceed the punk rock average measure. In that respect it should come as no surprise that Splinter has again become a typical ripping Offspring record. With this time an unprecedented swinging single (Hit That) in the ranks, squatters like The Noose and Lightning Rod and a now traditional piece of underwear fun (this time in the form of the silly skateboarding tune The Worst Hangover Ever). The only other special feature is the departure of drummer Ron Welty and the arrival of his (temporary) replacement, master drummer Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Vandals). It only gives Splinter even more shine. (RWK)more
