Hard to argue with that sentiment. Still, The Sufferer & the Witness would be more noteworthy if these Chicagoans had ventured into unfamiliar areas. Sound-wise, the disc, which was recorded at Fort Collins's Blasting Room under the supervision of Descendents/All skin-pounder Bill Stephenson, kicks like a bull wearing a sandpaper thong. But with only a few exceptions, the melodies and arrangements stubbornly conform to the same punk template that's been in use for decades. Likewise, couplets such as "We look for reason/But come up empty-handed," from "Brick," seldom transcend sloganeering.
When it comes to this CD, predictability is the real inconvenient truth.
