So, this is where six released albums takes you, eh?
"Lets start a revolution", the metaphorical screamings of the opening track to the Offspring's seventh album, Splinter. The massive crowd chant which backs up the vocals in "Neocon" gives the impression that Dexter Holland (vocals) is trying to instigate some form of riot. I'm sure its just me though: it probably just sounded spiffy, y'know?
No real political or social messages here, then. It's just your typical fare into the world of new age punk. All the usual 90s American punk ideas are here: short songs (the entire album length is a mere 31 minutes), speedy eighth note riffs, discussion of drugs, and - lets not forget - catchy songs. The whole album is pretty fast, with the exception the last track, "When You're In Prison". The song isn't a song of any real seriousness, anyway, being a spoof of 30s gramophone music, with a view to teaching people about the possibilities of being raped when you're in prison, particularly highlighted by the line, "Don't be no one's bitch, it's bad for you."
As was mentioned before, the catchy songs are present on Splinter, such as the single "Hit That", and "(Can't Get My) Head Around You". "Hit That" is a mixed bag of a song. If you can ignore/forgive the cheesy synth and opening riff in this song, you'll find a remarkably good (for the Offspring) song lurking underneath, as many hours of humming "I know you want to hit that," will help you testify.
The fast paced drumming of this entire album slows down near the end, for the required acoustic-style song: "Spare Me the Details". It's filled with commonly unusual acoustic percussion, and that general happy feeling, one of the two kinds of acoustic song that seem to exist in these genres: it's either so upbeat that you want to jump onto a hill and clap your hands, whilst grinning at the sun like a maniac, or it's slow and minor, forcing you to retract into a shell of quiet contemplation. Believe me, "Spare Me the Details" is a solid representation of the first kind.
So, opinion time. Splinter does have its share of good songs, but the rest of it, to be blunt, is non-descript pap. Punk fans only, I'm afraid; the rest of you will probably not enjoy it - and at least half of you are intelligent enough to realise this without hearing it. Oh, and avoid the ska-style song, "The Worst Hangover Ever". You'll thank me someday.