United as One

The fourth full-length by Swedish hardcore stalwarts Misconduct is likely titled as a statement of renewed energy after a long period of personnel instability, or perhaps a testament to the tight-knit hardcore community. Whichever (or both), United as One is Misconduct's strongest album to date, with a cleaner production style than their previous records that rather than diminishing the straight-edge lyrics or lockstep riffing of songs like "No Boundaries" and the clenched-fist optimism of "Make a Difference," makes the no-nonsense power of a chorus like "Fight for freedom, fight for justice" that much more in-your-face than it would be if it whizzed by in the typical high-speed blur. This is not a Good Charlotte-style pop-punk record by any means (early Bad Religion is a closer touchstone), but it's just sharp and bright enough that maybe, just maybe, some standard-issue mall punk might pay attention, which could only be a good thing.