Ok, everyone MUST get this cd for the holidays.. Check it out..

1. Street Drum Corps. feat. Bert McCracken- Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
2. Funeral For A Friend- Miracle of Christmas
3. Skindred- Jungle Bells
4. The Used- Alone This Holiday
5. Roses Are Red- Last Christmas
6. The Smashup- Coventry Carol
7. Opiate For The Masses- Christmas Evel
8. Amped- We Three Kings
9. Emery- The Last Christmas
10. My American Heart- First Noel
11. Like Yesterday- We Might Be Alone Tonight
12. Bleed The Dream- No Smiles on Christmas
13. Versus The World- Blue And Cold
14. Bedlight For Blue Eyes- Christmas Song
15. Gatsby’s American Dream- Saint Nicholas
16. From First To Last- Christmassacre
17. Black Halos- Homeless For Christmas
18. Plain White T’s- Season of a Lifetime

Taste of Christmas - Preview the album on PureVolume
Taste of Christmas - Myspace Page

311’s quality of their albums is a dizzying up and down since their break-through “blue” album in 1995. Every 2 years a new album comes out like clockwork. 1997’s “Transistor” was down [for me], 1999’s “Soundsystem” was down [for me], 2001’s “From Chaos” was up, and 2003’s “Evolver” was (way) up. (I’m leaving out last year’s “Greatest Hits” album).

“Don’t Thread on Me” (11 tracks, 37 min.) continues the trend and, while not “bad” per se, it’s definitely down from “Evolver”. The album does contain a couple of good moments, including the title track, “Solar Flare” and the closer “There’s Always an Excuse”. But there are no truly stand-out tracks and there are unfortunately too many “lazy” songs that don’t get anywhere. (And what is with the steel drums? Showing up in 2 tracks…)

As a live act, 311 remains amazing as always. I saw them 5 days before this album was released, and they were outstanding. As a long time fan, I’m already looking forward to the 2007 album 311 will release, which, if the trend holds up, will be kick ass..

Until then, I’m gonna throw “Music” or “Grassroots” back in and try to remember how it once was, and how it could be again.

1.5 out of 4 for me.